Dry Eyes – Causes and Treatment
When we think of tears, we usually think of sadness, grief, joy or other strong emotions. The phrase “Not a dry eye in the house” sums up our reaction to weddings, funerals and other life-changing events. Movies that make us cry even have their own special name: weepies. But did you know that the tears we weep when we’re feeling blue are different from the ones we shed when we chop an onion? Or that, even though crocodiles can’t cry, there’s a real medical condition called Crocodile Tear Syndrome?
Cheers for Tears
Human beings need to cry. Tears are a liquid that cleans, nourishes, lubricates and protects the eyes. Without tears, the outer covering of the eye would be damaged due to dryness, and the cornea would not receive the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function, nor would its waste products be flushed away.
There are three basic kinds of tears:
- Basal tears maintain the health of the cornea by keeping it wet and free of dust. These tears are surprisingly complex, containing among other substances lipids, glucose, sodium, potassium and an enzyme called lysozyme, also present in our saliva, which is crucial to eye health. Some of these substances serve an immune function by protecting against bacterial infection.
- Reflex tears are the body’s way of expelling foreign particles (dirt, dust) or other irritants, such as onion vapors, tear gas or pepper spray. The reason onions are an irritant is that they contain a compound that, when it encounters water in our tear ducts, creates sulfuric acid! (Next time you’re cooking, try slicing the onion in the sink under running water.)
- Emotional tears, brought on by pain, stress or strong feelings, have a different chemical makeup than other tears. Emotional tears may be the body’s way of expelling excess hormones.
Crocodile tears are not real tears (not even for crocodiles). Instead, the phrase means “to pretend a sorrow that one doesn’t in fact feel, to create a hypocritical show of emotion,” according to the Web site World Wide Words. The idea originated as far back as the 13th century and stems from the mistaken belief that crocodiles wept while eating their prey.
Crocodile Tear Syndrome, however, does exist. It is a rare outcome of recovery from Bell’s Palsy: faulty regeneration of the facial nerve responsible for the salivary and tear glands causes patients to cry while eating (even, perhaps, when eating crocodile).
How Dry I Am
People who suffer from a condition called keratitis sicca, or “dry eye,” know how important tears are. Dry eye sufferers endure stinging, itching, burning, blurry vision, or light sensitivity; the condition also makes the eyes feel scratchy and gritty, as if there is a speck of dirt that won’t go away. Ironically, this condition may actually cause the eyes to respond with reflex tears, which do not help the problem, as they don’t contain the lubricating substances necessary to alleviate the dryness.
One of the most common causes of dry eye is aging, due to a decrease in tear production as we get older. Other causes include a reaction to certain medications, including antihistamines, and environmental factors such as wind, smoke, heating and air-conditioning. Contact lens wearers also report an increase in dry eye, as do those who’ve undergone LASIK surgery — another compelling reason to follow the Rebuild Your Vision Program.
Treating Dry Eye
Dry eye condition can be treated with artificial tears, a prescription drug called Restasis or plugs that are inserted in the tear ducts to block drainage. If the condition is left untreated, eye damage and/or vision loss can occur. So the next time you have a “good cry,” celebrate the good!
This is great information about eye health and eye vision. I have benefited greatly from this information. I’m trying to apply everything to improve my vision. Thanx.
Again, we sincerely appreciate your taking your time to encourage all of us about taking care of one of the greatest gifts to man… our vision. You are right on target, and we are so glad you “”hit us” with this good info. Thanks again, Bill
May our Heavenly Father Bless & keep you now & forever in the palm of His Hand.
What about onions? Isn’t chopping onions supposed to be healthy for the eyes since the sulfur that is release causes you to get tears????
I use Latanoprost to control “humor”. I think ‘humor’ is different from the tears explained in this article. I would like to receive more such informative and useful articles
Thank you Mr Sorensen. Since taking your expert advice, I have been drinking more water. My eyes are not dry now and they feel better. Also taking breaks from the computer screen is doing wonders as well. In the future I will be purchasing your product. Looking forward to the next email in your life changing series.
I appreciate you for providing such a practical series of information regarding eye sight. It’s truly wonderful. Keep it up!
Dear Orlin
It is a wonderful series of articles. It really helped me eliminating the harmful effects of Computer Vision Syndrome. However, I have experienced eye floaters for eleven years. I have come to know that Antioxidant supplements and vitamins prevent the eye from further retinal degeneration. Is that true? If yes, then what quantity of Vitamins should I take in as a daily supplement?
oh thank you so much for the great information.. so good to hear that tears can help us too.. this tips can give us knowledge hoe to take care our precious eyes..thank you again and more power!
Soon i will purchase your product too… now I’m doing preventions. I stayed long in computer but i do break. and I’m fond of reading books too…hope you will send me more tips, Mr. Sorensen. Is it bad for my eyes if I sleep only 4 to 5 hours? And I’m reading while in lay down position?
Hi Noor,
I’m so glad to hear these articles have helped you out. You can find more information on eye vitamins and the impact on your eyes here.
Floaters is a great idea for a future blog post. Thanks for the suggestion.
