Keeping Your Eyes Moist

Why eyes get dry   Diet & nutrition   Lifestyle tips

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Discount Packages Dry Eye Package 2 For symptoms of dry eyes, support tear film, keep the eyes lubricated, and support circulation. 10% discount. Dry Eye Package 3 Package 1 + Dr. Grossman's Omega-7 Formula. 10% discount. Dry Eye Package 4 Package 2 + Eye Doctor Plus Reusable Moist Heat Compress Treatment Pack. Optase Dry Eye Package For chronic dry eye issues.

Essential Oasis Tears Plus Eye Drops - 30 count Moderate to Severe Dry Eye Support

Essential Krill Oil, 1000mg 60 softgels High quality omega-3 fatty acid formula with astaxanthin.

Essential Dr. Grossman's Omega-7 Plus Mucin Complex Omega-7 Fish Oil: dry eyes and inflammation symptoms

Essential Eye Doctor Plus Reusable Moist Heat Compress Treatment Pack Relief for dry, sore, tired and gritty eyes with optimum temperature effective treatment.

Very Important OPTASE® Dry Eye INTENSE Drops (.33fl. oz.) Long-lasting relief from intense dry eye symptoms.

Very Important Excellent eyedrops for dry eyes and other external eye issues.

Very Important Turmeric Formula 90 vegcaps (R00113) Natural anti-inflammatory formula and supports the immune system.

Very Important Vitamin D3 5000 IU 120 vcaps Vitamin D3 5000 IU per capsule

Very Important Pleo-MUC (Mucokehl) eye drops 5X (10 Single Vials) Natural homeopathic eyedrops to support circulation and decongestion in the eyes.

Very Important Lactoferrin Freeze-Dried 250 mg 60 Caps Supports Immune System and Reduces Dry Eye Symptoms

Helpful Tranquileyes Basic TE Blue Kit Tranquileyes Basic TE Blue Kit Combo2

Eye comfort depends largely upon sufficient moisture in the eye. In addition to the comfort of eyes not being dry and itchy, moisture on the surface of the eye protects it. On the surface of the cornea the outer layer is the "tear film," the moisture laden surface of the eye. The stability of that moist film depends upon the correct functioning of three interconnected layers.

Why Your Eyes Get Dry

Lacrimal glands feed the tear film that keeps your eye moist. The tear film is salty. As too much of the tear film evaporates the saltiness increases which makes your eyes burn and sting - a common symptom of dry eye syndrome.

How to Keep Your Eyes Moist Naturally

Diet & Nutrition

• Supplement with research-proven nutrients and eyedrops that have been found to be helpful to manage dry eyes. Important nutrients include omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D.^5,6,7 Researchers have noted that high intakes of omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce dry eye syndrome symptoms,^1,2 including osmolarity, tear break-up time and inflammation.^3,4,10
  
• Dry eye homeopathic eye drops are very effective. We recommend the drops especially formulated for women and for men.
• Make sure to eat lots of green leafy vegetables.
• Avoid sugar and/or artificial sweeteners: It's thought that excess sugar in the diet results in too much un-utilizable glucose in the eyes (more than half of all diabetics suffer from dry eye syndrome.⁸ Consumption of more than 11 teaspoons of sugar a day has been linked to dry eye syndrome (a single can of soda contains approximately 9 teaspoons of sugar). Sugar is hidden throughout processed and refined foods including cereals, ketchup, and salad dressings.
• Avoid the toxic fats in commercial red meat, dairy products, fried foods, and man-made fats. These fats interfere with the proper metabolism of essential fatty acids in the body and are indirect causes of dry eye syndrome
• Probiotics. Gut issues may contribute to dry eye. Try taking a high-quality probiotic to replenish the healthy flora in your gut, particularly if you have been on antibiotics. Gut issues are especially important if inflammation is a contributing factor.⁹ Leaky gut can be the source of inflammation.
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day.
• Try juicing. Juicing delivers nutrients to your system quickly and effectively. See our juicing/smoothie recipe for dry eyes.
• Avoid any foods to which you may be allergic. Try cutting out categories of foods for a week at a time, and see how you feel, or visit an allergist for testing. Typical allergenic foods include nightshades (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, white potatoes and cucumbers), milk, wheat, and corn (or products with corn in them).
• Eyedrops that promise to "get the red out" may reduce circulation in the eye, limit moisture product and may make your dry eyes worse.
• See our general vision care recommendations
• See Eye Care for Seniors article.

