Nutrition for Dry Eyes

Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears, or the tears are of poor quality. It can cause burning, stinging, and irritation in your eyes.

Fortunately, there are several ways to manage your dry eye symptoms, like taking the right nutrition and vitamin supplements.

While research on supplements for dry eyes is still evolving, studies indicate that some vitamins may help prevent and relieve dry eye symptoms.

Vitamin Supplements For Dry Eye Prevention

While eating a nutritious diet contributes to good eye health, it’s not always easy to get all the nutrients you need from meals at the dinner table.

If you’ve been diagnosed with dry eyes, you may want to consider taking vitamin supplements to alleviate dry eye symptoms.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps protect the surface of the eye by being an effective barrier to bacteria and viruses, reducing the risk of eye infections. Vitamin A deficiency, which occurs mainly among disadvantaged groups, is primarily caused by food deprivation. In some areas of the world, up to 50% of preschool children don’t get enough of this essential vitamin.

Vitamin A deficiency can increase your chances of developing dry eye disease. By consuming foods rich in vitamin A, like carrots, spinach, tomatoes and other orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, you can help prevent dry eye. Eye drops containing vitamin A can also be an effective treatment for dry eyes.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus. It can be triggered by the sun (when exposed to the sun, your skin produces vitamin D) and is found in supplements and certain foods.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause dry eye symptoms since it’s associated with poor tear quality and tear film dysfunction. According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, vitamin D supplements may help reduce inflammation of the eye’s surface.

Research has also shown vitamin D supplementation to boost the effectiveness of lubricating eye drops, while oral vitamin D supplements increased tear quality and reduced dry eye symptoms.

Omega 3

According to a 2019 study, conducted by the University of Melbourne, omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to significantly reduce inflammation which may alleviate dry eye symptoms, like irritation and pain. Because omega 3 reduces the inflammatory response of the body, this ensures that meibomian glands in the eyelids secret oil into the tears, which, in turn, prevents the tears from evaporating too quickly.

Fish, leafy vegetables, vegetable oil, soybeans, nuts, and seeds are excellent sources of omega 3. Fish oil and flaxseed oil supplements also contain high doses of this fatty acid.

Links between vitamins and minerals and dry eyes are becoming increasingly apparent as more studies are conducted. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and establish the optimum treatments to benefit people with dry eyes.

Do you or someone you love suffer from dry eye syndrome? Contact The Scott Eye Care Dry Eye Center to consult with an eye doctor who will be happy to advise on the potential benefits of consuming vitamin supplements and increasing certain foods in your diet.

The Scott Eye Care Dry Eye Center is pleased to offer lasting and effective dry eye treatments so that you can enjoy eye and vision comfort for a more enjoyable quality of life.

The Scott Eye Care Dry Eye Center serves patients from Oswego, Naperville, Aurora, and Chicago, all throughout Illinois.