ATLANTA, March 12, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The weather outside may be gray and dreary, but avid gardeners are already dreaming of spring flowers as they thumb through plant catalogues. For gardeners who endure itchy eyes in their passion for plants, now is the time to plan for a blooming spring that, with the help of eye drops, can keep allergies at bay.
A California landscaper and author has developed a rating system that advises gardeners what to plant to produce an allergy-free environment in their yards. But an Atlanta allergy specialist points out that airborne pollens originating miles away can still infiltrate the landscape, requiring ophthalmic medication to alleviate allergy symptoms.
For gardeners who might not know the allergenic difference between a periwinkle and a pepper tree, Thomas Leo Ogren has developed a rating system -- the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale. The scale rates more than 5,000 plants from 1, the safest and least allergenic, to 10, the worst and most allergenic. For example, a periwinkle is rated 1 and a staminate pepper tree is rated 10.
"Allergy rates are rising at an epidemic pace," says Ogren, who outlines his rating system in his book, "Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping" (Ten Speed Press, $19.95). "This is true in the U.S. and in all urban cities worldwide. Twenty-five years ago only 10 percent of the U.S. population suffered from allergies. Today the official figure is 38 percent and rising."
But allergy-free gardening is not a cure-all, says Dr. Mark Livezey, an allergist with Allergy and Asthma Consultants in Atlanta. Livezey also holds a Ph.D. in immunology and microbiology.
Often, he says, gardeners plant flowering plants that are not big allergy offenders compared with trees and grasses, whose pollen can be spread for miles by wind currents. Some gardeners may have to stay indoors during a heavy pollen season without masks to filter out the pollen, Livezey says. But that still leaves the eyes exposed.
"If you have one of the ophthalmic drops, it can help reduce symptoms and make it tolerable to work outside," he says.
One of the leading ophthalmic medications on the market today is Zaditor(tm) (ketotifen fumarate ophthalmic solution 0.025%). Manufactured by Novartis Ophthalmics, Zaditor both relieves and prevents the itch in three minutes and lasts up to 12 hours.
"Allergy pills don't always help watery, itchy eyes," says Dr. Yvonne Johnson, director of Regulatory and Medical Affairs for Novartis Ophthalmics, North America, maker of Visudyne(r), GenTeal(r) and other eye health products. "Targeting more than one stage of the allergy process is why Zaditor is so effective. If allergy sufferers need something to act fast for itchy eyes, they have to apply it right to the eye."
Consumers can learn how to manage eye allergies and receive rebates by going to the website www.Zaditor.com, which explains what causes eye allergies and how to minimize their effects. It also offers an allergy quiz, and an "Ask the Expert" section where questions are answered by a board-certified allergist.
Background on Novartis Ophthalmics
With worldwide headquarters in Bulach, Switzerland, Novartis Ophthalmics is a global leader in research, development and manufacturing of leading ophthalmic pharmaceuticals that assist in the treatment of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, eye inflammation, ocular allergies and other diseases and disorders of the eye. Novartis Ophthalmics products are available in more than 110 countries. The North American headquarters is based in Atlanta, Ga. Novartis Ophthalmics has production sites in Switzerland, France and Canada. For more information, please go to the web site www.novartisophthalmics.com/us.
Background on Novartis AG
Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) is a world leader in pharmaceuticals and consumer health. In 2002, the Group's businesses achieved sales of CHF 32.4 billion (USD 20.9 billion) and a net income of CHF 7.3 billion (USD 4.7 billion). The Group invested approximately CHF 4.3 billion (USD 2.8 billion) in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ about 72 900 people and operate in over 140 countries around the world. For further information please consult http://www.novartis.com.