To your vision — for life,
Orlin
Hi Marly,
Sleep is essential for your body and overall eye health. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. As far as reading, you always want good posture. Good lighting is the key so you don’t have to strain your eyes to see the words. Be sure you are in a well lit area while you read.
To your vision — for life,
Orlin
Dear Mr. Sorensen,
Thank you very much for your kind advice.
Though i know most of the information about eye health and the most important vitamins and minerals that do help for a better eye health, I do admire your caring attitudes to help people improve their eyes vision and regain their eye health. Mr Orlin, why didn’t you reply my comment as u did for others? Shall i ask you a question? How many carrots do u have a week? A part from vitamins and all, is there any exercise which help the eye muscles? I would be so grateful if you reply.
Hi Figgylady,
Sorry I didn’t respond to your comments earlier. Rest assured I read everyone’s comments.
To answer your question, I don’t make an effort to eat a certain amount of carrots in a week. Eating carrots as a “magical” vegetable to improve your vision is a myth many of us have grown up with, but the real benefit of eating carrots comes from the Vitamin A that carrots contain. Vitamin A in the recommended quantities is essential for good vision. If a person is deprived of vitamin A for too long, the outer segments of the eye’s photoreceptors begin to deteriorate, and the normal chemical processes involved in vision no longer occur.
So what is the recommended quantity for vitamin A? Well it depends on your age, gender, whether your pregnant, etc., but simply put, 1 whole raw carrot gives you more than you need (175% of your daily value, according to the National Institute of Health).
Also, before you run to the store to stock up on bags of carrots, keep in mind that overdosing on carrots in an attempt to improve vision is unlikely to aid in your quest for better vision. In fact, eating too many carrots can cause your skin to appear yellow or yellow-orange due to a build-up of blood carotene levels!
For me personally, I don’t ever have to worry about how many carrots I’m eating, or whether I’m getting the necessary amounts of all my vitamins, because I take my Ocu-Plus Formula every day to maintain my vision and overall health.
As far as eye exercises go, here’s a link to an example of good one to strengthen your eye muscles: http://www.rebuildyourvision.com/tryaneyeexercise/
Hope that helps,
To your vision – for life,
Orlin
Very good evening Orlin. I do respect and appreciate your information about food nutritional value. Thanks for all the efforts you make to aid and help people to get over their eye problems. My best regards!
Hi Orlin,
I have already purchased your program and started using it today. I have vision problem with -5.00(R) and -5.25(L). Will your program help me improve my vision? I am scared to go on a surgery that is why I am looking for a natural alternative, then I saw your website. Could you help me?
Hi Joy,
I’m glad you found our website. Rates of improvement vary from person to person. The first goal of the program is to stop the cycle of vision deterioration. The second goal is to improve your visual acuity and begin to reduce your correction.
The exercises and techniques are designed to strengthen and relax your visual system just as you would any other weak part of your body, improving your vision and helping you to see clearly — naturally.
The catch is dedicating 25 minutes a day to the exercises and techniques. The program is very easy-to-follow and is laid out in a step-by-step, minute-by-minute format. Once you receive the package you can begin the exercises within 10-15 minutes. Most people see a marked improvement within the first few weeks, with significant improvements in the following 2-3 months.
Even higher degrees of correction can be helped with our program but it will likely take more time and dedication on your part. The exercises have been designed to be adjusted for all ranges of clarity.
To your vision — for life,
Orlin
Thanks for the information Mr. Sorensen. Until now I’m still following your site to improve my eyesight. It’s been 11 years since I’ve suffered from nearsightedness and I’m still hoping that my eyesight will be cured. Can you help me for this matter?
Hi Ann,
Nearsightedness, or myopia is one of the most common vision problems experienced, and it is the most common type of prescription lens worn by those under 30.
Unlike conditions such as astigmatism, there is evidence that has shown that nearsightedness is caused by stress of the eyes and has been linked to near-point stress which is caused by activities such as reading.
If you are tired of wearing your glasses there are a number of eye exercises that you can do that will relieve your eye strain, which may be making the condition worse.
A great example of an eye exercise that is a part of the Rebuild Your Vision program is located at the link below.
http://www.rebuildyourvision.com/tryaneyeexercise/
To your vision for life,
Orlin
Hello
I’ve had dry eyes for a long time and my eyes were very painful. I had to use drops several time a day and wear thick sunglasses or stay indoors when the sun was bright. However, I’ve now found that evening primrose capsules have helped greatly. I’ve given up on medical drops and only need sunglasses on very sunny days
Jeane
I am new to this website but am going to check it all out. Just want to tell Jeane that I can sympathize with her dry eye problem and may try the evening primrose capsules. You see about 12 years ago I had a lump removed from my neck that the doctor said was my sylvia gland. I now have dry mouth very, very, bad even though the doctor told me I would hardly notice the difference. About four years ago I developed dry eye and have been taking Restasis for all that time and there has been no improvement. They’ve put plugs in that just fall out and now say unless I want an operation the only other thing is acupuncture! Is there any help for me?
hi Orlin,
i think i`am having crocodile tears syndrome.. it needs a treatment or just let the tears flow while eating??
and my eyes always keep blinking all the time. What is the factors of this happen??