ALLERGIES & Eye Care by Edward J. Furey, OD PC
Do allergies run in your family? Are you allergic to certain animals, such as cats? Do you often need antihistamines and/or decongestants to control sneezing, coughing and congestion? When pollen is in the air, are your eyes less red and itchy when you stay indoors under an air conditioner? Do your eyes begin tearing when you wear certain cosmetics or lotions, or when you’re around certain strong perfumes?
Dr. Edward J. Furey specializes in primary eye care, glaucoma, low vision, geriatrics and is the Center Director of Furey Family Eye Care. Located at 250 East Crossville Road, Roswell. www.fureyfamilyeyecare.com, (770) 993-5592
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, then you may have eye allergies. Common signs of allergies include: • Red, swollen or itchy eyes • Runny nose • Sneezing and coughing • Itchy nose, mouth or throat • Headache from sinus congestion
THANKSGIVING Fun & Games
by Jill Pollard
“Over the river and through the woods…” If you are expecting company for Thanksgiving Day, it would be fun to include your children in the preparation and festivities. Young children probably don’t have Jill Pollard is Director of La O’wn a good understanding of Academy, 11575 King Road, Roswell. th 17 Century history and the You may reach her at (678) 795-9145 first Thanksgiving shared or visit www.laownacademy.com. among the Pilgrims and Native Americans — all they associate with Thanksgiving are cool parades on TV in the morning, loud football games on TV in the afternoon and evening, turkey dinner, and celebrating the holiday with friends and family. But there are lots of craft projects that your child can do in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner. Placemats — Buy plain white placemats or construction paper and let your child decorate them for each person who will be at the dinner table. Children can use crayons or markers, but Thanksgiving stickers are especially fun.
Many allergens are in the air, where they come in contact with your eyes and nose. Airborne allergens include pollen, mold, dust and pet dander.
Napkin Rings — For napkin rings, have your child cut and decorate strips of paper, then tape them into a ring around the napkins.
Avoidance: The most common treatment of allergens is to avoid what’s causing your eye allergy. Use high-quality furnace filters that trap common allergens, and replace the filters frequently.
Place Cards — If your child can write, ask them to print the names of each Thanksgiving dinner guest on a place card using recipe cards or other stiff cards. Take a photo of each person, then glue each photo to a place card. For some real fun, have an older child draw a picture of each person on a place card and let the others try to guess who each picture represents!
Medications: If you’re not sure what’s causing your eye allergies or if you’re not having any luck avoiding them, your next step probably will be medication to alleviate the symptoms. Eye drops are available as simple eye washes. Or, they may have one or more active ingredients, such as antihistamines, decongestants or mast cell stabilizers, that inhibit inflammation. Antihistamines relieve many symptoms caused by airborne allergens, such as itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing. Decongestants help shrink swollen nasal passages for easier breathing. Common causes of excessively watery eyes are allergies and dry-eye syndrome — two very different problems. continued on page 70 North Fulton — Roswell | november 2012 58 My
Children’s Tablecloth — If you are going to have a special table for children, ask your children to decorate a plain white paper tablecloth for the occasion. Make it a group project by including any other children who arrive early in the day. Napkin Folding — You can tailor this activity to the different ages and abilities of the children. Have a 3-year-old fold a cloth napkin into quarters lengthwise, or a 5-year-old fold a napkin like a fan. You can find more elaborate napkin folds online for older kids. Preparing the Guest Rooms — If you are having overnight continued on page 70 www.footprintspublishing.com