In my ongoing search for an eye drop that soothes my itchy eyes and makes the whites of my eyes look like I got more than three hours of sleep, Advance Eye Relief Drops, Opcon-A Allergy Relief by Bausch and Lomb does a decent job. Formerly only available by prescription, this eye drop has an antihistamine and relieves redness due to allergy symptoms. Available in a .5 ounce dropper bottle for $5.99 at drugstore.com, there is ample product to keep you through the pollen-packed Spring ahead.
I have a relatively high threshold of pain, but the discomfort of allergy season leaves me a whiny baby. So if there is a product to relieve any symptom, I want to try it. The antihistamine in the drops do a really good job of making itching and dryness go away. It takes a few minutes to kick in, but that’s faster than most treatments.
The problem I have with most eye drops is a rebound redness reaction after a few days of use – which certainly doesn’t work if you need allergy relief for a few weeks during the high pollen or ragweed count timing. I have had no rebound effect with Opcon-A Allergy Relief drops at all. Last year I used it both for Spring and Fall allergies (and for some “new carpet” minor allergic reactions as well) on a daily basis and had no problem, and no rebound dryness either. I typically only needed to use it 1-2 times a day, not the allowed four times a day, so I don’t know if a rebound reaction would occur with more frequent uses. However, for an eye drop that contains an antihistamine (what causes rebound dryness and redness), it’s impressive to not cause said reaction. However, if you do experience dryness or redness as a result of the antihistamine, you can always use a purely moisturizing eye drop after the Opcon-A Allergy Relief absorbs.
The packaging states that you might experience some minor stinging when you first put the drops in, although I’ve never found that to be true. It certainly feels better than itchy eyes, and doesn’t sting as much as standard eye drops.
For some reason these drops tend to run out of my eyes more than other eye drops, but this can be alleviated by tilting your head back and closing your eyes for a minute – which is how you’re supposed to use eye drops anyways, but I could usually just put them in and proceed without this step with other brands.
As far as aesthetics, Opcon-A Allergy Relief gives a decent amount of redness relief, but if you really want your whites sparkling white, Visine (regular or extra redness relief formulas) work far better. Opcon-A is good as an allergy relieving eye drop, but if you’re looking for something to improve your appearance, try another brand. It does little for a poor night’s sleep other than soothing the icky feeling in your sleep-deprived eyes – but you’ll still look exhausted.
Bausch & Lomb Advanced Eye Relief Drops, Opcon-A Allergy Relief is a pretty good allergy relief eye drop for everyday use. While I would prefer more whitening action, that’s a tradeoff with the ability to use it consistently. As someone who has used eye drops for many years, this is one of the few that I’ve repurchased on several occasions.
