Top Natural Remedies for Dry Eyes - Internal and External Applications

After trying the cures suggested on EC, I had to take the time to report how well they worked. My eyes first started tearing so much, it looked and felt like I was crying. My vision was blurry and the skin around was irritated. Then they started to feel like I had something in them so I went to the eye doctor thinking I had pink eye but the doctor said no and gave me some antibiotic drops since I insisted. They continued to get progressively worse. I started feeling pressure behind my eyes and they became sensitive to light and weren't focusing properly. I went to a different eye doctor who ruled out glaucoma and gave me more eye drops and a diagnosis of dry eyes. He said it was due to age and that I would have this condition from now on. The drops barely gave me any relief. I was very concerned about the future of my eyes.

Fortunately, I knew about EC and decided to give it a try. I used the remedies that were most accessible before going to bed: aloe vera and castor oil on eyelids, oil pulling, and honey inside bottom lid plus I drank a little apple cider vinegar.

The next morning, improvements were noticeable! Each day they continue to improve. The sun doesn't bother me. Computer and cell phone glare doesn't bother me. They get a little moist at times but no more tears or conjunctivitis symptoms and the pressure behind my eyes is gone. They occasionally do get a little dry and that seems to make them blurry when I'm reading and I wake up with one dry eye but that one was worse off to begin with.

I will try some of the other remedies if it continues. I didn't expect the remedies to work but desperate enough to try and I am glad that I did. Thank you posters and bless you for helping others like me.

I look at a computer screen for approx 10-12 hrs a day and I get very dry eyes. The best natural remedy I find is to eat 1x raw carrot per day. This is the best natural remedy I have used.

Cheers, Ben

I felt instant relief, back to normal. I feel I don't even have eyeballs.

To anybody with painful and dry eyes, the best remedy is your own urine drops, virtual instant relief & anybody who says ugh, just suffer in silence because it works.

I was on a web site and some folks were talking about castor oil for the eye. I went to youtube and saw the woman describing how you do it. So, I decided to get me some castor oil and try it. Now, just to preface, I am 57 and have been have some kind of eye problem (dry, twitch, pressure, etc. For over 30 years. In one night, my eyes feel better than they have in years. For one, they are not rolling around in pain anymore. I usually am twisting them all day. As a teacher, this makes it really difficult to focus on reading out loud, etc. Now, I am mad. Mad at all the doctors who could never suggest something so simple. I am my best physician.

Castor Oil rocks!
Mary

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.

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.

Hurray for this website!!! I have been bothered by "Dry Eyes" for YEARS! Yesterday I happened upon your oil pulling remedy and figured "oh, well, it can't hurt to try". I used the only oil I had on had which was a homemade blend I make for my skin of sweet almond and grapeseed. Within 20 minutes of using the treatment you suggested I was SHOCKED to feel relief from it. I have been using over the counter eye drops all day long everyday for years. Yesterday after your remedy I didn't use any and I still haven't used any in over 24 hours!!! Thank you!!! Talk about FAST RELIEF!! I am thrilled!

This is just a word of caution I would like to add here just in case you encounter this problem I went to my ophthalmologist. I had an on-going dry eye problem last week and I went to the doctor and they wanted to plug the other two tear ducts plus another round of medication. I declined. Anyhow I told the doctor that I was putting sterilized distilled water in my eyes at night since I'm allergic to practically every eye drop. Anyhow, she warned me to STOP IT right away even though the water is sterilized she said the water could be carrying Acanthoamoeba and she checked my eyes to see I had it and I did not! Apparently "there is a water and soil-born parasite Acanthamoeba is more prevalent than most ophthalmologists think. "Amoeba are very common organisms, they are all over the globe, in fact they're one of the original life forms" drug don't work against the parasite so the problem persists and if it goes untreated, patients can lose their eyesight. "This is a kind of amoeba that has the characteristic of forming a cyst or shell around it so it can hide from predators or destruction, and can be very difficult to kill. "

The amoeba is extremely difficult to identify, but according to researchers doctors have the best chance at diagnosing the amoeba as the source of an eye infection " Anyhow I wanted to post this just in case.

