I’ve seen many commercials for dry eye products that promote relief for dry eyes. My sister has chronic dry eye (or dry eye syndrome) and she has a hard time finding relief from this problem. I always wondered if there was an easier way to remedy dry eyes without becoming dependent on eye drops.

What are dry eyes?

At first, I didn’t understand why my sister’s issue with dry eyes was such a big deal. Now I know the importance. Tear film lubricates your eyes, helping you to maintain clear vision while reducing your risk of eye infection. Also, tears work to wash away foreign debris. If there aren’t enough tears being produced, your eyes may become irritated and your vision diminished. If there is an imbalance in the composition of tears, dry eye can develop and the symptoms may be very painful.

Dry Eye Symptoms

Dry eye usually affects both eyes. Signs and symptoms of dry eyes include:
• Eye pain and redness
• A gritty, scratchy, stinging or burning sensation in your eyes
• Feeling of a foreign substance in your eyes (may feel like sand)
• Increased eye irritation from smoke or wind
• Mucus (stringy) in or around your eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Eye fatigue after reading for a short time
• Difficulty wearing contact lenses
• Blurred vision—worse at the end of the day or after focusing for a long time on something close

Dry Eye causes

Simple causes of dry eyes include—contact lenses, lack of sleep and excessive reading.

An imbalance in the composition of tears
Tears are composed of water, protein, electrolytes and other substances that fight off bacteria. There are three layers of tear film—oil, water and mucus. If the one layer isn’t functioning properly, then dry eye can occur.

Diminished tear production
Over the course of the natural aging process, tear production tends to diminish. Your eyes become dry and irritated because you’re not able to produce enough tears (medically referred to as keratoconjunctivitis sicca).

Both men and women can develop dry eyes at any age. However, dry eyes are more prevalent in women, especially those who are going through or have already gone through menopause.

Problems with eyelid function
Blinking your eyelids, helps spread tears across the eye and get rid of surface irritants. If your eyelids aren’t functioning properly to spread tears, this problem may result in dry eye.

Side effects from medications
Common medicines that may cause dry eye include:
• Birth control pills
• Sleeping aides
• Antihistamines
• Diuretics
• Morphine or other opiate-derived pain medications
• Certain antidepressants
• Some acne treatments

Environmental factors
Any task that requires a lot of visual focus—playing a video game, driving, starting at a computer—can lower your blink rate and may increase your risk for dry eyes.

Climate factors—wind, sun, dry climate, hot air blowing from a vent and high altitude—can all dry out your eyes.

Home remedies for dry eyes

Try the following home remedies for alleviating the pain of dry eyes:

• Blink often and take a break from the computer or television if you’ve been staring at a screen for a long period of time.
• Add a humidifier or indoor plants to your home and or office to help add humidity into the air.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses because they dry out your eyes and prevent natural tears from moving across your eyes.
• Eat foods rich in vitamin A (sardines, salmon, eggs) at least once a day to improve tear production.
• Omega-3 fatty acids such as those in fish oil and flaxseed help keep your eyes lubricated.
• Keep your eyes shielded or move them away from hot vents or cold breezes.
• Drinking lots of water will keep your eyes as well as your entire body moisturized.
• Your eyes need to rest. Be sure to get plenty of sleep and if possible to rest your eyes or take a short nap during the day.
• Protect your eyes with sunglasses. When swimming wear goggles to keep dirt and chemicals out of your eyes. Stay away from smoke and smokers.
• Dip 2 cotton balls in rose water and place them over your eyes.
• Use a warm compress—soak a washcloth in hot water and place it over your eyes for 10 minutes, twice daily.
• Place slices of fresh cucumbers on each eyelid. Cucumbers help to relax the eyes and to stimulate moisture.

—Nolan

Do you have any home remedies? Comment and tell us about them!

Share this post!

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed purple-ish circles around my eyes. I don’t totally mind though. I’ve got that gothic pasty face look going on with the dark eyes. It works for me. Although there are times, especially when I’m having my picture taken for my New York Times best seller (ok, that didn’t happen yet, but it could) that I’d like to look….well, you know, less deathly.

What causes dark eye circles?

Lack of sleep is the most common cause of dark eye circles. As I know first-hand from years of insomnia, it’s difficult to get more sleep to remedy this issue. However, you can reduce stressors and develop a sleep schedule to help get more zzzzs.

Other contributing factors include aging, heredity, allergies, fatigue, stress, staring at the computer for too long and sun exposure can create a dark pigment around the eyes. Some studies show that smoking, drinking alcohol and caffeinated beverages can make dark eye circles worse.

Tips and Treatment

I’ve never really used makeup to solve the problem because I always felt weird putting makeup close to my eyes. So I’ve tried other methods to decrease the darkness.

I like to use a cool compress or a few cucumbers to reduce any puffiness. Note: do not apply ice or cold water directly to the skin. It’s best to use cool water.

Tea bags are also effective for reducing dark circles because the tannin found in tea helps eliminate puffiness.

Grate up some potatoes to help lighten your under eye circles. Catecholase is an enzyme found in potatoes that works as a human skin lightener. Put the raw mash into some cheesecloth and place over eye area for 20 minutes. Note: don’t let the potatoe juice come in contact with your eye.

If you must use a concealer, try a yellow-ish one but make sure it’s not too light our you’ll have the reverse raccoon effect.

-Nolan

Do you have any makeup tips you want to share? Comment and tell us about them!

Share this post!

When I was about 13 I remember reading The Dark is Rising until the sun went down, not paying much mind to how fast the daylight slipping away. It was one of the first books in my life I couldn’t put down, and I wanted so much to finish it before having to come down for dinner. My mother, she loved that I was reading, but when she caught me in my room reading in near darkness I remember her telling me, “You’ll ruin your eyes reading in the dark like that. Now come and eat.”

