A staple for your First Aid Kit - Vidisan Eye Drops (+ giveaway!)

What's in your first aid kit? Back when I was little, my parents' kit was filled with bandages, plasters, scissors, gauze, TCP and goodness knows what else! They were prepared for any eventuality. TCP alongside iodine, eye drops and daily doses of cod liver oil are items that would traditionally be packed into a first aid kit but these are starting to disappear from our family bathroom cabinet - I don't think I've ever bought TCP in my adult life!

New research by Vidisan, a natural eye drop to relieve sore and irritated eyes for the whole family, reveals that over a quarter (28%) of Brits no longer own any sort of first aid kit, even if it's just an assortment of products on a bathroom shelf. For those who do have one, only 25% keep eye drops as part of their equipment, despite eye irritation being a common and distressing complaint for both children and parents.

The research, conducted with 1,000 British respondents, shows that most just keep a bandage or plaster (84%) and a painkiller (76%) among their core healthcare products. A third (38.5%) kept a hay fever remedy, antihistamines or cream in their kit but they did forget to include eye drops, which are often needed in addition to antihistamines, especially in summer months.

Scarily, 14% of those with a first aid kit said they usually had a partly-used prescription medicine in it which was past its expiration date. 

When asked which items they thought were most important to keep in their first aid kit at all times, two-thirds (66%) said bandages and plasters; 59% said painkillers; 47% said antiseptic cream; and only 23% thought of eye wash and just 7% eye drops.

The lack of presence of eye drops in a first aid kit is surprising given that over a third of men in the research complained of foreign bodies entering their eyes whilst gardening, reporting discomfort (37%). A similar number of women also suffered from this - 30%.

Again, when playing sport, 30% of men said they had recently got something in their eye yet only 58% of them used an eye drop compared to 65% of women.

As well as outdoor hobbies, being on holiday also poses a risk to eye comfort. Nearly half (48%) of those questioned had experienced problems on the beach with the wind blowing sand in their eyes, and 70% of the group admitted to giving up and going home due to the problem. Going swimming can also be a problem. 45% said that they suffered eye irritation after swimming in chlorine filled waters.

For many people this eye irritation can mean burning, swollen, red, sore or even weeping eyes. By being prepared and having an eye drop means that this needn't ruin your whole day. Nowadays there are very effective eye drop solutions especially designed for such occasions.

Vidisan is an eye drop by leading eye care specialists Bausch + Lomb. Not only can it soothe and help relieve irritated eyes but it uniquely contains a special lubricant called Povidone and can be used at any age so it is suitable for the whole family. It is proven to calm irritated eyes from daily causes such as wind, dust, pollution, cold, cigarette smoke, chlorine and pollen. It's a year round solution.

As well as the Povidone, it also contains euphrasia. This combination is formulated to improve the stability of the tear film (the watery layer on the surface of the eye) and give immediate relief from stinging and burning after the first application.

Vidisan is available in a single 10ml dose bottle (£4.50) or 30, 0.6ml doses (£6.99). It can be used by contact lens wearers but the lenses must be removed first, then they can be replaced after 15 minutes. Once opened, the 10ml bottle should be discarded after 6 weeks.

Bausch + Lomb have offered my readers the chance to win some eye drops for their own first aid kit. All you have to do is fill in the Gleam widget below. Good luck! T&C's can be found in the widget.

 Vidisan eye drops giveaway

 

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