dry eyes - what am I doing wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do a combination of Tear Support with Maqui Bright and fish oil. I started taking them at the same time so I don't know if it's one of them or the combo that works. Either way, it was a gradual thing where one day I realized I hadn't wanted to put eye drops in all day. I am for everyday, but might miss a day or two. I did stop taking them once for about two weeks while on vacation and there was a noticeable difference. It took a few weeks to get back to normal, so I won't do that again.
What brand of Tear Support do you use? I just searched Costco.com, but I didn’t find it. Maybe Costco no longer carries it?
I heard about Tear Support from a letter to the editor in the Costco magazine, of all places. The guy was raving about it and saying how happy he was Costco carried it.

[Anonymous]

What brand of TearSupport do you use? I can’t find TearSupport on Costco’s website. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dry Eyes are a Classic symptom of Sjogrens (an auto immune disease).

Dry mouth.
Fatigue.
Joint pain.
Dry skin.
Dry nasal passages and throat, and a dry cough.
Skin rashes.
Muscle aches.
Acid reflux.
Vaginal dryness.

There is no cure for it, at least that was what my family doctor told me.

[Anonymous]

The eye maintains a constant level of lubrication through a combination of several mechanisms that work together to ensure the surface of the eye stays moist and protected. Here's an explanation of the main components involved in maintaining the lubrication of the eye:

1. Tear Production: The lacrimal gland, located above the outer corner of each eye, produces tears continuously. These tears contain a mix of water, oils, proteins, and other substances necessary for lubrication and protection.

2. Tear Distribution: Every time you blink, the eyelids spread the tears evenly across the surface of the eye. Blinking helps distribute the tears and keeps the eye moist. It also helps remove debris and irritants that may have entered the eye.

3. Tear Film: The outermost layer of the tear film is a thin layer of lipids (oils) produced by the Meibomian glands located in the eyelids. This layer helps prevent evaporation of the tears and keeps the surface of the eye lubricated. The middle layer is composed of the watery component of tears, which provides moisture and nutrients to the eye. The innermost layer is a thin layer of mucus that helps the tears adhere to the eye's surface.

4. Reflex Tear Production: When the eye detects an irritant, such as dust or a foreign object, it triggers a reflex tear response. The lacrimal gland produces a larger volume of tears to flush out the irritant and protect the eye. This reflex mechanism helps maintain the eye's lubrication by responding to potential threats.

5. Corneal Sensation: The cornea, which is the clear front surface of the eye, is highly sensitive to touch and changes in moisture levels. If the cornea detects dryness or irritation, it sends signals to the lacrimal gland to increase tear production, helping to restore lubrication.

6. Feedback Mechanisms: The eye has feedback mechanisms that monitor the quality and quantity of tears on the surface. If the tears are insufficient or of poor quality, the eye can increase tear production to compensate and maintain the desired level of lubrication.

For #1, you can use artificial tears.

For #2, hot compress to unclog oil producing glands.

[Anonymous]

Humidifier also helped me. I have one going in my bedroom and family room.

[Anonymous]

Everything that I have done has been mentioned except for the foam eye scrub. You need to clean your eyelids daily. I also use off and on depending on the time of year:
Restasis
Fish oil
Warm compresses
Oaisis plus drops

[Anonymous]

Hormones. What’s your age and sex?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for all the responses and suggestions! So much to sort through but all very helpful. What I’ve do currently and areas it seems I should improve:

- I recently started warm compresses, at night before bed
- I have contacts but rarely wear them anymore due to the dryness. Glasses are fine, but when exercising they’re a nuisance! They fog, gather sweat, etc. Especially outside. And if it rains, I’m miserable.
- I only have otc drops with instructions to use 4x/day from optometrist. My insurance doesn’t cover prescription drops and they’re very expensive
- I do sleep with a humidifier on my bedside table, but sounds like perhaps also a desktop or office humidifier could be helpful for dry office air
- sounds like I need to incorporate massage, especially after the warm compresses
- I need to be better about washing lids and lash line at least 2x day
- I am 52 and awaiting an appt to discuss HRT with a provider. I have high hopes it could also help my eyes.

Question:
- I don’t take any supplements specifically for this. I’m a vegetarian. Are vegan omegas any good for dry eye? Any experiences to share?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for all the responses and suggestions! So much to sort through but all very helpful. What I’ve do currently and areas it seems I should improve:

- I recently started warm compresses, at night before bed
- I have contacts but rarely wear them anymore due to the dryness. Glasses are fine, but when exercising they’re a nuisance! They fog, gather sweat, etc. Especially outside. And if it rains, I’m miserable.
- I only have otc drops with instructions to use 4x/day from optometrist. My insurance doesn’t cover prescription drops and they’re very expensive
- I do sleep with a humidifier on my bedside table, but sounds like perhaps also a desktop or office humidifier could be helpful for dry office air
- sounds like I need to incorporate massage, especially after the warm compresses
- I need to be better about washing lids and lash line at least 2x day
- I am 52 and awaiting an appt to discuss HRT with a provider. I have high hopes it could also help my eyes.

