Dry Eyes -- Causes and Top 10
Natural Remedies
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April 23, 2011
By Louise Carr, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
Every few seconds we moisturize our eyes. When we blink, the
glands around our eyes produce tears to keep us seeing clearly
and comfortably. Tears aren’t simply water. Tears also contain
oils, mucus, antibodies and proteins to help resist infection. When
there is an imbalance in the tear system, you can experience dry
eyes. Dry eye syndrome --- technically known as
"keratoconjunctivitis sicca" --- is a problem with the tear film that
normally keeps your eyes moist and fresh. According to Prevent
Blindness America, 6 million women and 3 million men in America
have moderate to severe symptoms of dry eyes.
What Are The Symptoms of Dry Eyes?
Your eyes may not exactly feel “dry” but irritated and
uncomfortable. Dry eyes are often accompanied by a gritty
sensation or the feeling that you have something stuck in your
eye. When you suffer from dry eyes you may also experience a
sensitivity to light, itching and red eyes. Strangely, people with
dry eyes sometimes have tears running down their cheeks. These
people still have dry eyes – when the eyes aren’t lubricated, they
send distress signals for more tears. But the tears don’t have
lubricating powers and don’t coat the eyes with a protective
coverage. The symptoms of dry eyes are irritating and painful.
Can you cure dry eyes? Which foods or other natural remedies
help dry eyes?
What Are The Causes of Dry Eyes?
Dry eyes occur when your tear system isn’t functioning properly
but they can also be caused by conditions and situations that dry
the tear film.
- Cold Temperatures. According to a 2011 study from
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, cold
temperatures cause the meibum, an oily substance in the
tear film, to become too thick and stiff to spread onto the
eye surface, resulting in dry eyes. A temperature below 30
degrees resulted in worsened symptoms of dry eyes.
- Air conditioners and wind. Air-conditioning systems, heating
and windy conditions outdoors can cause dry eyes.
- Medications. Certain medications such as antihistamines,
antidepressants and the birth control pill can also cause the
condition.
- Diseases. Diseases that affect your ability to make tears,
such as Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and
collagen vascular diseases can create dry eyes. As can
blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids that is associated
with dry eyes. If you wear contact lenses, you may find your
dry eyes become worse and restrict the amount of time you
can use your lenses.
- Age. You’re more likely to suffer from dry eyes as you get
older, because when you’re older you make less tears.
According to the UK’s National Health Service, dry eyes
affect around 7% of people in their 50s and 15% of people
in their 70s.
- Menopause. Women going through menopause are at risk of
dry eyes.
Are dry eyes dangerous? Many people think dry eyes are just a
minor annoyance. But dry eyes can sometimes cause
conjunctivitis or small ulcers on the cornea. Dry eyes can be
painful and they are certainly distressing. When you have dry
eyes for a long period of time you will have difficulty reading,
driving and carrying out many other vision-related tasks we take
for granted. Dry eyes are often treated with artificial, chemical
tears, but are there any natural remedies or lifestyle changes that
can help? We’ve taken a close look at recent scientific research
and come up with the following remedies.
Top 10 Natural Remedies for Dry Eyes
1. Omega-3 Fats Treat Dry Eyes
Eating a diet high in omega-3 fats can help you prevent dry eyes.
Why? Experts aren’t sure but omega-3 fats may help you
produce tears, and they reduce inflammation in the eyes.
According to a 2011 study from The University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, supplementation with
omega-3 fatty acids raised average tear production and tear
volume in people suffering from dry eyes. Participants received a
daily dose of fish oil for 90 days. Omega-3 fatty acids are better
received from food than supplements – fish oil can have
unpleasant after-effects. Stock up on two portions of oily fish a
week like mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines or fresh tuna.
Tuna is particularly effective for dry eyes. A 2005 study from
Brigham and Women's Hospital and Schepens Eye Research
Institute found consuming foods high in omega-3s such as tuna
reduces your risk of dry eyes by 68 percent – five servings a
week of tuna resulted in this statistic. A higher ratio of omega-6
fatty acids – found in animal fats and meat – may increase the
risk of dry eye syndrome. Canola oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil,
walnuts and chickens fed with feed rich in omega-3 fatty acids
also contain the beneficial nutrient.
