Top Natural Remedies for Dry Eyes - Internal and External Applications

Coconut Oil

3 User Reviews
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4 star (1) 
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1 star (1) 
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Posted by Cat (Lax, Ca) on 11/13/2010
★★★★★

Another cure for dry eyes. I was telling someone recently about how many supplements I take for dry eyes, they felt like that was way too many supplements. Well it was suggested that I stop all of it and just try taking 5- 8 teaspoons of Organic virgin Coconut Oil throughout the day. Well I decided I would try it because I really do not want to take so many supplements. I cannot believe it but it really works! Plus it made whites of eyes super white and my skin feels super soft too I also decreased my caloric intake to make sure I did not gain weight, but I think Organic Virgin Coconut oil kills your appetite because I've lost a couple pounds.

Replied by Eugene
(Moscow, Russia)
11/23/2010

Hi Cat, did you have conjunctivitis or pink eye before taking Coconut oil? I'm struggling with pink eye because of demodex mites in my lashes (very hard to get rid of) so I got mild blepharitis, conjunctivitis and dry eye. Had this for about 3 years now. If that coconut old made your whites look better - I need that stuff too! I've started taking sea-buckthorn oil 1 tbsp 2x but no visible change after about a week. I also put a homemade 20% tea tree oil ointment based on petroleum jelly castor oil sea-buckthorn oil. Still get very pink eye in the morning probably because of inflammation from the ointment. It gets a bit better during the day though. Any advice appreciated.

Replied by Kenneth
(Illinois, US)
02/01/2015

If you use eye drops. You can put one drop of coconut water in each eye then drink the rest. They do this to remove cataracts. I have used it myself and it did not hurt.

Replied by Kenneth
(Illinois, US)
02/01/2015

I just found this article about using coconut oil in eyes. http://www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=1731265

Replied by C.
(Charlotte, NC)
03/15/2015
★★★★☆

My eyes are dry, especially my right eye. I wear contacts as well as glasses. (Mostly contacts, extended wear.) My eye doc once asked me if I sleep with my eyes open. I asked why and she mentioned something about dry eyes. That was years ago.

I had read about coconut oil being used in the eyes for parasites and even though my condition was different, I felt like it wouldn't hurt to put coconut oil in my own eyes. I did some research and decided to go ahead. I opened a fresh jar of coconut oil (organic unrefined), washed my hands, removed my lenses, got a clean spoon, and scooped out a tiny bit with the tip of the spoon.

Coconut oil melts pretty much as soon as it hits skin so I thought it should melt quickly in my eye as well. (I keep my unopened jars of coconut oil on the floor in my office so the oil is usually more on the solid side.)

I went into the bathroom (better lighting though I didn't really need to see anything) and held my head back. Then I realized I didn't want to put the spoon in my eye so I put a little oil on the tip of my clean finger. I kind of swiped my finger in my eye just enough to get the oil in without actually touching my eye with my finger. It felt soothing then it burned a tiny bit. Not in a bad way, much the same as when I use my saline to flush my eyes when they feel dirty or gritty after returning home from being out all day.

I used a cotton swab to swipe lightly across my eyeball, in an effort to remove any dirt or debris that might be present. Then I added more oil and rolled my eyeball back and forth a few times, to make sure it got under my eyelid, etc. After a while, it felt really good. Then I did the other eye.

The downside was that the oil left a film on my eyes, which meant I had to wear my glasses so I didn't get the oil on my contact lenses. I didn't know how long it would take for the film to subside but I knew I didn't want to oil up my lenses. Luckily I didn't have to go anywhere the next day.

Since then, I do it whenever I need to soothe my eyes, when they get red or feel too irritated from my contacts. I always try for a time when I'll be able to wear my glasses for at least 24 hours.

I still have dry eyes but when I use the coconut oil, it is very soothing. I'm not sure if using the oil more often would eventually "cure" me of dry eyes. Maybe if I didn't rely so much on my contact lenses.

Replied by Veronica
(Ohio)
06/04/2015

I have been putting virgin olive oil around my eyes so some seeps in and my eyes feel great. I would love to put some directly into my eyes. Do you know how to sterilize the oil?