It was a terrible thought, my eyesight slowly fading the more hours I spent reading in growing twilight. I didn’t want to go blind but after I found my love for books it was hard to remember there was a world around me, let alone notice poor room lighting. Soon after I made sure to always do my reading in a well-lit room, sometimes preparing for the fact by turning on a light even while there was still daylight to be had.

But now that I am older and wiser, I decided to look in to this supposed bad habit. Was my mother right about the potential of me ruining my eyes by reading in low light? No, it turns out she wasn’t.

You will not damage your eyes just by reading in the dark. However, you may experience the discomfort of eye strain.

When you concentrate on reading in low light your eyes are forced to work overtime. The contrast between the dark print in your book against the lightness of the paper isn’t as stark as it would be if you were reading in a well-lit room. Your eyes have a harder time focusing, which is why most people have to bring a book closer in order to read it in dim light. This can cause muscle fatigue in your eyes, headaches and nausea. However these symptoms are temporary and will not damage your vision in the long run.

I win this one, mom!

–Magdalena

Do you have a medical myth you would like busted? Comment and tell us!

Share this post!

A good friend of mine was devastated when he found out he had juvenile diabetes at the age of 14. He was an athlete, and was worried the illness would prevent him from being able to participate in football, track and field.

It was discovered after he’d had a frightening fainting episode just after a state football tournament. With the support from his parents and health care professionals, his fears were soon allayed. Along with insulin shots, a proper well-balanced diet helped him to manage his glucose levels, and remain a successful high-school athletic career.

What is Diabetes Type 1?

Diabetes is the term for high blood glucose (blood sugar). In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, the hormone that helps glucose get into the cells to make energy, so too much glucose stays in the blood. This is the result of an autoimmune process in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas.

High glucose can potentially cause serious problems with the heart, eyes, kidneys, gums and teeth. A blood test will determine if a child has diabetes. If he/she does, the child will be insulin dependent for the rest of his life.

Causes

The cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, it is believed that people may inherit a tendency to develop diabetes, and that outside triggers may be involved.

Signs and Symptoms

Warning signs for type 1 diabetes can come on suddenly or gradually, so it’s important to know the symptoms—they may save your child’s life. If your child shows one or more signs of type 1 diabetes, contact a physician immediately.
• Unquenchable or excessive thirst
• Frequent urination
• Sudden vision changes
• Sugar in urine
• Sweet or fruity smelling breath
• Increased appetite
• Sudden weight loss despite a healthy appetite
• Drowsiness or lethargy
• Labored or heavy breathing
• Stupor or unconsciousness

Treatment

After your child has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, there are some things he/she will need to do to keep glucose levels as regular as possible.
• Check blood sugar levels many times a day
• Take insulin shots or injections daily
• Eat a healthy well-balanced diet, paying special attention to the amount of sugars and starches in the food eaten, and the timing of their meals
• Exercise regularly to help control blood sugar levels and to help avoid some possible long-term health problems like heart disease that can be caused by diabetes
• Work closely with your physician and other health care professionals to achieve and maintain the best possible control of the diabetes to help avoid any complications or other health problems commonly found in children with diabetes

-Anne

Do you have any home remedies for Juvenile Diabetes? Comment and share them with us!

Share this post!

If you wake up with itchy, irritated, pasted shut eyes, you may have pink eye. Pink eye spreads as fast as the latest Hollywood gossip, and is dreaded by parents, teachers, and child care professionals alike. The good news is the worst of the symptoms only lasts for approximately 2-4 days. Comfort becomes the main objective for the afflicted individual and his/her care givers.

Causes

Conjunctivitis or pink eye is caused by allergens, a viral or bacterial infection. Both the viral and bacterial strains are highly contagious, may affect one or both eyes, and are associated with the common cold. The most common cause of pink eye is viral. Children and adults alike are susceptible to pink eye, but bacterial conjunctivitis is more common in children than adults. The result of pink eye in infants may be due to an incompletely opened tear duct.

Signs and Symptoms

Whatever the cause of the conjunctivitis, the symptoms are the same. If the cause is from a virus, the discharge may be clear, whereas the result from the bacterial strain may cause a thick yellow discharge. The symptoms include:
• Redness in one or both eyes
• Itchiness in one or both eyes
• Blurred vision and sensitivity to light
• A gritty feeling in one or both eyes
• A discharge in one or both eyes that forms a crust during the night
• Tearing or watering of the eyes

Treatment

• Wash Hands. Because the infection is so contagious, it is imperative that you wash your hands often and thoroughly throughout the day, especially after direct contact with the affected eye such as scratching or rubbing your eye. This will aid in preventing the spread of pink eye.
• Apply steeped tea bag onto eye to soothe. Herbal teas contain natural antibodies and aid in healing.
• Use boric acid rinse (can be found in soft contact saline solution).
• Apply hot compresses several times a day.
• Rinse with jasmine water solution:
Fill a pint sized jar to the lip with distilled water.
Add 7-10 jasmine flowers.
Cover with a clean lid or saucer, and let sit overnight.
Drop solution into the eyes with a flower to rinse and soothe-great for yellow discharge.
• Add Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) by drops to distilled water, and apply with cotton balls.
• Calendula is a natural antiseptic, and will help clear conjunctivitis due to allergens. Use as a compress and eye wash.
• Breast milk contains natural antibodies that fight the infection. Seems a little strange I know, but it’s proven to work especially in infants and children, and is safe and natural.

-Anne

Do you have any home remedies for Pink Eye? Comment and share them with us!

Share this post!