The following keeps my eyes feeling good after having been dry for 10+ years:

TMG (Trimethyl glycine)
Sinus rinse with three drops of emulsified vitamin A (along with the salt and baking soda)
Dextrose (no other form of sugar)
Castile soap, fragrance-free for shampoo and everything (regular soaps irritate my eyes)

The following make my eyes feel worse:

Straight Sugar and foods with it (all other forms other than dextrose... however, a certain clear soda would temporarily make my eyes better)
Diets too low in starchy foods, such as G.A.P.S. (starches are needed to convert to glucose)

Dear HisJewel,

Great sleuthing!

You could try some nettle for your postnasal drip/sinus problem. If it is caused by an allergy, it may help a lot.

Or, if you have an infection, extra virgin coconut oil. That is our go-to for sinus infections.

~Mama to Many~

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

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

I tired many things for my dry itchy eyes. What worked for me was natural raw Honey or Manuka Honey. You can dab it on the eyes straight or dilute it in a drop of pure water.

I tried various suggested cures for dry eyes, but they didn't totally work. Here is what I found that works for me.

I take a night guard (light blocker over the eyes), fold a paper towel in thirds, tear in half which now fits inside the blocker, lightly coat it with castor oil, saturate with water and put paper towel inside of blocker and over the eyes.

I also use lubricant eye drops in the eyes and that concoction lasts all night. In the AM I don't have dry eyes when I wake up.

I have been using castor oil for dry eyes after using many different eye drops that did not work.

The other result that I have observed is that it also makes eyebags minimized. Apply cold expressed castor oil with your clean finger to lower and upper eyelids - on top of the lashes, Results- eyebags will remarkably disappear.

Hello Heather,

Thank you for commenting on the Dry Eye method.

Pretty simple. I used to spend a lot of money on eye drops. It's now been four or five years since I've had to buy drops. I just use the Baking Soda on closed eyelids...dry off with a tissue and re apply. In my case I have diagnosed dry eye by an ophthalmologist. But the real agitator is the acidic condition of the body. Anytime I get too much acid producing foods, there comes the agitation. The acid on dry eye...ouch. So the Soda neutralizes the acid in the eye and I drink the rest to help alkalize in the body.

Please let us know how it works for you.

How often should this be done? once, twice a day?

To Schwabbie;

And not only coffee but acidic foods of any kind. I've noticed that if I eat the fruit papaya that the burning/dry eye is not so severe.

Papaya is just miracle stuff.

Hi - I had gradually worsening dry eyes due to lots of computer time and, I realize, worsening circulation despite exercising vigorously on a daily basis. I did oil pulling in the summer and it helped some, but then tried acupunture this fall for general wellness (after a marathon) and alas! Dry eyes became significantly better, along with circulation in extremities. I cannot speak more highly to the benefits of acupunture. Do yourself a favor and try it out in 2011!

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.

Fish OIL make me feel much better by the next day. I took 1200 mg before going to bed that night and 2400 mg (2 cap of 1200 mg) the next morning,so far no dry eyes, Thank you all for the information!

I have suffered from mildly dry eyes for years. I recently started wearing contact lenses (after years w/o them) and found it nearly impossible to remove them. Eyedrops did not help at all. My eye dr. also did a test for dryness and said my eyes were not too dry for contacts... Well, I was practically scratching my eyes out every night trying to remove them. It was horribly painful. Incidentally, I tried taking one fish oil pill/day for another ailment and, bingo! --My dry eye disappeared in one day. My contacts have come out normally every day since. Flax oil pills also work, but I prefer fish oil. (p.s. Consuming coconut oil & oil pulling w/ coconut oil did nothing for dry eyes, in case you were wondering about the possibility of this)

Oil pulling helped my dry eyes and stopped up nose. I have been doing oil pulling for 6 months now.I usually have a glass of lemon water but no food first thing in the morning. Then I use about a tsp of organic sunflower oil and "pull" for about 15-20 min. Then I brush my teeth and start my day.I used to have very dry eyes especially when wearing my contacts and my nose got stopped up easily depending on what I was eating. Now I don't have trouble with either one of those things. However when I stopped pulling the symptoms reappeared, so I am back to pulling every morning and just know it is a part of my routine. While pulling, I read my email, feed my pets, fix my tea and I'm done. The benefits are great and it becomes a habit when you fit it into your routine. This web site is so great!! Thanks!