Natural treatment for dry eyes..need information

[moonglow]

If I could give my mom anything for Christmas it would be something to help her dry eyes. She has had damage in some glands that produce the tears that coat the eyes. Nothing has worked so far. She has tried this and that for at least two years now and nothing has helped. No RX eye drops for dry eyes...not pills...nothing, no shots...has worked. She has seen specialist in this area and so far that isn't working either. At first they thought it was allergies...she went in for allergy testing and had some so took allergy shots for a year..didn't help. The eye doctor and her medical doctor have searched every lead and tried pretty much everything but she has no relief at all...

I don't know if any one on here has experienced dry eyes but its torture. Bright lights kill her eyes. She can't read very often anymore due to the eye strain. the computer is harder and harder on her. She has to wear special wrap around sunglasses when out. Has to keep things darker in her house. I know when my eyes are bothering me I can't hardly keep them open. It makes you feel tired all the time. She had to give up driving long distance due to the eye strain..some days can't even handle driving around town due to her eyes bothering her so much. Has to have her husband take her around.

With all the medical stuff tried and failed I am looking for those that might have some ideas on natural treatment. She has tried a few things but nothing has helped. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

God bless

[Vhayes]

Moonglow, does she drink plenty of water? That's always the first line of defense for dryness.

Also- here's a link that talks about some of things a person can do to help with the problem:
http://www.naturaleyecare.com/gad_ov...FcZD5godm3MjsA

[Jeanne D]

Yes keeping the body hydrated helps. Taking things like Flaxseed oil helps also.

I struggle with dry eyes, not to the point your mother does, but I sometimes experience corneal erosions, which are very painful. I've had to patch my eye for a day or two because it was too painful to open it.

The opthamologist suggested I take a hot washcloth and place it over my closed eyes one at a time until it cools. He said that would unclog my tear ducts and help moisten my eyes. It does help.

I also use Theratears (it contains no preservatives) at night and wear a sleep mask when I go to bed because I tend to sleep with my eyes slightly open, and that contributes to the problem.

I really feel for your mom, eye pain is the worst.

Jeanne

[moonglow]

Moonglow, does she drink plenty of water? That's always the first line of defense for dryness.

Also- here's a link that talks about some of things a person can do to help with the problem:
http://www.naturaleyecare.com/gad_ov...FcZD5godm3MjsA

That seems to be more about allergies..its not allergies or lack of water. Her glans that make the tears are damaged. She could drink tons and tons of water and it would make no difference...they can't work. She doesn't smoke or live with a smoker. Runs a humidifier most of the time...even got temporary plugs put in her eye ducts: Another option for dry eye treatment is called Lacrisert, a tiny insert filled with a lubricating ingredient (hydroxypropyl cellulose). The insert is placed just inside the lower eyelid, where it continuously releases lubrication for the eye throughout the day.

But I don't think those are helping either. Any eye drops are blinked away in a minute so they offer no help...

Jeanne D Yes keeping the body hydrated helps. Taking things like Flaxseed oil helps also.

I struggle with dry eyes, not to the point your mother does, but I sometimes experience corneal erosions, which are very painful. I've had to patch my eye for a day or two because it was too painful to open it.

The opthamologist suggested I take a hot washcloth and place it over my closed eyes one at a time until it cools. He said that would unclog my tear ducts and help moisten my eyes. It does help.

I also use Theratears (it contains no preservatives) at night and wear a sleep mask when I go to bed because I tend to sleep with my eyes slightly open, and that contributes to the problem.

I really feel for your mom, eye pain is the worst.

Jeanne

Yea she tried that to unclog them but it didn't work as they discovered later they have been clogged too long and no longer function at all. I don't know if there is anything that can help her at all. I wish they could do surgery and fix them but I don't think that is possible.

She has tried the flax-seed oils..different vitamins she heard might help. Cool pats to put on her eyes. Nothing is helping...

Thanks for the suggestions though..I will double check with her on a couple of these to make sure she has tried them but I think she has..and probably things I don't know about too.

