Defeat DRY EYE… in your GUT?

If you live with DRY EYE… you’ll be the first to tell someone NOT to take vision for granted!

The symptoms of dry eye—BURNING, REDNESS, and the constant TEARY feeling—can hit you in the blink of an eye (no pun intended).

Powerful eye drops are the go-to treatment. But, like many drugs, they come with dangerous side effects.

In fact, some drops designed to STOP dry eye were recently pulled from shelves!

But today I’ve got a better solution. And healing it doesn’t involve a single drop…

Instead, this starts right in your GUT!

According to new findings recently presented at the ASM Microbe 2023—the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology—maintaining healthy gut bacteria could help stop a condition associated with dry eye.

The researchers who led this latest study did use mice as their subjects. But, they used bacteria from humans with Sjögren syndrome—a condition that causes severe dry eyes—and bacteria from healthy individuals.

The mice that received the bacteria from the Sjögren syndrome patients developed a more severe eye disease under dry conditions compared to those given healthy gut bacteria.

The study concluded healthy gut bacteria could have a positive impact on preventing—or at least lessening—the impact of dry eye.

While this was largely an animal study, you can still start combating dry eye (and maintaining good gut health) as research on the dry eye/gut bacteria connection continues.

For starters, optimal gut health starts with taking a high-quality probiotic that will ensure the proper balance of good vs. bad gut bacteria.

Another overlooked culprit of dry eyes is hydration. Seniors in particular are more susceptible to dehydration—partly due to lack of thirst sensation and changes in the body’s water and sodium balance that occur as people age.

There are also studies published by the National Institute of Health (NIH) that have found that acupuncture can also relieve symptoms of dry eye.

Acupuncture reduces inflammation, which can be a big problem for dry eye patients. It can also help decrease chronic pain, another issue that some have with dry eye.

To defeating dry eye naturally,

Sarah Reagan

Sources:

Study Finds. “Probiotics for your vision? Healthy gut bacteria could help stop dry eyes.” https://studyfinds.org/probiotics-gut-bacteria-dry-eyes/

Lenihan, Rob. “Feds Recall Several Types of Eyedrops Amid Reports of Blindness and Death.” https://www.thestreet.com/retailers/feds-recall-several-types-of-eyedrops-amid-reports-of-blindness-and-death

PubMed.gov. “Preventing and treating dehydration in the elderly during periods of illness and warm weather.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19214345/

Caceres, Vanessa. “Should You Use Acupuncture to Treat Dry Eye?” https://www.verywellhealth.com/acupuncture-for-dry-eyes-5212966