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Dry eyes and conjunctivitis
My doctor tells me I am suffering from dry eyes and that this is the reason I have been prone to repeated bouts of conjunctivitis. I don’t want to have to keep using unpleasant eye drops and creams so can you suggest an alternative?
Dry eyes are the result of a faulty mechanism whereby the tear ducts do not produce enough lubrication to keep the eyes moist. The symptoms include itching and burning. Vitamin A will help - but buy a formulation such as Macuvite, made specifically to restore eye health. It contains eye-protecting lutein and zeaxanthin and is available from the NutriCentre (0800-587 2290; where 30 vegetarian capsules cost £17.99).
To tackle the conjunctivitis infection, it is not vitamin A but vitamin D that you need. In a small-scale trial, 41 patients suffering from this condition were given 50,000 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D for seven days at the end of which 29 reported a complete recovery, 11 said symptoms had improved markedly and only one sufferer reported no change.
When you have an infection, a decoction of two herbs, eyebright and goldenseal, will also help. To make a decoction, you simply boil the powdered, dried herbs in water for two minutes, turn down the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes. Cool, strain and you have your herbal eyewash. (Goldenseal, which is a potent antibacterial agent, will stain anything it touches bright yellow so handle with care and watch for splashes when you use it.)