Dry eyes can make you absolutely miserable. The burning, redness and discomfort can cause your eyes to be more tired, sensitive, and constantly irritated. You might wonder if anything could soothe their fiery anger. Maybe you’ve heard of using fish oil to aid in eye care, but does it really work and is it safe?

Why Are My Eyes Dry?

There may be many causes of dry eyes: environmental, anatomical, related to your job, lifestyle and even your gender. The combination of allergies and allergy medication will dry your eyes in a blink. Age worsens a dry eye problem as your body’s tear production slows down. Women may suffer from dry eye syndrome more commonly than men as they age due to the effects of hormones and menopause.

What Can Fish Oil Do?

A healthy eye is always moist and lubricated by a tear film, which keeps the eye comfortable and your vision clear. When you lose the stability of this tear film, your eyes dry out and it becomes tempting to start using eye products that can actually make matters worse. Rather than using synthetic chemicals in your eyes, try something that nature provides. Fish oil, which is in a group of substances known as Omega-3 Fatty Acids, works in your body in a few different ways. Firstly, these fatty acids help reduce inflammation in the body that can contribute to dry eye syndrome. Secondly, they have been shown to boost tear production. Your body thrives on Omega-3 fatty acids for a variety of wonderful benefits, which happen to include your eye care.

Is It Safe?
As with any supplement or new item to be introduced to your body, always check with your physician and your eye care provider before you take fish oil. For people with high cholesterol, adding fish oil might increase certain cholesterol levels. In patients who have issues with proper blood clotting, adding fish oil may not be a safe strategy. For most healthy people, a fish oil supplement is helpful and harmless. You can either add some delicious salmon to your diet on a regular basis or find fish oil capsules in any health food store.

For the right patient, fish oil can be very helpful in your dry eye care regimen. Talk to your Phoenix eye doctor for advice on dosage and whether adding fish oil to your diet can help your dry eyes.