Question:
- I don’t take any supplements specifically for this. I’m a vegetarian. Are vegan omegas any good for dry eye? Any experiences to share?

Good. I’m the PP who asked your age and sex. This could very well the the root of your issue. Some studies have found androgens to be more important in healing dry eyes than estrogen/progesterone. Look into the studies on testosterone lid ointment and shop for a provider who will get it compounded for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for all the responses and suggestions! So much to sort through but all very helpful. What I’ve do currently and areas it seems I should improve:

- I recently started warm compresses, at night before bed
- I have contacts but rarely wear them anymore due to the dryness. Glasses are fine, but when exercising they’re a nuisance! They fog, gather sweat, etc. Especially outside. And if it rains, I’m miserable.
- I only have otc drops with instructions to use 4x/day from optometrist. My insurance doesn’t cover prescription drops and they’re very expensive
- I do sleep with a humidifier on my bedside table, but sounds like perhaps also a desktop or office humidifier could be helpful for dry office air
- sounds like I need to incorporate massage, especially after the warm compresses
- I need to be better about washing lids and lash line at least 2x day
- I am 52 and awaiting an appt to discuss HRT with a provider. I have high hopes it could also help my eyes.

Question:
- I don’t take any supplements specifically for this. I’m a vegetarian. Are vegan omegas any good for dry eye? Any experiences to share?

NP. GLA is good for eyes. I take borage seed oil supplements and fish oil - but flax seed would also be good. EPO also has GLA, if you prefer; I have found that borage seed oil works well for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for all the responses and suggestions! So much to sort through but all very helpful. What I’ve do currently and areas it seems I should improve:

- I recently started warm compresses, at night before bed
- I have contacts but rarely wear them anymore due to the dryness. Glasses are fine, but when exercising they’re a nuisance! They fog, gather sweat, etc. Especially outside. And if it rains, I’m miserable.
- I only have otc drops with instructions to use 4x/day from optometrist. My insurance doesn’t cover prescription drops and they’re very expensive
- I do sleep with a humidifier on my bedside table, but sounds like perhaps also a desktop or office humidifier could be helpful for dry office air
- sounds like I need to incorporate massage, especially after the warm compresses
- I need to be better about washing lids and lash line at least 2x day
- I am 52 and awaiting an appt to discuss HRT with a provider. I have high hopes it could also help my eyes.

Question:
- I don’t take any supplements specifically for this. I’m a vegetarian. Are vegan omegas any good for dry eye? Any experiences to share?

Good. I’m the PP who asked your age and sex. This could very well the the root of your issue. Some studies have found androgens to be more important in healing dry eyes than estrogen/progesterone. Look into the studies on testosterone lid ointment and shop for a provider who will get it compounded for you.

Thank you! This is really interesting. If you have a provider rec, I would love that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for all the responses and suggestions! So much to sort through but all very helpful. What I’ve do currently and areas it seems I should improve:

- I recently started warm compresses, at night before bed
- I have contacts but rarely wear them anymore due to the dryness. Glasses are fine, but when exercising they’re a nuisance! They fog, gather sweat, etc. Especially outside. And if it rains, I’m miserable.
- I only have otc drops with instructions to use 4x/day from optometrist. My insurance doesn’t cover prescription drops and they’re very expensive
- I do sleep with a humidifier on my bedside table, but sounds like perhaps also a desktop or office humidifier could be helpful for dry office air
- sounds like I need to incorporate massage, especially after the warm compresses
- I need to be better about washing lids and lash line at least 2x day
- I am 52 and awaiting an appt to discuss HRT with a provider. I have high hopes it could also help my eyes.

Question:
- I don’t take any supplements specifically for this. I’m a vegetarian. Are vegan omegas any good for dry eye? Any experiences to share?

NP. GLA is good for eyes. I take borage seed oil supplements and fish oil - but flax seed would also be good. EPO also has GLA, if you prefer; I have found that borage seed oil works well for me.

Thank you! I will look into these.

[Anonymous]

I use Systane Ultra. My dry eyes developed after a bad case of shingles that affected the area around my eyes. It took using the drops many times per day to get them back to a level that was comfortable to manage. Now I use them about three times per day. I also got contacts that are better for moisture, which is reduced the amount of times per day I need to use the drops.