How to Deal with Itchy Eyes (#ShirokumaLiteratureClub)
On a sunny day, feeling warm and thinking, 'Alright, time for a walk,' the moment I stepped out the front door—.
…Itchy.
My eyes, suddenly, were incredibly itchy.
As is the case every year, my eyes and nose collapse spectacularly under the ever-increasing amount of pollen. The itchiness in my eyes, in particular, is extraordinary. Before I know it, I'm rubbing them unconsciously, the skin at the inner corners of my eyes becomes dull, and when I look in the mirror, I have a face that looks like someone who is 'somehow tired of life'.
No, that's not it. I'm not tired. I'm being ravaged by pollen.
Speaking of spring, for me, it's the gardening season.
It's the season when flowers sprout, the garden becomes lively, and at the same time, a fierce battle with weeds begins.
…And yet.
Before that, the pollen comes to strike me down.
Of course, I haven't just been taking it lying down.
If you search online, you'll find endless countermeasures, and I even looked up and went to local specialist clinics.
I've tried various measures.
There were some that I thought, 'Maybe this worked!?', and
there were also a mountain of disappointing items where I thought, '…What was the point of that?'
Each time, I would throw them into the trash with anger and scream quietly in my heart.
'Give me my money back!'
I had been continuing such battles, but this year,
with the arrival of that unpleasant season where you think, 'It's here, it's here! The pollen is here!', I suddenly realized something.
Until now, I had been going to the ophthalmologist to try to do something about the itchy eyes and using anti-allergy eye drops.
But, think about it carefully, self.
It's not the eyeballs that are itchy.
It's the inner corners of the eyes.
Yes. Thinking back, the itchiness is always concentrated at the inner corners of the eyes.
Yet, I assumed 'itchy eyes = ophthalmologist' and kept applying eye drops diligently.
No wonder it didn't work.
Because that's not where it's itchy.
So, what should I do?
When in trouble—it's time for Chappy to step in.
I took out my smartphone with trembling fingers and tapped the ChatGPT app.
'What should I do to relieve the itchiness at the inner corners of my eyes?'
Then, the answer that came back was
'Let's use anti-allergy eye drops.'
No, no, no.
I've already done that. I've used various eye drops.
I've been doing it for years.
I pleaded desperately.
'Eye drops didn't work! Isn't there another way?'
Then, after thinking for a moment, Chappy said,
'There are over-the-counter itch relief ointments for the area around the eyes,' and told me.
It even gave me a specific product name.
I immediately ran to the drugstore.
And what I got was that non-steroidal ointment famous for the catchphrase 'for itchiness and rashes in delicate zones'.
('…Is it okay to apply this near my eyes?')
I thought for a moment, but I had no other choice.
With high expectations in my heart, I gently applied it to the inner corners of my eyes.
Then—Stop.
…Huh?
Stop.
The itchiness at the inner corners of my eyes, which had been raging until now, stopped as if a switch had been flipped.
Huh? What is this? It's like a lie.
Even though I had been to several ophthalmologists and kept using eye drops that cost thousands of yen.
The result was,solved with an ointment costing a few hundred yen.
What was all my investment until now?
In the end, the one who hadn't noticed the crucial 'itchy spot' was none other than
me.
With this, I can go tra-la-la🎵
The day has come when I can rejoice from the bottom of my heart at the arrival of the exciting spring.
With the combined technique of this ointment and anti-allergy eye drops, I have finally transformed into an invincible gardener.
At least, as far as the inner corners of my eyes are concerned…
Because weeds are much more persistent than pollen.
※While this itch-relief ointment was effective for me, as my allergic reaction to pollen appeared at the inner corners of my eyes, symptoms vary from person to person. Please consider this only as a reference.