At the Vision Expo East, I discovered an awesome new eyewear company called chiggy and n; they created glasses that help reduce seasonal allergy flare-ups in children. Manish Chadha, the founder of chiggy and shared his vision with LIB Magazine during an exclusive interview.
Q: What inspired you to create chiggy and n?
A: Chiggy and n is inspired by our son Nirvaan, at the age of three we took our twin boys to central park and realized how uncomfortable our son was. After months of seeing the same thing happen over and over we took him to an allergist who confirmed he was severely allergic to 3 different kinds of pollen. Together with medication the doctor recommended he wear sunglasses every time he’s outdoors, he did this but his eyes were always still itchy, red and swollen. Two years ago we were looking for a custom solution for our son and just thought if we could get a product that could block the pollen from entering the eyes from the top and sides it would help him so much. We were on personal quest for our son but realized there was nothing out there for other kids who suffer from the same issues.
Q: How well do these glasses protect against environmental allergies?
A: Our allergist Doctor David Wertheim conducted a small study with 15 kids in his office. He gave each of the kids a pair of the sunglasses and all but one child informed the doctor the glasses significantly reduced swelling and redness to the eyes. Their eyes were less itchy and the kids used less medication. The one child that did not have positive thing results had lost the sunglasses the first day. We cannot afford to conduct a medical study, as the quote we received for the pollen chamber in Texas was $300,000.
Q: Where can people in Long Island & NY area purchase these glasses?
A: For now we are exclusively selling the glasses through our e-commerce website: www.chiggyandn.com
Q: How well do these glasses stay on when children are playing?
A: We designed the glasses to have adjustable nose pad and armbands so they provide a snug and comfortable fit. Children should be able to play outdoors without worrying that the glasses will slip off.
Q: What’s next for chiggy & n?
A: We’ve had a lot of interest/request in the adult sizes and prescription glasses. Right now we are in the design phase for prescription glasses for kids. Besides being allergen-blocking glasses, they are also designed to protect kid’s eyes from any types of pollutants such as sand (at the beach) or dirt/debris (on a windy day)