Replied by Susan
(California)
06/04/2015

Don't use olive oil. Use castor oil.


Coconut Oil and Coconut Milk

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Lilypad (Australia) on 11/30/2015
★★★★★

Dry Eyes:

For those of you whose eyes are too sensitive to agree with anything (eg. castor oil), I highly recommend using coconut oil and coconut milk internally. I had very bad dry eyes for 3 nights, could not open my eyes when I woke up and stressing about the long term pain made it even worse. Also trying everything from OTC to natural remedies in my eyes all made them worse. I decided to eat coconut oil and drink coconut milk and eat a lot really healthy food, have faith in my body's natural healing and plenty of sleep for 2 days and my eyes have gone back to pretty much normal. Your body has a natural healing power with the right fuel and you need to have faith in it, too.

Good luck!


Cod Liver Oil

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Posted by Suzeaa (Nashua, Nh) on 07/04/2012
★★★★★

I have both Sjogrens and lupus, and my eyes were so dry I could barely open them. They were also so sensitive to light it was dangerous to drive. I work with a computer all day, and that certainly doesn't help. My eye doctor suggested Restasis, but I wanted to try a more holistic approach. OTC eye drops only worked for a short time, and made my vision blurry for 30 minutes after.

So I came here and read about using Castor Oil on the lids at night. Well, I didn't have any Castor Oil but I did have a high quality Cod Liver oil, so I opened a gel cap and spread the oil on my eyelids (and my dry elbows) before bed time to give it a try. The very next morning my eyes felt soooo much better! WOW! And it lasts all day. I didn't even need the eye drops. What a Godsend! I skipped a night the other day and my eyes felt much drier that day, so now I don't skip a night. Been doing it for two weeks now, and feel so much better, and my eyes aren't red anymore, either. Thank you!!!

Replied by Joy
(San Diego, Ca)
04/28/2013

Interesting post about Cod Liver OIL eithier you have a omega 3 defieciency or you are on the borderline or have anemia, because liver is recommended for iron deficiencies, and thyroid deficiencies can cause dry eyes even if your thyroid is on the verge of being low according to my ND you may very well be having and showing all effects of low thyroid! Anyhow the MD felt the high grade fish oils results are better and more effective.


Cyclosporine

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Posted by Enzo (Fl) on 10/06/2020 5 posts
★★★★★

I suffer with chronic dry eye syndrome and was told I had to use restasis. Unfortunately I couldn't afford the price tag of nearly $600 per 3ml bottle. I found the generic form in India called cyclosporine (same ingredients as Restasis) for $10. It's sold on reliableRX

Replied by Idot13
(Co. Dublin)
10/07/2020

Try garlic and salt. Just put a slice of garlic in boiling water. When cool, just an ounce, and let it soak for a while then add a tiny pinch of salt to it.

If you have no other way of using it ,put it in a little plastics bottle and bathe the eye in it. After a while it should work.


Dietary Changes

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Posted by Susie B. (Grand Prairie, Texas) on 03/09/2018
★★★★★

Dry Eyes:

I went to doctors, used Restasis, gentle. Nothing helped. Even made worse. Started researching. Found lady doc in Internet.

Said NO SUGAR AT ALL AND DRINK LOTS OF BOTTLED WATER.

FOR MONTHS I WAS IN PAIN AND MISEREABLE. IN 3 DAYS MY EYES CLEARED UP. NO MORE DRYNESS, WATERY EYES BURNING OR ITCHING.

I am legally blind and my vision has even improved.

No more drugs, drops or health aids, only healthy habits water and No sugar, no sugar has helped in other ways as well and losing weight.

Replied by Rsw
(Oh)
03/10/2018

Susie,

I had a question about your advice, which could be helpful to many of us with dry eyes. When you say no sugar, do you mean just sugar or do you mean all carbs, such as flour, grains, bread, bananas, rice, etc? Thank you for any clarification.


Dietary Changes +

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Posted by Annie (MA) on 01/16/2023
★★★★★

I have dry eyes but giving up coffee which quite a few of EC readers recommend would be hard for me! So I cold brew it overnight using dark roast beans which are less acidic than light roast. Cold-brewed coffee is less acidic than regular. I limit coffee to about 4 oz / day because it's so dehydrating. Also, most days I eat a handful of raw pumpkin seeds, which are very alkaline. While I still have some dry eye and dry mouth at night only, a humidifier has helped somewhat.

