{"product_id":"cromo-fresh-allergy-eye-drops","title":"Cromo-Fresh Antihistamine Eye Drops for Allergy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e✔ Stock on hand — ships NZ-wide from Rose Optometry, Hamilton.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCromo-Fresh — for itchy, allergic eyes\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eCromo-Fresh is an anti-allergy eye drop containing \u003cstrong\u003esodium cromoglycate\u003c\/strong\u003e, a mast cell stabiliser, supplied preservative-free. It sits in the antihistamine eye-drop category on the shelf, but it works by stopping mast cells releasing histamine in the first place rather than blocking histamine after the fact.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eItchy and dry are not the same problem, and this matters.\u003c\/strong\u003e Itch is allergy: if the dominant symptom is \u003cem\u003ewanting to rub your eyes\u003c\/em\u003e, often with sneezing, a runny nose and a seasonal pattern, that is allergic conjunctivitis and a lubricant will not touch it. Grit, burning and tired eyes is dry eye, which needs a \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/dry-eye-drops-nz\"\u003elubricant\u003c\/a\u003e and usually heat and lid hygiene as well. Plenty of Waikato patients have both, seasonally, and need one product for each.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe honest caveat, and it is the important part: cromoglycate is preventative, not a rescue drop.\u003c\/strong\u003e Because it works before the reaction rather than during it, it typically takes several days to a couple of weeks of regular use to reach full effect. Start it on the day the pollen hits and you will conclude it does not work. Start it a fortnight before your season and keep going through. That is the whole trick.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd stop rubbing. Rubbing feels wonderful for four seconds, then releases more histamine and itches more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it's for\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eItchy, watery, allergic eyes — hay fever, pollen, dust, animals.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeasonal sufferers who can start ahead of their season.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople who need a preservative-free option for regular daily use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone with both allergy and dry eye, used alongside a lubricant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNot a dry eye treatment, and not an instant fix on a bad day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eQuestions we get asked\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow long before it works?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDays, not minutes. Give it around two weeks of consistent use before judging it, and ideally begin before your season starts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I use it with my contact lenses in?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeing preservative-free helps. But if your eyes are actively allergic, a lens sitting on that surface usually makes things worse — consider a break from lenses during peak season, or talk to us about daily disposables.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it contain a preservative?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo, it is supplied preservative-free, which is what makes daily use through a whole season reasonable. As a general rule: more than four doses a day of anything, go \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/preservative-free-eye-drops-nz\"\u003epreservative-free\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's the difference between this and a dry eye drop?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey solve different problems. An allergy drop calms the immune reaction that causes itch; a lubricant replaces a failing tear film. Buying the wrong one is the most common reason people conclude nothing works. If you are unsure which you have, our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/dry-eye-guide\"\u003edry eye guide\u003c\/a\u003e is a good place to sort it out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI take antihistamine tablets already — do I still need this?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOften yes, and there is a catch worth knowing: oral antihistamines can dry the eyes themselves. So hay fever season can leave you itchy from the allergy and dry from the treatment, needing an allergy drop and a lubricant together. Leave five minutes between different drops.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it safe for children?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCromoglycate is widely used in children, but please have a child's eyes examined rather than self-treating. If you are using drops several times a day and still uncomfortable, the drop isn't the problem — the diagnosis is. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.myhealth1st.com.au\/appointmentWidget\/?practiceId=9357\u0026amp;treatmentId=3022\"\u003eBook a free Dry Eye Evaluation\u003c\/a\u003e in Hamilton — 15 minutes, no cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy buy from Rose Optometry\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndependent, optometrist-owned New Zealand practice — in Hamilton since 1969.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree optometrist advice with every order; reply to your order email and a clinician answers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree NZ shipping on orders over $100, sent from Hamilton.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"AFT Pharmaceuticals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52819809894681,"sku":null,"price":21.49,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0793\/9263\/7209\/files\/Cromo-Fresh-1.jpg?v=1784757697","url":"https:\/\/store.roseoptom.co.nz\/products\/cromo-fresh-allergy-eye-drops","provider":"Rose Optometry","version":"1.0","type":"link"}