Ketotifen eye drops for hay fever

About ketotifen eye drops

Febbre da fieno is caused by an allergy to pollen. The symptoms of hay fever are due to your immune system reacting to pollen. Cells on the lining of your eyes release a chemical called histamine, which causes eye inflammation (conjunctivitis). Hay fever is also called seasonal allergic conjunctivitis because the symptoms tend to occur at the same time, or in the same season, each year. Typical symptoms of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis are red, itchy and watery eyes.

Ketotifen eye drops relieve the eye symptoms of hay fever by blocking the action of histamine. Ketotifen can also be taken by mouth as tablets or oral liquid medicine. A separate leaflet called Ketotifen (Zaditen) gives more information about this.

To make sure this is the right treatment for you, before you start using ketotifen eye drops it is important that your doctor knows:

• Se sei incinta.

• Se indossi lenti a contatto morbide.

• If the drops are intended for a child less than 3 years of age. Ketotifen eye drops are not recommended for this age group.

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to an antihistamine or to any eye drops.

• Se stai assumendo o utilizzando altri medicinali. Questo include qualsiasi medicinale che stai assumendo e che è disponibile per l'acquisto senza prescrizione, così come i medicinali a base di erbe e complementari.

1. Lavati bene le mani prima di usare le gocce.

2. Open the bottle.

3. Inclina leggermente la testa all'indietro e tira verso il basso la palpebra inferiore per formare una tasca.

4. Tieni la bottiglia capovolta vicino al tuo occhio. Cerca di non toccare l'occhio mentre lo fai.

5. Apply enough pressure to the bottle to release one drop into your eye.

6. Chiudi l'occhio per un minuto o due e premi delicatamente sul lato del naso dove l'angolo dell'occhio incontra il naso. Questo aiuta a impedire che la goccia defluisca e la mantiene nell'occhio.

7. Ripeti il processo nell'altro occhio se ti è stato detto di usare le gocce in entrambi gli occhi.

8. Close the bottle after use. If you are using single-use vials, discard the used vial.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from the pack. The manufacturer's leaflet will give you more information about the drops, and a full list of side-effects which you may experience from using them.

• Ketotifen eye drops should be used twice a day (morning and evening).

• Take care not to touch your eye, fingers, or any other surface with the dropper of the bottle. This could infect the drops left in the bottle.

• When you first put the drops into your eye, it may cause blurred vision. This should quickly clear, but make sure you can see clearly again before you drive and before you use machines or tools.

• If you are using any other eye drops, leave at least five minutes between applying each preparation. This is to prevent more liquid going into your eye than it can handle. Otherwise the drops will overflow from your eye and not have the intended effect.

• Do not wear soft contact lenses while you are using ketotifen eye drops unless your doctor has advised you otherwise. This is because there is a preservative in the drops which can affect soft contact lenses.

• Se i tuoi sintomi non migliorano entro pochi giorni, o se peggiorano, consulta nuovamente il tuo medico.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with ketotifen eye drops. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with the drops. Speak with your doctor if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to the drops, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.

• Tenere tutti i medicinali fuori dalla portata e dalla vista dei bambini.

• Conservare in un luogo fresco e asciutto, lontano da fonti di calore e luce diretta.

• Eye drops only keep for four weeks once the bottle has been opened, so do not use ketotifen drops if the bottle has been open for longer than this. This will help to prevent the risk of eye infections.