Since thyroid medication for low thyroid can also cause dryness, especially if you're an elder, and since coffee and most herbs are dehydrating (some herbs more than others), hydrating foods like cucumbers and watermelons can help. When my eyes were at their worst, I put cucumber slices on my closed eyelids for about 20 minutes several times a day and on the first day there was real improvement.

On the second and third day I also ate half a cucumber and continued with the slices. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), hot and dry is associated with yang and cold and damp with yin. Not only is apartment air mostly too hot and dry in winter, chemicals in our air and water are very drying. Dry eye is an inflammatory condition with redness, heat and not enough yin fluids. So "strengthening yin" is recommended for convalescing, chronically ill or frail people. Some foods that strengthen yin are cooked string beans and beets, many whole grains, sardines, eggs, seaweed, and certain beans. Eyes are considered skin and in TCM skin conditions are linked to the liver.

Also associated with the liver are irritability and anger-- hot emotions. They resolve when the liver energy is flowing. Liver thrives on movement and dance---even moving in place when cooped up inside! Reading on EC that aloe can cure dry eye makes sense to me from a TCM perspective: aloe is cooling and mercifully soothing for inflammation, burns and severe itching. I don't use liquid aloe b/c all brands preserve it with citric acid, which I can't tolerate. So I keep aloe plants and snip off a small bit of branch when needed. I'm grateful to this plant!


Electrolytes

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Posted by Eva (St. Louis) on 09/08/2016
★★★★★

Magnesium, potassium etc. are electrolytes. Dry eye is a symptom of hyperosmolarity, or low water=high salt, probably from evaporation of tear water and hence loss of electrolytes. So you are replacing them orally. Thera tears for contact lenses has electrolytes in it. Am using a drop, mother Oasis Tears Plus, one drop....has a lubricant and hyaluronic acid which attracts and holds water. This has worked.

I believe hyperosmolarity, and loss of electrolytes with Dry Eye mirrors what goes on in the lens that creates Cataracts. Can't figure out how to get the same cure to the lens. Suggestions?


Eliminating Wheat

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Posted by Ira (Rijswijk, The Netherlands) on 07/14/2012
★★★★★

Dear all, I suffered 3 years from dry eyes and I've tried everything: doctors, fish oil, flaxseed oil. The fish oil and flaxseed oil reduced the dry eyes, but I had to take 4 capsulas daily. I also suffered from puffy eyes with dark circles and somewhere else on this site I found that dark circles could be caused by eating bread (wheat, gluten). It was advised to stop eating wheat. I stopped eating bread and within 1 week my puffy eyes were gone, but also my dry, gritty eyes!

Now, when I exceptionally eat a bread roll, immediately my eyes start to itch and get red, so it is very clear for me that it is caused by eating wheat, because of the gluten. Many people have a gluten intolerance which they don't know.

If you've tried everything, try to stop eating wheat.

Goodluck!


Evening Primrose Oil

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Posted by Lew (Kansas) on 04/07/2023
★★★★★

Betty, I have found Evening Primrose Oil to be very effective at relieving my dry eyes issue. I originally tried it for anti inflammatory benefit, but discovered that it fixed my problem with dry eyes. It was effective within a very short period of time, about 3 days I believe. I take one softgel a day that contains 1300mg Evening Primrose Oil, and of that, 120mg is GLA. It's an inexpensive remedy for dry eyes. I buy one bottle about every 4 months. Hope this helps.


