5 Food Hacks for Managing Dry Eyes
Health

5 Food Hacks for Managing Dry Eyes

Dry eyes happen when the tear ducts are not creating an adequate amount of tears to moisten the eyes. Severe dry eye symptoms include a burning or itching of the eye, mucus around the eye, redness, difficulty night time driving and difficulty wearing contact lenses. Chronic dry eyes can cause many issues for the person dealing with it. The good thing is there are chronic dry eyes treatment that can be done at home, such as:

1. Drink lots of water

Staying hydrated is important for many aspects of health, and one of them is for eye health. Our eyes require tears to keep the eye moist. When these tears are not producing the way they should then our eyes get dry. Our bodies will allocate water where it needs to go. When the body does not have enough water they will take what is given and allocate it where it is needed. The eyes could then not get the proper amount of water needed to keep the tears producing at the level they need to. Drink enough water to keep the body hydrated and working at the optimal level.

2. Eat ground flaxseed

Flaxseed is a super food that has multiple different health benefits. A small amount of flaxseed has a good amount of protein, fiber, lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids help the eyes to stay moist. Tears are made up of a balance of water, mucus and oils. The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed provide the oil that is required in the tears. Including flaxseed into your diet can help improve many health benefits, but will also help with the chronic dry eyes.

3. Consume fatty fish

Consuming fatty fish such as tuna, salmon and albacore can help with eye dryness. These fish have the omega-3 oil in them that help with tear balance. There have also been studies that suggest the omega-3 in the fish can help because of its anti-inflammatory properties. If the eye is irritated and inflamed, these oils will help to reduce the swelling around the eye.

4. Munch on walnuts

Walnuts have two nutritional benefits to help eye health and prevent dryness. The first is the omega-3 that can be found in the flaxseed and the fatty fish. They also have vitamin E in them. Vitamin E is known to fight against age related damage. This includes the damage that age can do to the tear ducts. Keeping the tear ducts in optimal health will allow for them to continue operating the way they need to keep the eyes moist. 

5. Have some eggs

Adding some eggs into your diet can help prevent and protect against dry eyes. Eggs are a source of lutein and zeaxanthin. These can both help with eye health. Lutein has antioxidant properties which can help with the inflammatory area around the eyes. Zeaxanthin is a vitamin that is drawn to the eyes once it is in the body. It builds a yellow protection around the eye to protect it from harmful light.

Dealing with chronic dry eyes can be a very frustrating situation to be in. Thankfully there are many remedies that can be done at home to help prevent the dry eyes from happening. Try consuming lots of water, ground flaxseed, fatty fish, walnuts and eggs to help the health of the eyes. Keeping the eyes in good health will allow them to properly moisten and avoid dryness.