'Eye Health and Allergies' Brochure from Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Offers Advice for Eye Allergy Sufferers; Includes Seasonal Strategies for Contact Lens Wearers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Come late summer, some 10 to 20 percent of Americans begin to suffer from ragweed allergy, or hay fever. In addition to symptoms of sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, allergic reactions involving the eyes are a major distraction for many allergy sufferers.

As ragweeds release billions of pollen grains into the air, symptoms of eye allergies -- such as tearing, itchiness, swelling and burning, can make it so uncomfortable for allergy sufferers that it impedes their leisure-time and sports activities, interferes with school performance and can affect productivity on-the-job.

'Of Americans who are allergic to pollen-producing plants, 75 percent are allergic to ragweed,' says Mike Tringale, Director of External Affairs, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), the leading patient organization for people with asthma and allergies. 'While there is no cure for ragweed allergy, there are some things eye allergy sufferers can do to minimize its impact on their day-to-day activities.'

To help eye allergy sufferers better understand and handle the condition, AAFA is offering a free educational brochure, 'Eye Health and Allergies.' The brochure can be viewed or downloaded at www.aafa.org . 'This brochure offers useful information on how eye allergies occur, common signs and symptoms, and practical advice on how to treat and prevent eye allergies,' says Tringale.

The brochure, supported by 1-DAY ACUVUE(R) MOIST(R) Brand Contact Lenses, includes vital allergy season advice for the nation's 40 million contact lens wearers, a group for whom eye allergies can cause distinctive troubles.

'Soft contact lenses are great pollen collectors, so symptoms may be exacerbated during hay fever season for those allergy sufferers who wear contact lenses,' explains James Kershaw, O.D., an Optometrist from North Olmsted, Ohio. 'People with itchy eyes are also more likely to rub them, which can lead to greater discomfort for the contact lens wearer.'

Fifty-four percent of those who wear contact lenses find it very uncomfortable to wear their lenses when they have allergy symptoms, according to a 2006 survey of 500 adult contact lens wearers with ocular allergies. The vast majority cope by increasing their use of wetting drops, wearing their lenses less often or removing their lenses during the day.