Home Remedies and Natural Treatments for Dry Eye
Dry eye is a complex and multifactorial syndrome that affects more than 11% of the population. Often patients believe that dry eyes reside in a lack of tears and by providing aqueous components they solve the problem. It is partly true but there are also other types of dry eyes without loss of tear volume. Dry eye is also considered surface alterations and associated chronic inflammation. In this article we will talk about home remedies and natural treatments to improve symptoms.
1. Dry eye prevention and helpful tips
Dry eye symptoms vary in intensity depending on the severity of the pathology. Taking a few simple precautions can alleviate or reduce the discomfort associated with dry eyes.
2. Stay away from tobacco smoke
Tobacco and its smoke, both active and passive, is harmful to the airways, to the skin and also to the eyes, making dry eyes worse and accelerating the formation of cataracts.
3. Open windows, avoid fans and use humidifiers in cases of very dry air
Air quality is essential so as not to accelerate the evaporation of the tear film. In cases of evaporative dry eye due to lipid alterations, the watery part of the tears evaporates more easily. If, in addition, the humidity is low or there are constant flows of dry air as happens in places with air conditioning or fans, the aqueous component evaporates even more quickly, significantly worsening the symptoms of dry eye. Opening the windows in the morning and letting the clean and humid air from outside into the house improves the health of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and the ocular surface. Obviously it is not worth it if you live in urban centers with a lot of pollution. The pollution contains small particles PM10 and PM2, 5 that settle on the ocular surface and in the long run also worsen dry eye symptoms. In heavily polluted places it is best to find hours of the day with less outdoor activity and to use air purifiers / humidifiers with low air flow.
4. Dry eye relief mask that fit well to the face
Dry eyes are directly associated with dry eye relief masks. Since then, new masks have been emerging that adapt much better to the face, preventing the eyes from drying out. Another great advantage of these heatable eye masks is that, by reducing the upward flow, the glasses are hardly fogged. Warming eye mask is best for treating dry eye syndrome and relaxes eyes from stress . They fit perfectly and do not fog up the glasses or the microscope.
5. Diets and foods for dry eye
In recent years, diet has been related to many aspects of our health. Some diets with foods rich in certain fatty acids, antioxidants and oligo-elements have been shown to reduce the risk of certain diseases and block the formation of inflammatory molecules. The Mediterranean diet is a complete diet and is the best natural treatment for dry eye.
6. Drink a lot of water
Dry eye has been shown to be closely associated with higher tear film osmolarity. There are studies that relate tear osmolarity to blood osmolarity, which in turn has to do with the amount of water we drink. The more water we drink, the less tear osmolarity reducing inflammation and dry eye symptoms. It is the easiest natural remedy to follow.
7. Choose foods with omega 3 and 6
When we have dry eyes, the ocular surface becomes inflamed. When there is inflammation, dry eye worsens. And so on. It is a whiting that bites its tail and cutting this dry eye / inflammation circle is essential to improve symptoms. Long chain fatty acids also improve the quality of the meibum and the function of the meibomian glands thus reducing the evaporation of the tear film. The foods with the highest concentration of omega-3 and omega-6 are fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, trout and sardines. But we also find them in good quantities in flax seeds and walnuts. A good and varied diet is the best natural treatment for dry eye. There are also specific capsules on the market for the treatment of dry eye with essential oils.
8. Vitamins ADE
They are vitamins with anti-inflammatory properties and necessary for the regeneration of the ocular surface that suffers from dry eye. We find vitamin A mainly in carrots but in general many fruits and vegetables. Vitamins D are found mainly in fish such as salmon and tuna and some dairy products and cheeses. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can be found in oils, nuts, and seeds. A varied diet can be considered a natural treatment for dry eye.