Top Natural Remedies for Dry Eyes - Internal and External Applications

I've discovered that my dry eyes are hardly dry at all when I wake up in the morning as long as I eat Raw Sauerkraut. It has to be the Raw Sauerkraut form, not the regular kind you but at the supermarket. That kind can increase yeast, the raw kind actually helps to kill yeast. Raw Sauerkraut can be bought at health food stores and farms.

Elodie (Melbourne) dear Elodie, read up on Palma Christie which is a website on Edgar Cayce's healing remedies. Use it just to improve dry eyes and eyesight. My two dogs who are older have dry eyes. One of them has now shiny eyes and with time it will reverse cataracts or at least stop progression. On EC people have reversed cataracts but that takes about three years sometimes. Five days on, two days off. I also read that it favours eyelash lengthening. Put on the eyes it helps with deep sleep. Cold pressed castor oil is very good for aging skin and many conditions that is why it is called Palma Christi. Namaste Om

Hi Elodie, Diet has a lot to do with the problem of dry eyes. To make a very long story short of my experiences and what I have learned, spinach is the answer, but not raw. The best is the canned, without salt. That opposes what the majority are pushing but I used to wear contacts and eating that spinach helped promote the lubricant tears in my eyes. At the same time I was in the process of learning about hidden sources of MSG so I had been weeding those out of my diet too. The flowing agent in table salt is one. I use sea salt. Hope this helps you.

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.

I found a mouthguard for just a couple of dollars at a sports store that you boil to soften and then bite to make a custom fit.

Hi Miracles from Santa Monica - I am one of the posters who recommended organic castor oil for dry eyes. I, too, wear contact lenses and, because of the oil residue left in the morning, I have to use an eye wash to get rid of it. It's a small price to pay, though. I wasn't able to wear contacts for over a year because of the dryness - now, no problem. I've only come across one actual eye wash (not eye drops) here in Canada (O----x) but I'm sure you have more options where you live. I'm glad the castor oil worked for you! Cheers, Bess

Buy heritage organic, hexene free castor oil in a glass bottle, 20 bucks for 16 ounces. then buy an empty glass dropper. This will last you 6 months or more. Keep the castor oil in your refrigerator, it keeps for a very long time. you can order both glass droppers and Heritage on line or I can order it at our local health food store, Natural Grocers. Castor oil has many beneficial applications. Buying your products in glass and keeping them in glass is preferred.

You can buy a dropper separately. That's what I did. Most of the big chain pharmacies have them in the eye care section.

I've been using castor oil on my eyes for a while now. Really seems to help the lashes and the itchiness which I used to blame on allergies but now I realize is probably blepharitis/MGD. My opth confirmed that I have Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and am producing "sticky oil" that does not provide a good tear film. He put collagen plugs in my tear ducts but recommends cauterization?

Castor oil really helps but I am wondering if anyone has any good info on how to solve the MGD? I am not even 40 yet and I thought this was something you only got with menopause :( Any advice?

Castor oil sounds wonderful for cataract and macular degeneration which I have along with dry eyes. How can I safely sterilize the amber glass bottles with eye dropper so I can put the castor oil drops into my eyes?

I see two different amounts of water and baking soda:

1/3 teaspoon in 1/2 cup of water in your first post, then

1/4 teaspoon in 1 cup of water in a follow-up post.

Am curious which one is preferable. Thanks.

I was just diagnosed with Recurrant Cornal Erosion. I had an abrasion about a year ago that has never seemed to heal. When I was finally diagnosed (after multiple doctor visit to several doctors) I was told that I would probably need daily drops and nightly ointment for the rest of my life. While I am willing to spend the money, if it means I don't have the intense, stabbing pain of continually ripping up my cornia, I would do it. But I am so glad to see there is a more economical remedy - and one that is natural! I can't wait to try it! THANK YOU!

It's rose water that is most effective for eyes, not castor oil. It not only soothes eyes but relieve you of any pain.

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!!!

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.

The research showed that castor oil caused Cytotoxicity which means is the quality of being toxic to cells and that other oils such as olive oil should be used in eye ointments. This is odd because at the ND told me to used castor oil pack on my abdomen for a small surgical scar so my thought is maybe on the skin but not safe for eyes.

Castor oil didn't work for my dry eyes. I tried it a few times, with different kinds of Castor Oil bought in health food shops but I woke up with swollen red eyes every time. I didn't use a droper as I didn't have one, I just put it around my eyes and let it run in a bit. But my eyes are better though although I am now living in an incredibly dry apartment (the Swiss give a new meaning to insulation.... ). I follow the advice I saw here of using more grape seed oil in my cooking and occasionally also drink a bit. I now sleep most nights without the use of a cream whether before I would wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning with very gritty eyes.