2. Flaxseed Oil For The Treatment of Dry Eyes
Flaxseed oil is often recommended for preventing and treating
the symptoms of dry eyes because it is high in omega-3 fatty
acids. Taken orally, flaxseed oil can help relive inflammation
associated with dry eye syndrome. A 2007 study by researchers
at the University of Brazil found treatment with 1 or 2 g of
flaxseed oil a day reduced the inflammation and symptoms of dry
eyes in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
3. Does Evening Primrose Oil Help Dry Eyes?
Another oil rich in essential fatty acids is evening primrose
(Oenothera biennis). In one study (1980, by Horrobin and
Campbell entitled “Sjogren’s Syndrome and the Sicca Syndrome:
the Role of Prostaglandin E1 Deficiency. Treatment with Essential
Fatty Acids and Vitamin C”), a combination of evening primrose
oil, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C brought substantial improvement in
dry eye symptoms among a group of 17 patients who suffered
from severe dry eyes. And in a 2008 study by the Contact Lens
Department at Sussex Eye Hospital, UK evening primrose oil taken
orally improved symptoms of eye dryness in contact lens wearers
and also significantly improved the comfort of the contact lenses.
4. Humidifiers Help Dry Eyes
Making changes to your home environment can help stop your
eyes from drying and prevent dry eye syndrome. Use a humidifier
to moisten the air surrounding you. If you don’t have a
humidifier, spray your curtains with a light misting of water
several times a day and open the windows for a few minutes
throughout the day.
5. Warm Compresses for Dry Eyes
Warm, moist compresses also help dry eyes. A 2006 study from
the Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Chiba,
Japan tested the efficacy of a warm moist air device on tear
functions. The warm moist air device applied to the closed eyelids
improved tear production. And a 2003 study from Schepens Eye
Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston found warm
compresses increased the thickness of the layer of tear film in
patients with dry eyes.
6. Watch Your Computer Habits To Improve Dry Eyes
Change your work habits and improve your office environment to
help improve dry eyes. Minimize eye strain by making sure your
computer is correctly positioned. When you use a computer you
tend to blink less regularly, causing problems with tear
production. In fact, squinting at a computer screen can cut your
number of blinks by half according to a 2005 study from Ohio
State University. Take regular screen breaks and force yourself to
blink more regularly when you’re reading text or working for
long periods on screen.
7. Protect Your Eyes to Cut Down The Risk Of Dry Eyes
Keep your eyes protected in the environments that irritate them –
wear wraparound sunglasses, avoid smoky environments and
don’t direct car heaters, fans or hair dryers towards your eyes. If
you wear make-up, use only waterproof mascara applied to the
tips of the upper eyelashes and not to the bottom lashes.
8. Castor Oil Eye Drops For Dry Eyes?
One 2002 study from the Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo
Dental College, Chiba, Japan demonstrated that homogenized
castor oil eye drops improved tear stability and the spreading of
tear film across the eye as well as prevented tear evaporation.
9. Vitamin A Helps Reduce The Symptoms of Dry Eyes
Eating foods rich in Vitamin A, or taking supplements or eye
drops containing Vitamin A, may help keep your eyes moist. This
is according to a 2009 study from The Catholic University of
Korea, Seoul that found Vitamin A eye drops were as effective as
traditional eye drops for treating dry eye syndrome. A good way
to increase your Vitamin A intake is by eating carrots, sweet
potatoes, yams and cantaloupe melons.
10. N-Acetyl-L Cysteine For The Relief of Dry Eyes
When taken orally, a modified form of the dietary amino acid
cysteine called N-Acetyl-L cysteine is thought to help the body
produce important antioxidants and help treat dry eyes. A 1986
study by Walters, Rubin and Keightley entitled “A double-blind,
cross-over, study of oral N-acetylcysteine in Sjogren's syndrome”
found the supplement improved dry eye symptoms in people with
Sjogren’s syndrome.
Continue reading >> Eye Health:
Eat for Eye Health
Remove Dark Eye Circles
Stye In Your Eye-Top Remedies
Swollen Eyelids-Causes and Remedies
Whites of Your Eyes-Remedies for Red,Yellow, Gray and Brown Eyes
How High Blood Pressure Affects Your Eyes
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes-Lingering Health Dangers from Volcanic Ash
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