Faulty tear glands may not be something you think about until you experience the aching, itching and stinging that can accompany dry eyes. Dry eyes can be more than a minor burden; serious dryness can lead to abrasions of the cornea and possibly blindness if left untreated.

More than 3.2 million women and 1.6 million men (in the United States) over the age of 50 experience the symptoms of dry eye. For some the experience is occasional, while others must learn to deal with constant dryness.

The causes for dry eyes are varied. They can include decongestants, antihistamines, blood pressure medicine, winter winds, air conditioning and indoor heating. Whatever the cause, there is a variety of natural remedies and preventable measures you can undertake to help your eyes stay moist.

Smoking: Simple…Quit. Smoking has been shown to dry out your eyes. In addition, smoking increases the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

Automobile Air vents: Vents pointed at your face and eyes can quickly drain the moisture in your eyes. Make sure to aim the vents away from your eyes or wear sunglasses for protection.

Omega-3: A recent study out of Japan has found that omega-3 supplementation could help prevent dry-eye syndrome.

Vitamin A: Taking a vitamin A supplement or eating vitamin A rich foods such as salmon or eggs can help keep your eyes moist.

Blink: In the electronic age, many of us spend a good deal of time staring at a computer screen. This can irritate even mild cases of dry eyes. When you are concentrating, you tend not to blink as much. Not blinking as frequently will make eye moisture evaporate rapidly. Ever so often, look away from your computer (or television) and take a blink break. Your eyes will thank you.

Humidify: Low moisture levels can dry your eyes fast. The winter can be especially drying during sleep. If possible, get a humidifier for the areas in which you spend a lot of time.

Your eyes are one of your most prized possessions. Think for a second what life would be like without them. It is important not to take them for granted. I hope the above remedies help, if not or if the problem persists, get to an eye doctor.

Healthy dieting is very important for your eyesight. Vitamin A is the key to solving many eye problems. You will know that you do not get enough vitamin A, if you feel that your night vision is getting worse. You can get beta carotene (your body converts beta carotene into vitamin A) with yellow and orange fruits and vegetables (apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini and carrots) and green vegetables (spinach and cabbage)

Glaucoma is caused by increased eye pressure and is connected with lack of thiamine and vitamin A. It is a very common disease in people older than 40. See your doctor if you experience unclear vision, night blindness and if you see a rainbow around bright light. Try dieting and home remedies only as an addition to treatments prescribed by your doctor. You can get thiamine with meat, chicken, nuts, peas and cereal. Other sources of vitamin A are poultry and eggs.

A cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye. It could be a result of the oxidation process in the lens of the eye. Increase the amount of vitamin C you get with food. Also riboflavin will help with cataracts. You can get it with milk, yeast and whole grains.

People who suffer diabetes can get an edema of the retina which is a reason for losing eyesight in some cases. Vitamin C will help protect your eyes in this case.

You can get redness and sharp pain in your eyes, if you do not get enough B vitamins.

What food is good for your eyes?

Spinach has vitamins B1, B2, C, P, PP, K, E, proteins, carotene, and amino acids. Eating 3 oz of spinach a day prevents the dystrophy of the eye retina. Eat it fresh or steamed with olive oil or sour cream.

Blueberries have vitamins A, C and B, iron, copper, cobalt and manganese.

Eating 3-4 oz of blueberries a day improves blood circulation in the eye retina, increases the sharpness of your vision and prevents cataract of the eye and glaucoma. It also helps to prevent hemorrhoids, stomach ulcers, cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Low fat milk has riboflavin (vitamin B2), calcium and vitamin D. Drinking 2 glasses of low fat milk a day or putting it in cereal helps with your night vision and seeing colors better.

Carrots have beta-carotene, iodine, manganese, iron, calcium and phosphorus.

Eating 1 medium sized carrot a day will support creating and growing new cells and improve your vision. Eat it with vegetable oil or sour cream.

Eggs have protein and lutein. Eating 1 egg a day prevents getting cataracts and protects the eye nerves.

Beef has protein, vitamins B, A, C and PP, potassium, iron and zinc. Eating 6-7 oz of beef will increase your vision sharpness.