Evening Primrose Oil, Vitamin E

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Posted by Katherine (Cincinatti) on 05/31/2018
★★★★★

I take evening primrose oil AND vitamin E oil since going through menopause to treat very dry eyes. The combo is very effective. I take 1 capsule of vitamin e in the morning and 1 capsule of EPO, morning and evening. Hope this helps


Eye Exercises

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Posted by Nature (Portland, Maine) on 12/06/2009
★★★★★

Regarding dry eye, I have used the honey, vineger and grape juice treatment and it has helped, no particular proportions. I find that when I eat seafood I do not suffer as much from dry eye. In addition, when I wake up with dry eye I do not open my eyes immediately. Instead I palm, meaning I cover both eyes with my hands cupped so I do not put pressure on my eyes. Then I continue to palm( read the Bates Method for improving vision) Soon I can open my eyes without pain. During the day I palm as much as possible. The other thing that helps is to blink frequently which lubricates the eyes. (also Bates) I do exaggerated blinking before I go to sleep, maybe thirty at a time a few times at least. I try to blink more during the day also. Is it possible that our low fat diets along with staring at the computer has caused much of this dry eye? Perhaps that is why the fish oil is noted as a help. Hard to know which of the above helps the most.


Fenugreek

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Posted by Ken (Santa Barbara, California) on 06/04/2012
★★★★★

Dry Eyes: An infusion of 1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seed soaked in half a cup of boiled water till the water is tepid and then two or three drops every four hours or so remedied the problem. Make a new batch each day and don't use the drops within an hour of going to sleep.


Fish Oil

Posted by Wayne (Andrews, IN) on 08/14/2014

My eyes were becoming dry to the point a blister appeared on my eye. My wife suggested seeing the eye doctor, grudgingly I agreed. The Doctor asked me if I had arthritis and I told him my shoulder hurt and to raise my arm over my head was difficult. He informed me that the material in my shoulder was similar to the makeup of my tear glands and my immune system was attacking both.

He brought out a couple packets of flaxseed oil and told me this might help. Well I was already taking 3 tablespoons of flaxseed oil and 3 tablespoons of codliver oil a day. I decided to take 20 tablespoons of codliver oil a day because he reinforced my initial efforts and I thought this was the proper course. I thank god to say my eyes started watering and my shoulder quit hurting.

I eventually changed to sardine and anchovy fish oil capsules because they were cheaper ($5.00 for 150 capsules). The dose of 40 capsules a day. Each capsule contains EPA 180 mg and DHA 120 mg. The capsules didn't agree with me for some reason so I would chew the capsules and spit them out. There is no fishy taste for me I have been doing this for several years now with consistently good results. I have tried reducing the dose but 40 a day works for me. You need to experiment to find the proper dose.

If you talk to people who grew up in the 1930s and 1940s they were given codliver oil everyday by their parents. Obviously the parents knew of the benefits or were simply carrying on tradition but their children ended the tradition not realizing the benefits afforded them because they were ignorant and or the taste wasn't pleasant.

Replied by Om
(Hope, Bc Canada)
08/14/2014

..and fish products are not radio active??

Namaste, Om

Replied by Timh
(KY, US)
08/15/2014
2063 posts

@Wayne: Good to hear of your success.

If I might add, the dosage of omega 3 EFA you are taking seems very high which would indicate something more needs addressing like inflammation and immunity. Some general detoxes & cleanses would help.

For the moment, to protect & enhance the precious Fish Oils add Selenium and Mixed Tocopherols Vit-E. Also, in cases of severe inflammation when EPA's are insufficient, add the much more powerful esterified EPA Celedrin. Adding these nutrients should reduce the fish oil dosage.


Fish or Flax Seed Oil

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Posted by Ulla (Baltimore, Md) on 07/18/2017
★★★★★

I take Omega 3 oil for my chronic dry eye syndrome.

My eye doctor wanted to put me on Restasis and also maybe put plugs in my tear ducts. I went home and did a research on the net. In Sweden (where I'm from originally) there was clinical studies done proving the O3 oil does work. I had some at home, but stopped taking it as I didn't like the fishy taste. I found someone who suggested to take them just before going to bed. I did and the next morning was such a change!!! So, now I do this every night! I do still have to watch what I eat to avoid too acidic food as that has an effect.


Fish or Flax Seed Oil
Posted by Chickenlittle (Seattle, Wa) on 01/10/2013

DRY EYES: I have suffered with Dry eye for many years. Seen many top notch opthamogist one suggested [...] a steroid which decreases inflammation. Inflammation? That was a news to me. I researched and found that studies in Brazil using organic flax seed oil decrease of inflammation, decrease of intraocular pressure, it causes the release of fluids which is healing of dry eye.



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