HOPKINS, Minn., April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring is here and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about it. The warmer months mean it's time to say goodbye to shoveling, stiff breezes and dry skin, while saying hello to shorts, baseball and outdoor barbecues. That's good news. However, if you're an allergy sufferer, spring brings some unique challenges of its own and, depending on the severity of your allergies, they may be worse than that winter cold.

There are many causes of springtime allergies and allergy sufferers everywhere are used to experiencing those familiar bouts of sneezing, stuffy nose and congestion.¹ But not all allergy conditions are entirely nasal, and many allergy sufferers will show symptoms in their eyes as well.¹ This is often caused by a condition called allergic conjunctivitis.²

What is allergic conjunctivitis?

Allergic conjunctivitis is an allergic reaction that occurs when the eyes - specifically the eyeball membrane known as the conjunctiva² - are exposed to mold spores or pollen.¹ Once exposed, the eyes may become itchy.³

Research shows that 98 percent of people who experience eye allergies will be affected by seasonal allergic conjunctivitis.²  Spring is the most common time of the year for this condition, thanks to the propensity of grass, trees and flower pollens.²

If you have allergic conjunctivitis and you suffer from itchy eyes in the spring time, you're not alone and you're not without options. Across the nation, eye allergy sufferers are alleviating their itchy eye symptoms with PAZEO^® Solution (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.7%.

In clinical studies, once-daily PAZEO^® Solution showed improved eye allergy itch relief at 24 hours (though not shortly after a drop was put in) compared to once-daily PATADAY^® Solution (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution) 0.2%, the #1 prescribed allergy eye drop. Once daily PAZEO^® Solution showed improved eye allergy itch relief at 24 hours that was statistically significant compared to once daily PATADAY^® Solution. 30 to 34 minutes after a drop was put in, the difference in itch relief was not statistically significant. The safety and effectiveness of PAZEO^® Solution have been established in patients 2 years of age and older.⁴

The most common side effects occurred in approximately 2% to 5% of patients. These side effects were blurred vision, dry eye, superficial punctate keratitis (a type of inflammation of the front part of the eye), impaired taste, and abnormal sensation in the eye.⁴

INDICATION AND DOSING

PAZEO^® Solution is a prescription medicine used to treat eye itching associated with eye allergies. The recommended dosage is to put one drop in each affected eye once a day.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not touch dropper tip to eyelids or surrounding areas. Touching may contaminate the dropper tip and PAZEO^® Solution. Keep the bottle tightly closed when it is not in use.

Do not wear contact lenses if your eyes are red. PAZEO^® Solution should not be used to treat contact lens-related irritation. Always remove your contact lenses before administering PAZEO^® Solution.

PAZEO^® Solution contains the preservative benzalkonium chloride (BAK). BAK may be absorbed by soft contact lenses. If you wear soft contacts, you should wait at least five minutes after administering PAZEO^® Solution before inserting your contacts.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-fda-1088.

Please click here to view the full prescribing information for PAZEO® Solution. You can also ask your doctor if once-daily PAZEO® is right for you. To learn more, please contact Alcon customer service: 1-800-862-5266.

¹ American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Seasonal Allergies: Common Seasonal Allergy Triggers. Retrieved from http://acaai.org/allergies/types/seasonal. Accessed February 2016.

² Virtual Medical Centre. Simple Allergic Conjunctivitis (Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis (SAC); Perennial Allergic Conjunctivitis (PAC)). Retrieved from http://www.myvmc.com/diseases/simple-allergic-conjunctivitis-seasonal-allergic-conjunctivitis-sac-perennial-allergic-conjunctivitis-pac/#Statistics. Accessed February 2016.

³ National Institutes of Health. Allergic Conjunctivitis. Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001031.htm. Accessed February 2016.

⁴ PAZEO Solution Package Insert.

(c) 2016 Novartis    3/16   US-PAZ-16-E-0609

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