I always get hay fever at this time of year but this year its been really bad, not sneezing so much as problems with my eyes. They have been itchy and red and driving me bonkers. My friend recommended I try Opticrom eye drops, to be honest I had never heard of them but I was so fed up with itchy eyes I bought some.

The Packaging
The eye drops are sold in a little box which is manly blue in colour, It has Opticrom Hay fever eye drops written across two sides of the box where it also informs the customer that these are for the relief of itching, redness, soreness and watering. It also states that the eye drops contain Sodium Cromoglicate. The instructions for use are given on the back of the box along with a couple of precautions.
The box contains an information leaflet which should be read before using the product. This is all clearly set out and easy to read.

The eye drops are in a small white bottle with a screw top cap, the cap has a blue seal around it so you can be sure the eye drops haven't been tampered with, this is easy to remove and the box advises not to use the drops if the seal isn't in place. The bottle has a narrow tapered nozzle making applying the drops easy.

Precautions
Opticrom should not be used by children under 6 years old, you should also consult your doctor if you are pregnant or breast feeding. The eye drops are not suitable to use when wearing soft contact lenses.

Price and availability
I bought my Opticrom from my local Tesco, a 10ml bottle currently costs £4.50, the usual price is £5.50, Asda have them for £4.00, Boots for £3.99 and waitrose are currently selling Opticrom for £3.82 so it would pay to shop around.

Directions For Use
The eye drops are quite simple to use, tilt your head back, pull the lower eye lid down and squeeze 1 or 2 drops into the lower lid, then close your eye. Wipe away any excess liquid with a clean tissue and that's it!

My Opinion
The first time I put the eye drops in my eyes the cooling effect was instant, I had been suffering from really itchy eyes that were hot and angry, the Opticrom was lovely and soothing and they instantly started to feel better. After a short while the itchiness eased and my eyes felt so much more comfortable. The only down side is I cant use my contacts., as I'm currently not working though that's not too much of a problem. I found I needed to use the Opticrom 4 times a day as the instructions stated.
Luckily my symptoms have eased now so whatever was irritating my eyes is over but I would definitely recommend Opticrom to anyone suffering with hay fever symptoms in their eyes. Its not messy to use, it works quickly and effectively and the relief is virtually instant. I will make sure that from now on I keep a bottle of this in my bathroom cabinet, it was worth every penny I paid for it.