DRY EYE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

DRY EYE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

 

DIET:

One of the most important aspects for people who suffer from dry eyes is the prohibition against sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. Sugar increases the risk for dry eyes. Consumption of more than 11 teaspoons of sugar per day has been linked to dry eye syndrome.

 

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

The following are some of the essential nutrients for treating dry eyes:

•Vitamin A: Vitamin A deficiency can lead to severe dry eye syndrome (with dry skin or xerosis)and this deficiency is a leading cause of blindness. Vitamin A is needed for the health of all epithelial (surface) tissues; it is actually found in the tear film of healthy eyes, and is fundamental to the production of the mucous layer of the tears.

We recommend to take a daily dose of 10,000 I.U. of vitamin A and 25,000 I.U. of beta-carotene (also called pro-vitamin A because it converts to vitamin a in the body).

Note: before beginning a regimen of vitamin A or beta-carotene, have your thyroid activity checked by your doctor. Hypothyroid patients – people with underactive thyroids – are always vitamin A deficient. They cannot convert beta-carotene to vitamin A, nor can they convert vitamin A to the form usable by the eyes.

•Vitamin B6: All of the B vitamins are important in treating dry eyes, but vitamin B6 aids in the proper absorption of magnesium. Magnesium helps the body produce a hormone called prostaglandin E-7, which is necessary for tear production.

•Vitamin C: Vitamin C is concentrated in the tear film to a higher level than that found in the blood.

•Potassium: Probably the most important mineral for dry eye symptoms, potassium is usually very low in dry eye patients. This is usually linked to low intakes of folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B6 along with high sugar consumption. You can take in at least 500 mg per day by increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables (one banana contains 400 mg).

•Essential Fatty Acids: These are important for the production of both the oily, lipid and the watery aqueous layers of the tear film. After only ten days of taking essential fatty acids plus vitamins B6 and vitamin C, dry eye sufferers have seen an increase in tear production.

 

EMOTIONS AND DRY EYES

One researcher found that the level of a stress chemical found in tears (called prolactin) may play a role in determining why women cry four times more easily than men. Prolactin is a hormone that helps stimulate the production of milk. Might women cry more often because they have naturally higher levels of this hormone?

This research suggests that one reason we cry might be to decrease the level of stress chemicals that can eventually affect our health. According to this theory the willingness to cry when under emotional pressure may help prevent stress-related disease.