I also stopped drinking too much water and the sense of dryness in my mouth, especially at night also disappeared. I am not thirsty during the day anymore either. The more I drank the more I seemed to need to drink, not a good thing! And after years of getting up during the night to go to the bathroom although I am now older I hardly ever do that anymore!

I guess that the bottom line is: listen to your body!

Hi, great news.... But I have to say that I used grape seed oil for a while a little while ago and I didn't notice any difference. I started using it after buying a very interesting book with information about grapes: treatments, beauty, cooking, etc. I use it on my face as well with a few drops of geranium essential oil as it seems to prevent or to fade brown spots. But now I will buy a new bottle and use in the kitchen for a while to see what happens to my dry eyes. I am 54 and doctors also tell me that it is connected to my age, something I don't accept so I keep on trying to find answers and solutions! My eyes get very dry during the night and also a bit during the day if I have my contact lenses on. Never had a problem till this started all of a sudden when I was 53 (only maybe a couple of days a year when it was very hot, other than that never! ).

I've suffered from severe dry eyes, red, itchy, gritty eyes for years and I tried everything. I always had natural eye drops on my nightstand and throughout the night I'd have to wake up to put drops in my eyes. I had tried vitamin E and beta- carotene before but it didn't work. Well one day my husband bought Natural Vitamin E with tocopherols soft gels from GNC So before I went to bed I took four of the vitamin E capsules which total of 1600 IU and I took three soft gel natural vitamin A 8000 IU which would be 24000 IU and I put vaseline on my eye lids and around my eyes it is soothing, but of course I do not put it my eyes. By day three my dry, red, itchy gritty eyes are gone, and the swollen vessel in my eye is also gone! Also what helps is not drinking coffee because it is dehydrating , cut out sugar and flour for some people the eyes may be inflamed and they might try turmeric to reduce inflammation and then look at what your eating that caused inflammation.

I had Lasik and I ended up with dry eyes that made my vision blurry. I kept telling Lasik this and for 3 years they kept brushing it under the carpet and not listening to me. In the end I reported them to Better Business Bureau and they got me a refund on the Lasik procedure. I started a prescription eye drop called MAXITROL which seems to be slowly working but you can only use it for 7 days. I will however start using organic cold pressed castor oil eye drops as I've read so many testimonials at how amazing it is for chronic dry eyes. For those of you who have had Lasik and have been left with chronic dry eyes, report them to Better Business Bureau and request a refund. They will get it for you.

Francisca, like you, I am myopic and of a dry constitution in general. I have found that if I take a lick (on the edge of a wet finger) of 2-3 grains of the Gerande salt every time I drink water, somehow, the water "stays in" and moisturises the body better and I don't have to get up as much at night, and dry areas improve.

Mmsg, thanks for your advice. I have that salt at home. I tried to add salt to all the water I drank after reading Dr. Batman's book on water but I found that it didn't really help. But I am going to try it the way you say. My skin is also getting drier so it is worth trying. I too get up quite a few times at night, especially when I don't sleep well or maybe I don't sleep well because of that!

Mmsg, do you lick the salt before you drink the water or afterwards? I forgot to say that in a new I have just read the author, Christopher Vasey, says that if you suffer from extracellular thirst you should drink water with salt, if it is extracellular thirst without salt. Intracellular thirst is much more common though. If you suffer from extracellular thirst and don't take salt things will get worse because of drinking more water. I feel that this is my case because, although I started adding a bit of salt when I started drinking more water I seemed to get more and more thirsty and my eyes and throat started getting drier, it was rather strange. I almost had the feeling that by drinking more because I thought that it was good for me I deregulated my body making it need water all the time while feeling rather dry all the same. Stilll the author says that if you get thirsty late at night, which is my case, you have intracellular thirst! Or did it go wrong with me because I had intracellular thirst and started drinking water with a bit of salt? It is a pity he doesn't tell how to recognize both kinds of thirst but I think that the extracellular is when you sweat a lot or urinate a lot, thus because of loss of liquids. Anyway, this is a great book with an awful lot of information: Water Prescription!

Hi, Francisca, I have been using DMSO & MSM drops for my eyes & can even read without glasses now & my eyes do not pain anymore.

Bonjour Francisca! Your first question on aloe vera, yes, use the kind you drink... A high quality one. The ones you drink that barely taske like aloe would not do much good. Also, having spent a little time lately in southern France, I think I could do well in eating without consuming too much tomato products. Now it might be a different story if you were Italian! But really you can eat about what you want IF you precede the meal with a half/or whole teaspoon of baking soda. Alkalize first, and then eat what you want. But if you do not, and you eat a highly acidic meal (red meat, sugars, hot peppers, tomatoes etc) and then later try to counter the effect with baking soda or alkalized water, then the "base" is trying to catch up with the acid already in the body.

