Dry Eyes : Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies

Dry eyes as the name symbolizes is the condition where the eyes become dry. Due to this dryness of the eyes and reduced lubrication, the eyes start aching, become red, itchy, the vision becomes blurred and there is a feeling of a dust or some foreign body present in the eye.

Signs and symptoms of dry eyes, which usually affect both eyes, may include:

.A stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes
.Stringy mucus in or around your eyes
.Increased eye irritation from smoke or wind
.Eye fatigue after short periods of reading
.Sensitivity to light
.Difficulty wearing contact lenses
.Periods of excessive tearing
.Blurred vision, often worsening at the end of the day or after focusing for a prolonged period

Common causes of dry eyes include:

.Aging
.Dry environment or workplace (wind, air conditioning)
.Sun exposure
.Smoking or second-hand smoke exposure
.Cold or allergy medicines
.An eye injury or other problem with your eyes or eyelids (like a drooping eyelid or bulging eyes)
.Sjogren's syndrome -- includes dry eyes, mouth, and mucus membranes, and often rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disorder
.Previous eye surgery

Tears are an important natural mechanism because of which our eyes function smoothly. They contain water, oils, mucus, antibodies and proteins which provide moisture, lubrication and resistance to infection of the eyes. There are certain natural home remedies for dry eyes that are beneficial to cope with the condition of dry eyes.

. Use a warm compress. Use a clean towel and soak it in warm water. Lie down and place this warm compress on the eyes. Warm compresses do a wonderful job of adding moisture to the eyes. You can repeat this twice or thrice daily.

. Blink your eyes frequently is one of the most effective dry eyes remedies. Blinking our eyes produces tears in the eyes that spread evenly throughout the eyes.

. Splash water in the eyes at constant intervals when you are at work or home. Your eyes receive some moisture from water.

. Soak your closed eyes for 5 minutes with a cool, wet facecloth. The gritty sensation eases down and the blood vessels constrict.

. Eye drops or artificial tears should be used, 2 drops 3 to 4 times daily. They help in protecting the delicate front surface of the eye.

. Make sure your diet has lots of fluids like water, fruit juices, etc. Also eat a lot of citrus fruits and green vegetables since they are good for the eyes.

. Increase your intake of fish since they contain fish oils that help the eyes to lubricate.

. Exercise your eyes by rotating your eye balls and slowly moving them from right to left and vice-versa without moving your head.

. Tamarind seeds can be soaked in warm water for some time. The extract from the seeds should be taken to help cure dry eyes. This is one of the many useful dry eyes home remedies.

. Both alcohol and caffeine have diuretic effect that can cause dryness, so their intake should be at a minimum.

. Smoking and secondhand smoke dries eyes, so avoid them.

. Avoid sugar, toxic fats found in red meat, fried foods and hydrogenated oils.

. Use a humidifier to keep the air in your room from drying.




~source:nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus~