The heat wave that has spread across the UK over the last few weeks has made most of us sweaty and uncomfortable and it looks like there's more hot weather to come. According to weather forecasters global warming is going to mean soaring temperatures during June, July and August are likely to be the norm in the future.

The heat does not just make people tired and bad tempered. For many contact lens wearers it can also mean months of itchy eyes. This can make them more sensitive to lenses during the summer months.

The reason for this is that the pollen count increases when the weather is warm which can cause seasonal allergies. If you are suffering from itchy eyes and are finding your contact lenses uncomfortable, do not despair; help is at hand!

Switching to glasses whilst your eyes itch in the heat can be one effective way to alleviate your problems. However, for those of you who prefer the appearance of contacts, there is another alternative.

You could try wearing daily disposable lenses for a few hours every day. Unlike with regular contact lenses, daily disposables get thrown away at the end of every day. This means that deposits are less likely to build up on their surface which increases the level of comfort that they offer.

Another option is to use anti-histamine eye drops to help relieve your itchy eyes. However, if you do use these drops bear in mind that they cannot be used alongside your contact lenses.

Or, how about trying mast-cell stabilizer drops? These are designed to strengthen the cell membrane of your eyes to reduce itchiness.

Many contact lens wearers complain about having itchy eyes during the summer. This is usually the result of seasonal allergies provoked by an increased pollen count. Although the problem is widespread it can be easily remedied by switching to glasses or daily disposable contact lenses or by using anti-histamine or mast-cell stabilizer eye drops.