Relieving Dry Eyes Naturally

My typical approach to managing dry eyes is to lower and eventually eliminate the use of lubricating drops. Lubricating drops mask the symptoms of dry eyes but don’t relieve it long term. I wanted to introduce you to some simple natural ways to help. 

 

1. SLEEP: You’ve probably noticed that on the nights you don’t get adequate sleep, you may wake up with your eyes feeling tired and vision somewhat foggy. Having 7-8 hours per night of shut eyes helps with dry eyes significantly. If your dry eye symptoms are typically worse in the morning, consider using a sleeping mask at night. Many people sleep with their eyes slightly open and wake up with dry, irritated eyes. 
 

2. BLINK: we all blink less when we look at digital devices. Try setting a recurring timer every 15-20 minutes and take a break, hold your eyelids closed by placing the palms of your hands gently on your closed eyelids and count to 20. That alone will help your eyes feel better at the end of the day.
 

3. H2O: Drink your water and keep hydrated throughout the day
 

4. Cut out SUGAR: Dry eye syndrome is an inflammatory condition, we feed it by eating inflammatory foods such as sugar, highly processed food, dairy, gluten … etc. 
 

5. Anti-inflammatory diet: Introducing Omega-3 fatty acids help lower inflammation. Try adding things like walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, fish such as tuna and salmon to your diet to lower inflammation. 
 

6. HUMIDIFIERS: Use a humidifier specially at the office to help keep your eyes lubricated. 
 

7. Take a break: if you’re having a dry eye day or if you’re going out on a windy day, take a break from your contact lenses and wear your glasses instead. 
 

8. Never sleep with make-up and specifically clean your eyelids every night using special eyelid wipes or baby-shampoo and warm water. 
 

9. Warm compresses: Most people that suffer from dry eyes have meibomian gland dysfunction. Warm compresses at night time help melt the oils out of the meibomian glands and stimulate the function of the meibomian glands. When doing hot compresses, make sure you do it for a minimum of 5 minutes.
 

10. Ask your doctor about contact lenses: Consider switching to a daily disposable contact lens or even a scleral lens to help with severe dry eyes.