God bless

[Vhayes]

I'm sorry, Moonglow. That has to be hard for both your mother and for you. The feeling of helplessness is sometimes as hard to deal with as the person who is suffering.

If I hear of anything or read anything, I will let you know.
V

[moonglow]

I'm sorry, Moonglow. That has to be hard for both your mother and for you. The feeling of helplessness is sometimes as hard to deal with as the person who is suffering.

If I hear of anything or read anything, I will let you know.
V

Thanks for understanding. I will send her that link...you know just in case there is something on there she hasn't tried. Most of these site focus on the cause and eliminating that...we know the cause. Her tear duct glans were clogged up for so long they stopped working. I guess this should be some all eye doctors tell their patients and check for...early signs of dry eyes so it doesn't end up being this bad. When the dr did a 'wet test' on her eyes...its a little strip of paper they touch your eye with and it measures the tears..it was barely wet...very bad sign.

Now years ago I was having problems and the eye dr thought I had this dry eye problem and put plugs in my tear ducts to keep the tears on my eyes longer. Didn't help. Turned out my problem was allergies. Allergy medication helps...now benadrile will dry out my eyes if I take that too many days in a row but that dries a person out everywhere! So my mom does avoid any medication that will do that.

One thing I was looking into but having problems finding good information on is colloidal silver. When my eyes are really bugging me and nothing helps (usually on those days its really windy outside), I put a drop of that in each eye. It stings like crazy for a second but then the rest of the day my eyes don't bother me. But I guess I am kind of leery having her try it..just don't know...it would help if I could find information on it on the net in use with dry eyes.

Oh Jeanne D forgot to say I am sorry you struggle with this too. Be sure and try to keep those ducts open! I would hate for you to end up to the point my mom is in.

God bless

[nicolapompicola]

May be a rather long shot, but one of the first things that spring to mind when I read this was Aloe Vera and Cucumber, but I beleive the "snotty" quality of the aloe would make it stick for longer. You may have to go to an "alternative" practitioner to make sure any aloe substances would be ok to use in the eyes.

[moonglow]

May be a rather long shot, but one of the first things that spring to mind when I read this was Aloe Vera and Cucumber, but I beleive the "snotty" quality of the aloe would make it stick for longer. You may have to go to an "alternative" practitioner to make sure any aloe substances would be ok to use in the eyes.

Thanks...that is an interesting idea...while it might feel good I don't think she could probably see very well though through a film of that.

I talked to her last night about what the local eye doctor said (she had an appointment with him yesterday)..she said the glans that produce the oil that coats the eyes are dead. Surgery to unplug them would do no good as they no longer function. There is nothing else this eye dr can do for her here but said he knows a Specialist in KC that might be able to do something. He said he would try to get ahold of him sometime this week. I sure hope some doctor somewhere can help her.. As she said, she just wants her life back..

She is very active...busy and not waiting to sit around the house. She is active in the church and helps take elderly around to do grocery shopping or go to the dr. Her and her husband like to travel alot too. But when you feel miserable because of your eyes...doing anything is difficult.

Thanks everyone.

God bless

[BroRog]

Thanks...that is an interesting idea...while it might feel good I don't think she could probably see very well though through a film of that.

I talked to her last night about what the local eye doctor said (she had an appointment with him yesterday)..she said the glans that produce the oil that coats the eyes are dead. Surgery to unplug them would do no good as they no longer function. There is nothing else this eye dr can do for her here but said he knows a Specialist in KC that might be able to do something. He said he would try to get ahold of him sometime this week. I sure hope some doctor somewhere can help her.. As she said, she just wants her life back..

She is very active...busy and not waiting to sit around the house. She is active in the church and helps take elderly around to do grocery shopping or go to the dr. Her and her husband like to travel alot too. But when you feel miserable because of your eyes...doing anything is difficult.

Thanks everyone.

