Tis the season.... there is a glut of patients with symptoms related to seasonal allergies. Of course, patients seem to be talking about red, itchy eyes as their primary symptom, while you may be hearing more about systemic and respiratory symptoms.
Some interesting statistics have come out. According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association:
About 73 percent of consumers would rather treat themselves than see a doctor.
A majority (62 percent) say they would like to self-treat more in the future.
Nearly all (96 percent) say they are generally confident about their health care decisions.
With that in mind, you may want to ask your patients specifically about the use of such Over-The-Counter (OTC) eyedrops as Visine-AC, or Naphcon-A. You may be surprised to find that a large number of them are self medicating, and not mentioning it to you!!
You may want to take some steps in educating your patients regarding the advantages of such prescription drops as Pataday, which is a once-a-day drop, that attacks several pathways of the allergic reaction. It is more effective and longer lasting than the over the counter (OTC) eye drops, and will be less expensive for the chronic user! And the occasional patient who has particularly aggressive allergic conjunctivitis, topical steroids may be of use. These patients may benefit from Alrex or a stronger steroid drop, but must be monitored closely for elevated intra-ocular pressure. This is where the input of an eye care provider is crucial. When a patient is on steroid drops, they must have pressure checks fairly frequently. So called 'steroid responders' may even need temporary glaucoma treatment until the steroids are discontinued.
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