DRY EYE SYNDROME
Perhaps the most common complaint handled by ophthalmologists, dry eyes is also a symptom we commonly treat here at Caring Medical. There are actually two types of tears produced by the lacrimal glands, one a three layered effective lubricator with an oil component, and the other a mostly watery “reflex” type of secretion that washes out the eye but is not particularly effective at lubricating it and keeping it comfortable. With increasing age, for example, a person may have watery eyes that burn while the problem underneath is inadequate lubricating tears because of a lack of the oil component. The oil is an external covering for the mucous membrane of the cornea which helps prevent rapid evaporation of water from the eye’s surface, and less oil is secreted with advancing age. When patients of any age eat diets that are deficient in essential fatty acids, dry burning eyes may result. Other environmental factors that worsen this problem are hot dry climates, smoking, wearing contact lenses, air conditioning, and long periods in front of a computer monitor. Any condition that reduces blinking (like Bell’s palsy or Parkinson’s disease), or promotes dryness in tissues (like underactive Thyroid function or Sjogren’s syndrome), or interferes with optimal body metabolism (like oil, water, or vitamin A deficiency) will also cause dry eyes.

The symptoms of dry eye syndrome include itching, burning, irritation, redness, blurred vision which clears after blinking, excessive tearing, and increased discomfort after periods of eye strain from reading or computer usage. Treatment involves a variety of approaches. You should be aware of the fact that most OTC preparations are preserved water and will not help much. In fact, preservative containing drops should be avoided, as should drops that “get the red out” since these have potent vasoconstrictors and inadequate lubricating factors, thus making the problem worse. In their inimitable way orthodox medicine has a patented stop gap measure of helping this problem surgically. Their solution is to place a plug in the opening of the tear drain on the eyelid to prevent keep tears in contact with the cornea longer on a temporary basis, or to cauterize or use a silicone plug to permanently seal the drain. This helps some people, but you are going to have very watery eyes, tears spilling over on your face for no reason, and no chance of reversing the procedure. Plus it is surgery. Other standard advice which should be followed is drink more water, make a conscious effort to blink more frequently, and avoid rubbing the eyes.

The natural medicine approach involves doing a complete nutritional workup which looks at dietary and nutritional deficiencies. I prescribe supplements to enhance the body’s ability to produce the protective kind of tears. There are also various antioxidant and eye cleansing and hydrating drops which have been very helpful, especially when used in conjunction with oral nutrients chosen for their beneficial effects on the eyes. As always, we offer safe and effective therapies that often solve patient problems quickly. Dry eyes syndrome does respond to the above nutritional protocol in most cases. Always try natural medicine first.