The definition of dry eyes is a lack of tears. Tears lubricate the eyes and wash out dust and particles. Dry eyes burn, sting or feel scratchy. The main causes of dry eyes are aging, a dry environment and sun exposure. Cold or allergy medications can also make the eyes dry, as can smoke or an eye injury. Eyes that are dry for long periods of time can get very small abrasions on the surface. Herbal treatments can help soothe dry eyes.
Ayurvedic Solution
One of the best herbal remedies for dry eyes comes from ayurveda, the traditional medicine from India. Vishnu Dass, ayurvedic practitioner and director of Blue Lotus Ayurveda in Asheville, North Carolina, says that triphala is a herbal formula for all constitutional types. It is made from dried fruit from the haritaki, amalaki and bibhitaki plants. It detoxifies and calms eye stress.
Mix 1/2 tsp. of triphala powder with1/2 cup of hot water and let it steep for 5 to 15 minutes. Strain it through a coffee filter, fill an eyecup with the liquid and bathe your eyes.
Diet
Your diet can affect your eyes and contribute to dry eyes. Wheat, corn, dairy and nightshade vegetables are all allergenic foods that contribute to dry eyes. Caffeine should be avoided in cocoa, coffee, tea and cola drinks. Also avoid fats that have a toxic effect on your blood, including red meat and fried foods. Finally, too much sugar, whether in coffee or in processed food, should be drastically cut down. Sugar is one of the worst offenders for dry eyes.
When you have cut out the above, eat daily flaxseed or fish oil, black currant or primrose oils as well as 300 to 500 mg of vitamins A and C; 50 mg. of vitamins E, D3 and B6; and magnesium. Turmeric also helps dry eyes. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, and try to stay in a humid environment.
"Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC) takes a holistic view of the body to locate imbalances that may be triggering the eye problems," says Andy Rosenfarb, LAc, author of "Healing Your Eyes with Chinese Medicine" (2007). TCM uses moxibustion, which is the burning of the mugwort herb over certain acupuncture points. It is aged and ground and practitioners burn it indirectly, with acupuncture needles or right on the skin.
Home Remedies
Ten to 15 percent of the population of the U.S. has dry eye problems, according to Kenneth Goins, M.D., associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences in the University of Iowa. How it is treated depends on the cause. Hot, dry rooms in the winter and cold, dry, air conditioned rooms in the summer are both major causes. The most common remedy is artificial tears. Some of Goins's patients say that flax seed oil tablets can reduce dry eye symptoms, but he does not know of any research to support that claim.
Tags: Chinese Medicine, contribute eyes