Moisturizing dry eyes

Week in Review

There’s more to a teardrop than you might imagine.

The body of a tear is watery, of course, but it also contains mucous and is enclosed by an oily outer layer. Each of these parts is produced separately, and if any one source is deficient, the stage is set for chronic dry eyes.

An HSI member named Emster needs help for this condition. In the Vision forum of the HSI Healthier Talk community, she writes: “I have an extremely dry eye problem. I can feel the dryness around my entire eyeball. I wear a Sunsoft Multiples Toric soft lens. I have vision in only one eye — hence one lens. I have glasses, but my vision while wearing them is very poor.”

“At about 10:30 a.m. my eye becomes so dry it’s hard to see the computer. I have Bausch & Lomb Moisture Eyes and Clear Eyes Dry Eyes Plus Redness Relief. The Bausch & Lomb will work for about a half hour, then I’ll have to use more drops. I know my eye is dependent on them now, but do I just suffer with poor vision just so I’m not dependent on drops?

“I drink plenty of water (6 pints a day) and take LOTS of flax oil. I’m doing so many things correctly. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do differently or supplements I can take to fix this irritating problem?”

There are many factors that can prompt chronic dry eyes. Contact lenses are a common cause, but dryness may also develop from exposure to an overly windy or dry environment, excessive heating or air conditioning, prescription drugs, menopause or as a symptom of various diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Along these lines, a member named Ed notes: “Dry eyes can be a result of diabetes. There are still millions yet undiagnosed.”

And a member named Harry has this dietary suggestion: “You may want to look into a particular fatty acid called GLA. It is most commonly found in the form of Evening Primrose Oil, Borage Oil, Black Currant Seed Oil and to a lesser extent in Hemp Seed Oil and Spirulina. Apparently this often deficient fatty acid can sometimes help alleviate dryness of the eyes.”

A Healthier Talk regular who goes way back, Jerry offers this advice: “In the old forum, dry eyes was discussed many times and the solution offered the most was Synthovial 7 (hyaluronic acid) taken internally. It was apparently very effective.”

And what is Synthovial 7? For information on this product, I’ll turn things over to a member named Tillie who takes exception to some information I sent you about floaters (those little specs that seem to float in the field of vision): “Jenny Thompson in her message today wrote about floaters and said that there is no help for them, but to the contrary, THERE IS!

“Synthovial 7is hyaluronic acid in its best form and the main reason I use it is for arthritis for which it has been a God send, but the side effects of Synthovial 7 are what interest me most. First, my arthritis disappeared in about two weeks, and then I noticed that what the doctors told me was fibromyalgia went, and then my skin got softer and moisterand then my eyes were moister and I could wear my contacts again, AND there were many fewer floaters. Today, after taking Synthovial for a couple years I have no floaters at all. What HA does for your body is re-moisturize it from the inside out, including the eyes.”

A member named Mari had a slightly different experience with Synthovial 7: “I tried Synthovial 7 for floaters but it did nothing for me. However, I found that it did take care of my dry eyes which actually was more of a problem for me than my floaters. I know that it is supposed to help a variety of different problems, so give it a try, you might like it. I do.”

As always, talk to your doctor or healthcare professional before starting a new supplement regimen.

Other topics being discussed this week in the Healthier Talk community forums include:

• Hormones: Growth hormone
• Diabetes: Diabetes breakthrough from plants
• Heart: Policosanol
• Arthritis: Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM
• Vision: Cataracts
• Depression: Sunlight boosts serotonin

To join in with any of these discussions, just go to our web site at
www.hsionline.com, choose “Forum,” and add your own insights and comments about health, nutrition and natural treatments.