God bless

I pray that your grandmother is healed. But until then, the course of action would be to minimize the means of evaporation such as blowing air. I notice my eyes dry out when I'm sitting next to heater vents or in the front seat of the car with the window defroster blowing. Would swimmer's goggle's help?

[moonglow]

I pray that your grandmother is healed. But until then, the course of action would be to minimize the means of evaporation such as blowing air. I notice my eyes dry out when I'm sitting next to heater vents or in the front seat of the car with the window defroster blowing. Would swimmer's goggle's help?

Thanks..its my mom actually I am talking about. And yes any wind on her eyes makes the condition worse. Wind bothers my eyes too but for different reasons..pollen. She wears wrap around sunglasses that help alot. Sometimes she has to wear them indoors in certain places if the lights are too bright or a fan is running.

Thanks for your prayers for her.

[BroRog]

Thanks..its my mom actually I am talking about. And yes any wind on her eyes makes the condition worse. Wind bothers my eyes too but for different reasons..pollen. She wears wrap around sunglasses that help alot. Sometimes she has to wear them indoors in certain places if the lights are too bright or a fan is running.

Thanks for your prayers for her.

I am known around here for my "work arounds". And so I might approach the problem from a mechanical point of view, coming up with some kind of mechanical substitute for gently wetting the eyes every few minutes. Maybe an eye dropper containing distilled water poured near the tear duct.

hmmm.

[Vhayes]

Moonglow - my husband takes vitamins that we buy in the grocery store that are designed for eyes. The opthalmologistis the one who told my husband to get them. Maybe these would help?

They are manufactured by Bausch & Lomb. Here's a link:
http://www.bausch.com/en_US/consumer...eyehealth.aspx

[Kumquat]

My aunt uses an oily ointment in her eyes.

[Jeanne D]

Lutein is good for the eyes, and so is Bilberry. I was taking them both, but ran out.

Moonglow, is your mom a believer? Perhaps someone could annoint her eyes with oil and pray over them?

Jeanne

[moonglow]

I am known around here for my "work arounds". And so I might approach the problem from a mechanical point of view, coming up with some kind of mechanical substitute for gently wetting the eyes every few minutes. Maybe an eye dropper containing distilled water poured near the tear duct.

hmmm.

She has enough 'water' for her eyes..its the glans that make the oil that coats the eyes that don't work...plus I don't think her idea of a fix would be spending all day putting something on her eyes..I mean think about it. What could you do if you constantly had to stop to put drops in your eyes? You could get nothing done but literally sitting all day putting drops in. Its a frustrating situation for sure.. But thanks for trying.

Vhayes Moonglow - my husband takes vitamins that we buy in the grocery store that are designed for eyes. The opthalmologistis the one who told my husband to get them. Maybe these would help?

They are manufactured by Bausch & Lomb. Here's a link:
http://www.bausch.com/en_US/consumer...eyehealth.aspx

She has tried some..I think one that was listed there included Lutein (I think that is the name of it..not totally sure. I tried it myself but it made me belch that taste of it all day long..eww). Anyway it didn't help her. She physically cannot produce the oil. I guess what I am looking for is something that would coat her eyes...but not blur them so she could see...that would last at least a few hours. She tried every kind of dry eye tear drops including RX and nothing helped.

I will show these to her and see what she thinks. Thanks.

Kumquat My aunt uses an oily ointment in her eyes.

Do you know what it is? Sometimes I apply vitamin E oil around my eyes which do get in my eyes..it helps settle them from allergies. The problem of course is everything is blurry so I can't read or do anything. I usually do this right before I go to bed though so I don't need to see..lol.

Jeanne D Lutein is good for the eyes, and so is Bilberry. I was taking them both, but ran out.

Moonglow, is your mom a believer? Perhaps someone could annoint her eyes with oil and pray over them?

Jeanne

Yes she is but I don't think they do that at her church...anointing or putting oil on people. I am sure they have prayed though about her eyes. I have people pray on here many times for her eyes but so far, no relief.

Thanks everyone for the ideas!

God bless