Eye Drops

For years, I have used over the counter saline eye drops when my eyes have felt dry, itchy or have been red.  Some years ago, an optometrist gave me a sample of Similasan drops which were wonderful. I purchased those for some time.  More recently, I was provided with a sample of Systane, but have not purchased any, although I appreciate the relief from the sample.  

I am thinking about eye drops tonight because I sat out and read in my back yard, this evening.  And now my eyes are itching.  They also itched after I did some yard work over the weekend, so I know that pollen is heavy right now.  In fact, when I was sitting outside in the yard, I became very congested, but the congestion cleared up shortly after I moved inside.  That is not unusual for me. 

Dust or Pollen

It was a beautiful day today, and fortunately, I was able to accomplish all of my chores and errands, and still have the opportunity to sit outside for more than 3 hours.  And, I am enjoying it very much.  Thanks to WIFI I can even blog from my back yard!  But, the problem is I have been sneezing, coughing and hacking since shortly after taking to the back yard.  I am not sure what the problem is, dust or pollen or both.  We are in a drought, and although we got some rain this last week, we are still in a drought.  The problem with rain in the desert and semi-arid regions is that it takes very little rain to awaken some plants, cause them to sprout, bloom, produce pollen, and get ready to reproduce again the next time it rains.  

So, I am not sure what is in the air.  But, whatever it is, we will deal with it. 

Sitting Outside

It was a pretty day, and I enjoyed the opportunity to sit outside in the sun this afternoon.  But it turned out not so good.  The longer I sat outside, the more congested I became, and the more I sneezed. So I finally had to go in.  The nasal congestion cleared up quickly, but the swelling around my eyes and the itching of my eyes will not go away so quickly. It generally carries over till the next day.

This is West Texas.  The spring pollen count is high, and this is common for this time of year.  And I am hyper-sensitive to pollen:  I can be in one area and become congested, sneeze, have watery and itchy eyes.  I can move 5 or 10 feet, and everything clears up.  But the residual effect is still there.