Can you reverse dry eye syndrome?

Michael Rosenberg
Michael Rosenberg

Specializes in translating complex information into readable, engaging content. Michael@top10us.com

reverse dry eye

Dry eye remedies, treatment for dry eye, cure for dry eye, dry eye fix, artificial tear eye drop

Dry eyes, like many other diseases, can disturb your routine life. People find it hard to focus and work properly. In severe cases, blurred vision and vision-related issues can emerge as well. All these issues can cause great damage to the quality of life. In recent years, debates have been going around whether dry eye remedies and dry eye treatment can help reverse the dry eye situation faced by any person. Similarly, the extent of this cure is also under scrutiny. In this article, we will discuss whether a cure for a dry eye exists, including:

  • Understand Tears
  • Dry Eye Syndrome
  • Can Dry Eye Syndrome be Reversed?
  • What If Dry Eyes Are Left Untreated, and DES Is Not Reversed?
  • How Often Should I Get Checked for DES?

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Understand Tears

Your eyes are kept lubricated by tears. Apart from crying, glands in your eyes called Meibomian glands naturally produce tears throughout the day every time you blink. Most of these glands are in your upper and lower eyelids. The oily substance they produce covers the front of your eye. Such a dry eye fix helps to reduce the chance of developing eye infections, and any foreign object in the eyes is washed away. This way, tears also help your eyes to remain clear. 

Dry Eye Syndrome

The name Dry Eye Syndrome refers to several issues related to eye moisture and lubrication. Usually, artificial tear eye drops are used to cure the issues, including:

  • Unbalanced production and drainage of tears, where tears are drained faster than replaced.
  • Dysfunctionality in the Meibomian glands with insufficient lubrication in the eye.
  • Tears are excessively watery and have little oil content.
  • Quick evaporation of the tears
  • Lack of sufficient tear production

The most common reason for DES is the last one: lack of sufficient tear production, caused by aging. However, medications, health, dietary and environmental factors can be important triggers of the situation. If you live in a dry area, the tears in your eyes can evaporate very quickly. 

Tear quality may reduce if there is a problem with your tear synthesizing glands. The mucus, aqueous substance, and oil in your tears must be in adequate amounts to protect your eye. The watery layer may reduce as well, called the keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KES).

Can Dry Eye Syndrome be Reversed?

Until now, no dry eye fix or cure for dry eyes was considered to have a reversal effect. Although these treatments helped to manage the symptoms, the underlying syndrome was not reversed. However, recent research suggests that dietary changes have the ability to reduce reverse the Dry Eye Syndrome in the long term.

  • Consuming foods with high Omega-3 fatty acids is considered the most effective reversal treatment of dry eyes syndrome. These acids are linked to the function of eye glands and the composition of your tears. Consuming mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, herring, oysters, sardines, caviar, flax seeds, and chia seeds offer rich sources of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.
  • Vitamin A contains retinol that helps to protect your eye’s surface and promote lubrication. You can find high contents of Vitamin A in milk, oily fish, yogurt, liver, eggs, cheese, and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin A content is also high in mangoes and apricots.
  • Vitamin B 12 is another important vitamin linked to the health of your eyes. You can find rich sources of Vitamin B 12 in animal liver, clams, sardines, beef, fortified cereal, and tuna fish.

Apart from these vitamins, maintaining a balanced diet can help reduce the severity of most dry eye symptoms as well.

What If Dry Eyes Are Left Untreated, and DES Is Not Reversed?

DES can result in serious irritation, grittiness, itching, and burning of your eyes in the short term. Your front eye surface may get damaged to the point of blurriness and blindness in vision. Similarly, the tear quality deteriorates further as DES progresses. People may experience a stinging or burning sensation in their eyes with high mucus content. Similarly, light sensitivity may increase, causing redness. You may find it difficult to wear your contact lenses. Also, night vision gets impacted seriously with watery eyes causing vision issues. Similarly, people who have to perform vision-intensive jobs may experience serious eye fatigue with pain on the backside of their eyes after work.

In the long term, DES can become chronic and lead to severe complications. Extreme eye irritation may result in infections, and the tear film can no longer protect your eye from microbial activity. Thus, other infections may find their way. Also, the cornea can become too dry and get scratched by even the smallest foreign objects in the eye. This damage could be irreversible.

How Often Should I Get Checked for DES?

Usually, it is preferable to get checked at different intervals based on age. Babies up to 24 months should get checked every 6 to 9 months for DES. Once they reach the age of 2, they should be checked at least once until they reach 5. Between the age of 5 and 19, the risk for DES increases. Therefore, a minimum of 1 examination per year is recommended for this age group. Next, till the age of 40, your eyes slowly start to reduce mucus and oil production. Therefore, you need to get examined at least once every two years.

People between the age of 40 to 64 should optimally get examined at least once or twice every two years. After the age of 65, it is plausible to get checked every year.

Also, it is preferable to get checked by a trained professional to ensure that everything is fine. People may attempt self-diagnosis by looking out for common DES symptoms. However, prefer a formal checkup as soon as you experience any symptoms of the syndrome. Likewise, over-the-counter medicines must be used only after consultation with your optometrist. Using the wrong type of drops can increase the problem and may cause long-term damage.

Fill the form below if you are interested in learning more about Dry Eyes prescription treatment options

Conclusion

It is manageable to reverse the dry eye syndrome. Timely diagnosis and proper medication can help you manage your condition.

Related Article:

Are artificial tears eye drops completely safe?

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