Just as a follow up. My eyes are better than ever! Thank you ... I have told a friend who is a nutritionist and she is recommending your info to all her patients who have dry eyes! Thanks again!
Teri P. 10/20

Lifestyle for Dry Eyes

• Exercise such as a brisk daily walk is important for all eye conditions and overall health. A Japanese study concluded that an increase in the level of physical activity can be an effective intervention for the prevention of and/or treatment of dry eye disease, as well as helping alleviate other disorders.¹¹
• Use a humidifier at home and/or at work to keep the air from drying out in the winter.
• Remember to blink, especially while working at the computer. When you work at the computer your blink rate decreases sharply. Researchers have discovered that equally important with blinking is blinking completely. Making sure that when you blink you close the eyelids completely makes a large difference in reducing the symptoms of dry eye and computer eye syndrome.
• Check your medications for any side effects that may cause dry eyes. See some drugs that can contribute to dry eyes which include NSAIDS such as ibuprofin, synthetic penicillins, antihistamines, birth control pills, blood pressure medications, and anti-depressants.
• Gently massage your upper and lower lids, a couple of times a day to stimulate the tear glands. Better yet, do this while in a warm shower.

Conventional Dry and Sore Eyes Treatment

Several treatments are available - from artificial tears to a surgical dry, sore eyes treatment.

• Artificial tears are usually recommended which provide short-term relief, but only hide the symptoms without improving the condition. In fact, preservatives in such formulations can actually worsen the condition. Artificial tears that say they will "get the red out" have the effect of reduce circulation of blood in the eye, thereby decreasing production of tear film, and actually make your eyes still drier.
• Punctal occlusion is a procedure used to close the tear drainage canals with silicone plugs keeping much of the fluid from leaving the surface of the eye. This may provide long-term relief.

Why eyes get dry   Diet & nutrition   Lifestyle tips

Footnotes

1. Epitropoulous, A.T., Donnenfeld, E.D., Shah, Z.A., Holland, E.J., Gross, M., et al. (2016). Effect of Oral Re-esterified Omega-3 Nutritional Supplementation on Dry Eyes. Cornea, Sep;35(9):1185-91.
2. Miljanovic, B., Trivedi, K.A., Dana, M.R., Gilbard, J.P., Buring, J.E., et al. (2005). Relation between dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and clinically diagnosed dry eye syndrome in women. Am J Clin Nutr, Oct;82(4):887-93.
3. Dry Eye Assessment and Management Study Research Group. (2018). n−3 Fatty Acid Supplementation for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease. N Engl J Med, Apr 13.
4. Baudouin, C. (1986). Dry eye: An unexpected inflammatory disease. Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol, 76: 205-206.
5. Shetty, R. Sethu, S., Deshmukh, R., Despande, K., Ghosh, A., et al. (2016). Corneal dendritic cell density is associated with sub-basal nerve plexus features, ocular surface disease index, and serum vitamin D in evaporative dry eye disease. BioMed Res Int, 2016:4369750.
6. Denurcum, G., Karaman, E.S., Ozsutcu, M., Eliacik, M., Olmuscelik, O., et al. (2016). Dry eye assessment in patients with vitamin D deficiency. Eye Contact Lens, Sep 22.
7. Nejabat, M., Reza, S.A., Zadmehr, M., Yasemi, M., Sobhani, Z. (2017). Efficacy of green tea extract for treatment of dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction; A double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial study. J Clin Diagn Res, Feb;11(2):NC05-NC08.
8. Masoud, R.M., Rashidi, M., Afkhami-Ardekani, M., Shoja, M.R. (2008). Prevalence of dry eye syndrome and diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients. BMC Ophthalmol, Jun 2;8:10.
9. Ibid. Baudouin. (1986). 10. Yamaguchi, T. (2018). Inflammatory Response in Dry Eye. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2018 Nov 1;59(14):DES192-DES199.
11. Kawashima, M., Uchino, M., Yokoi, N., Uchino, Y., Dogru, M., et al. (2014). The Association between dry eye disease and physical activity as well as sedentary behavior: Results from the Osaka study. J Ophthalmol, 2014:943786.