Dry eyes
I put up with quite a lot of pain caused by dry eyes which my doctor tells me is incurable. I use drops and ointments, including so-called artificial tears, all to no avail. Please tell me there is something alternative that will work.
Dry eyes or keratoconjunctivitis sicca can be a symptom of other health problems, including rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus. It is most common in adult women who suffer a painful burning sensation as the eye becomes increasingly irritated and since one radical solution is for the eyelids to be partially sewn together to reduce tear evaporation, it makes sense to investigate all alternative leads.
According to Dr Udo Erasmus, one of the world’s leading authority on good and bad dietary fats, dry eyes can be the result of a deficiency in the essential fatty acids which the body cannot make but must get from the diet.
The two most important of these are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fats are found in grains and avocados and most people do get enough in their diet. It is more difficult, though, to eat enough of the Omega-3 fatty acids which you can get from fish oils or, if you are vegetarian - flaxseed, or walnut oil.
The perfect health ratio of these two oils is 5:1 in favour of the Omega-6 fatty acid but since we now eat only a sixth of the amount of Omega-3 that we used to 150 years ago, today’s typical diet provides a ratio closer to 24:1 in favour of Omega-6.
The best way to remedy this is to supplement your diet with a fish oil, or any of the healthy oil mixes on sale in health stores. Buy a good quality one and keep it in the fridge. Remember it will not have been heated to high temperatures to make it last and so try and finish it within eight weeks.