Don’t Let A Day In The Garden End In Tears (NAPSA)—As spring arrives, gardeners everywhere anxiously await the first day they can gather their tools and head out to the yard to bring their flowers and plants back to life. For the millions of Americans whoconsider gardening a hobby or a vocation, a day spent outside with the flowers provides unmatched relaxation, enjoyment and beauty. However, for those sensitive to common allergens, watching the flowers bloom through itchy, irritated eyes can turn gardening from pleasure to misery. Ragweed, pollen and otherallergens becomeplentiful in the spring, and the millions of Americans who suffer from itchy eyes often find the season of renewal one where they are forced to stay indoors. With a little bit of precaution % For those sensitive to common allergens, watching the flowers bloom through itchy, irritated eyes can turn gardening from Pay attention to the pollen forecast and learn your specific triggers. No two people are exactly the same, so the more you know about your specific triggers, the better you can prepare. pleasure to misery. Get long-lasting relief for itchy eyes by choosing an eyedrop that provides 12-hourrelief. * Don’t cross your fingers and hope for the best. If the count is high and you wantto be outside, prepare in advance. Don’t overuse medications. Most antihistamine eyedrops also contain a decongestant that constricts the vessels in the eye to reduce the appearance of redness. However, these products may cause a rebound effect, leaving you with red eyes for a time after ities to apply drops to itchy eyes. Fortunately for gardeners who and common sense, even those most sensitive to spring allergens can enjoy the pleasure of their gardens from the outside. Here are sometips: Avoid interrupting your activ- you stop using them. suffer from eye itch, there is a new tool for their gardening kits. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved prescription Zaditor (ketotifen fumarate ophthalmic solution) for over-thecounter (OTC) use to treat eye itch. Available at drug and chain stores nationwide, Zaditor does not include a decongestant, works for 12 hours (longer than any existing OTC product) and has been found safe for use in children as young as 3. Zaditor has a triple-action formula that treats the source of the itch, so gardeners can stay outdoors longer without itchyirritation. “The garden is certainly a hot spot for eye itch due to common allergens,” says Marguerite McDonald, M.D., F.A.C.S., Oph- thalmic Consultants of Long Island. “With today’s treatments, itchy eyes do not have to prevent people from participating in any of the outdoor activities that they love. Particularly now that Zaditor is sold over the counter, green thumbs can easily grab quick, long-lasting relief and get back in the garden.” For more information about treating eye itch, go to the Web site at www.zaditor.com.
