Eyewear allergies cause patients to see alternate treatment methods

Fans of the popular "Harry Potter" book series nearly had to adjust to seeing their favorite literary character without his ever-present glasses in the movie adaptations.
In the soon-to-be-released DVD of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," actor Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed the film's titular character, sat down with "Potter" architect J.K. Rowling to discuss his experiences portraying the character in the last decade.
"I was actually allergic to the Harry Potter glasses," Radcliffe said in a video posted by ABC News. "Because I had these two rings of whiteheads and spots that had come up around my eyes and it took us a week to realize that it was actually the glasses."
Radcliffe did not reveal how the filmmakers addressed the problem, but fans of the series should know that he did not resort to wearing contacts to avoid an allergic reaction.
Most people who suffer allergic reactions to their eyeglasses have a nickel allergy. Nickel is both a widely used material in eyeglasses and a common skin irritant. If patients are aware they have a nickel allergy, they should speak to their eye doctor about alternate treatment options.
Some may opt to avoid glasses altogether and wear contacts for most of the time. Patients could also consider purchasing frames made of hypoallergenic materials, such as stainless steel, titanium or plastic. Users will find these frames differ in weight, flexibility and durability from what they may be accustomed to, but they should help eliminate additional instances of contact dermatitis.
In addition to being allergic to frames, some glasses wearers may also be allergic to the nose pads and chemical coatings of the glasses.
In all three instances, glasses users should keep track of their symptoms and experiment with different combinations of eyewear. Doctors have likely treated skin conditions resulting from glasses before, and able to suggest treatment options.
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