Some other folks who wrote after you recommended various oils for the eyes; one recommended DMSO and MSM. This question to the three or four who wrote to Francisca: Are you applying the oils you recommend on the eye lid or onto the eye ball itself? Especially I'd like to know for the one who uses DMSO and MSM... How do you apply? And in what dose? I use DMSO a LOT for various needs, especially as a solvent/carrier to transport colloidal silver under the skin and into a targeted area where there may be an infection. I use the DMSO to transport Colloidal Silver. For instance, I use it to combat shingles; Bells Palsy. (See my posts on those two. ) But I've never heard of using DMSO directly on the eye and frankly I'd be afraid to do it. Please explain in detail specifics. (Number of drops in relation to MSM; frequency etc.)

Lastly, Francisca, not knowing anything about you, but if someone asked me what to do for a general dry skin condition, I'd first suggest a few hot baths infused with Epsom Salts... Magnesium cloride. Try dissolving two cups in hot water on stove. Then pour in tub of water and soak for fifteen minutes. Some dry skin is the result of a lack of magnesium.

Try that every other day for a total of three baths. The magnesium absorbs into the skin and body. This soaking should give you a sense of calm and well being if you indeed need the mineral. Another effect; getting sufficient quantities of magnesium and potassium allows you eat your food with salt (sea salt, of course). I recommend you shower off the salt residue on your body after the soaking bath.

Hi David, thanks for all the information! Although I am not an Italian (I am Portuguese) life without tomatos wouldn't be the same! When you talk about the bicarbonate I suppose you mean dissolved in water? I will try! As far as magnesium Chloride we have Nigari here in France, no Epsom salts. I can take a bath and also drink a bit (not too much because of the awful taste and the diarrhea). I will shower after the bath then.

Actually I now have a theory where my dry eyes and throat (mouth) during the night could come from. In November last year I had a tooth implant done in Switzerland, in what seemed to be a high tech clinic. My problems started around that time, could that be related? I hope someone on this site will maybe have heard of something similar. It happens that my best friend, who has just turned 89 has been having a lot of problems with bridges put in the same clinic and she heard on the German TV that many times nowadays dentists use bad quality metal from China. I also read something similar in a book I have where the author says that the metal used in the implants can cause a lot of health problems. I am now trying to talk to the surgeon but so far he hasn't called me back. My fear is that even if he knows that the problems can be caused by the implant he will never tell me. Actually, I don't even see why he would.... He got a lot of money for it (it was so very expensive.... ) and he won't want any trouble! In the meanwhile I have problems sleeping, even with cream in my eyes I wake up with gritty eyes, have problems with my contact lenses, keep drinking water all night and fear for the health of my eyes and my teeth! I feel utterly miserable.........

I read a while ago about Manuka Honey in the eyes. So far I haven't dared to try but maybe I will! I am desperate! Coconut oil and Castor oil didn't work for me. As you say that some people left more suggestions for me I will have a look as I have been away for a few days.

Definitely avoid coffee, however I do find that camomile tea works amazing to fix dry eyes.

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.

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

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?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M23E30mqG0Y&ab_channel=ChrisSavage

This guy seems honest and genuine! He recommends DMSO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XEt0n6LPrk&ab_channel=Clintclinton

Dr. Stanley Jacob recommended it for a wide range of health conditions.

Im so glad to hear that you have found relief using the castor oil! Made my day :)

Do you need to refrigerate the castor oil after opening?

Dry Mouth & Dry Eyes Help

My problems with dry mouth started when I began taking an anti depressant. It only affected me when I would lie down to sleep. The dryness was so bad that it was seriously interfering with my sleep. I do not like the idea of taking things with sugar, sugar substitutes or any kinds of chemicals and putting them into my mouth to stop the dryness, tho when I did give in and try some OTC products, they didn't help much. What has helped dramatically with dry mouth has been fennel seed, organic. Right before bed I take about 1/2 tsp. and chew it a little to soften it, then use my tongue to tuck the seeds under my upper & lower lip, between there & the teeth. The flavonoids in the fennel causes me to salivate, but not to a bothersome extent. Sometimes the little seeds fall down onto my tongue at night, but that doesn't hurt anything & I never have come close to choking. Works every time!

For dry eyes, I noticed one commercial product had castor oil in it, & some kind of chemical. Every night before I got to bed I wet my finger with castor oil, not so that it is dripping wet. Then I rub the inner side of the lower lids with the oil, close my eyes & roll my eyes around. It helps a ton!