Apricots have vitamins B, beta-carotene, vitamins H (biotin), C and E, phosphorus and cellulose. Eating 2-3 dry or fresh apricots a day will keep your eye capillaries healthy.

Beets have phosphorus, sodium, manganese, iodine, vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, E, U, folic acid and carotenoids. Eating 3-4 oz of raw or boiled beets (or drinking beet juice) a day will help with tired eyes and cleanse your blood.

Wild Rose has vitamins C, P, B1, B2, A, K, E, sodium, calcium, manganese, iron and organic acids. Drinking 1 glass of wild rose tea a day will promote durability and elasticity of eye vessels.

Hawthorn has vitamins C, A, B, pectin substances, falconoid and carotenoids.

Drinking 1 glass of hawthorn tea a day (or grind dry fruits and mix the hawthorn flour with honey) will help with nearsightedness and promote healthy blood circulation.

Parsley has calcium, phosphorus, beta carotene, potassium and vitamins C and B. Eating 1-1 1/2 oz of parsley a day will help with cataracts, conjuctivitis, eye cornea ulceration and eye nerve diseases. It will also strengthen your immune system

Take care of your eyes. You will not get another pair.

Natural Remedies for dry eyes

Natural remedy for dry eyes tip 1 - Apply a paste of lemon juice and tomato puree, orange lentil flour (masoor dal ) and turmeric powder (if you are not allergic to it) on under eye dark circles.

Natural remedy for dry eyes tip 2 - Use almond oil on dry skin. It has the potential to soften the skin and also it gives it a lovely sheen. Castor oil sometimes works wonders on very dry skin. Both these oils can be rightly absorbed well and work much better than the commercially available moisturizers. Apply a thin coat twice a day for best results.

Natural remedy for dry eyes tip 3 - Put 2 cotton balls into the warm tea and then? soak them well. When saturated with tea, it place a cotton ball on each eyelid. Leave the tea bags on your dry eyes for about 5 minutes.

Natural remedy for dry eyes tip 4 - Lubricating eye ointments are much more thicker than eye drops and gels because of ointments are so thick,and? they last much longer than eye drops and gels however, because of their thickness, ointments may blur your vision if it used during the day.
Natural remedy for dry eyes tip 5 - The sun and wind in fact can both cause dry eyes. So, if you?re going outside on a sunny or windy day, you should wear proper sunglasses or goggles.

Tip 6 - Take a blink break. At the time Doing close work?typing at a video display terminal, driving, sewing, even watching television?can exacerbate even mild cases of eye dryness, says Dr. Michelson. ?People doing these tasks that require concentration tend to stare and not blink as much.? And when you don?t blink very often, eye moisture evaporates rapidly. So if you?re doing concentrated work and notice dry eyes, look away and take a blink break whenever it possible. Blinking actually helps restore the tear film over your eyes
Dry eyes natural remedies

usually, each time you blink, a thin film of tears spreads across your eyes. But some people, who suffer from these condition known as dry eyes, find that their eyes are not covered by the film of tears.? Not only does this actually mean that these people are unable to cry, they also suffer from some kind of pain in their eyes. Since there is no protective layer across the eyes, these people find that their eyes do burn. Sometimes they experience a stinging sensation in their eyes.?? An additional problem that may also? develop is blurring of the vision.? In some cases people notice that their eyes are more sensitive to light. Dry eyes can be also caused due to a variety of reasons ? from medications like decongestants to an allergic reaction to some products.

Home cures for dry eyes
Under normal circumstances most people blink around 22 times per minute; however people who work at the computer for more prolonged periods tend to blink barely 7 times a minute causing the natural moisture in the eye to evaporate, leading to dry, gritty eyes. Dry eyes can also occur after a LASIK surgery, as a natural consequence of the age or as a symptom/effect of diseases such Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, Asthma, thyroid Disease, Lupus or Glaucoma. Women experience decreased production of tears and dry eyes due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, lactation, menstruation and post-menopause. Other factors such those extremely windy weather, exposure to smoke, air conditioning and even wearing contact lenses can lead to dry eyes.