Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Dry Eye

Chronic dry eyes is very common in many patients. The causes of chronic dry eye is not the topic of this article and a web search will provide you with plenty of advice on dry eye. Just now as I am writing this article between patients, I stopped to see a young 34 year old female and she has dry eye. So I will add these few thoughts about the treatment of patients with dry eye. The first line of treatment is to recommend over the counter artificial tears since there does not seem to be any other eye disease present. I will see her back in a couple of weeks and then we may progress to a prescription eye drop called Restatsis or punctal plugs or eventually both. Usually, more drastic steps are not necessary but even more intervention may be required in the event these measures do not solve the problem. If you personally are struggling with chronic dry eye then a visit to your eye specialist is in order. Now back to the fatty acids found in fish oil supplements. .

I have a chronic left dry eye as a result of surgery over 20 years ago for a tumor called an acoustic neuroma. It left me with a partial paralysis and impaired blink mechanism on the left resulting in dry eye.

Five or six years ago, I began taking Omega 3 Fatty Acid gel tablets or fish oil for health reasons and had no idea that they could be beneficial for my dry eye. There is mounting anecdotal evidence and some studies that suggest that indeed fish oil supplements promote a healthier tear film and benefit dry eye patients by reducing their symptoms. There are now artificial tears on the market that contain fish oils and are marketed specifically for dry eye patients.

My personal experience is that indeed fish oil tablets containing omega 3 fatty acids should be used in any chronic dry eye regimen if there are no contraindications to taking fish oil supplements in a given patient. Again, always consult your eye care professional.

http://www.dryeyezone.com/encyclopedia/theratearsnutrition.html

http://www.dryeyezone.com/encyclopedia/omega3.html

http://dryeyedigest.blogspot.com/

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