Hien from Houston posted the remedy: "5 parts of water, 2 parts of honey and 1 part of apple cider vinegar." I also want to know, do you put this in your eye or swallow it? Please advise as my 7 yr old is suffering from dry red eyes. It wouldn't hurt to take both orally & eye wash but just wondering.

I have chronic dry eye- it really stinks. I seem to have itchy eyes all the time, discharge when I wake up, and wearing my contacts all day is near impossible. I'm pretty sure wearing contacts for the last 10 years has done a number on my eyes and the lubrication. To help calm to itchiness I wash my eyes with a tiny bit of baby shampoo in the shower each day. Oil pulling also helps keep my eyes more lubricated so that my contacts don't get cloudy and stuff.. It seems to be helping so far- I'm about 3 days in. Try it!

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.

I have had very dry eyes for the past couple of months. Also, have cataracts. Recently went to a doctor who has asked me to use Systane Ultra and Ocumed Plus eye drops during the day and VIscoear gel at night for dry eyes. Used them for a couple of days. Then I started using organic castor oil 1 drop in each eye 10 days ago. I read someone comment somewhere that we should not use pharmacy drops and castor oil drops on the same day (even with many hours gap), so stopped using the Obama drops and gel. But my eyes are quite dry and don't know whether castor oil is helping with the cataract or not.

Just curious, has anyone used pharmacy drops during the day and castor oil at night? Is it ok to put all these in the eyes on the same day with a few hours gap? I can skip the Visco tear gel.

Hello everyone. I would greatly appreciate a response from anyone who has tried pharmaceutical eye drops during the day and pure castor oil drop at night in the eye - want to know whether it is safe and has no interactions.

.I use about a quarter capful of peroxide in my small diffuser every night for dry mouth/eyes ..helps a lot. With the corona concerns, I feel it won't hurt

My dry eyes are feeling so much better of late. As my vegetable garden is coming in, I decided to take Dr. Wahls' advice, which is to get my nutrients from food. I have stopped taking supplements completely. Without a lot of experimenting, I have no way of knowing which pill was causing the extreme dryness, but if I ever resume supplements, I will start them slowly and more thoughtfully. I also wanted to add that my eyes always have felt great when I'm gardening, and I think it is because I bend over quite a lot. I can see how Sasha (April 28, 2019) below got her eye relief from an inversion table.

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.

For eye dryness use Acacia honey

I tried virgin coconut oil and my cholesterol shot way up. Bad idea, and it didn't help my dry eyes. :(

We see a lot of people with dry eye. Recently, we have had a number of client start using a manuka honey drops for dry eye that is caused by inflamed eyelids. This is known as meibomian gland dysfunction of posterior blepharitis.

In the drop form it is dosed 4 times per day and in the ointment form once or twice per day. People report that its stings a bit especially the ointment.

People find that it helps and when we look at their eye lids they do look a little less inflamed. We have more information on our blog http://www.drwetperth.com/optimel/. I won't mention the product name, we don't sell it but the drops are widely available in pharmacies. The ointment is only sold through certain optometrists.

I recently started using castor oil (at bedtime) for my dry eyes. Has anyone found that the castor oil "burns" their eyes? It is uncomfortable and causes my vision to be blurry.

How much silver hydrosol do u use? Is it safe to use it everyday? I have been using it 3 times a day but I am not sure if I can continue....it helps my dry eyes thou.

Which kind if castor oil did you use, can you please specify, or send a picture of it, and how do you use it. I HAVE SEVERE DRYNESS, AND VERY DESPERATE. And like you I tried all kinds of eye drops and been to so many doctors, no improvement. Please help.
Lina, thank you

Hi Rhonda,

Do you make your own alkaline water or is it something you buy? I have tried Dave's baking soda and water on the eyelids, which is helpful, but are you saying you put it into your eyes? Thank you for recipe or brand name. I have Sjogren's and would appreciate some relief.

What are alkaline water eyedrops and how did you get them or make them?

We need to specify which component on vitamin C addresses a specific health condition since there are many vitamin C supplements that are very narrow in their active forms.

Someone will say that vitamin C works for this or that condition. Another person may try vitamin C and it doesn't work. But we wouldn't be able to know if the vitamin C was the same complex.

Or maybe we need to start saying "Vitamin C Complex" instead of just "vitamin C".

As Bill pointed out - Vitamin C is not ascorbic Acid.

Priorus,

The Vitamin C I take is a complex, but it says that the C portion is ascorbic acid. It also has Rutin and lemon bioflavanoid complex. Is this C complex worth taking, or would I be better off with something else? Thanks!

P.S. I'm taking it hoping for some joint pain relief. My immune system is pretty strong; I go years without a cold, so unlike many people, I'm not taking it for immune support.

Thanks for posting all that.