Dry eyes are uncomfortable since your eyes might have a burning or stinging sensation. When your eyes fail to produce adequate lubrication, dry eyes may occur. Some common dry eye symptoms include eye redness, sensitivity to light, poor vision during nighttime driving, and stringy mucus around or in the eyes. If you experience prolonged symptoms of chronic dry eyes, read onto learn some effective remedies for dry eyes:

1. Include fatty acids in your diet
According to research, supplementing your diet with omega-fatty acids relieves symptoms of chronic dry eyes. This fat naturally reduces inflammation and can help soothe your dry eyes by easing eye inflammation, allowing room for more tear production. You can either eat food rich in omega-3 or utilize omega-3 supplements, including soybean oil, walnuts, fatty fish, palm oil, and chia seeds.

2. Drops and ointments
There are several drug store products to relieve dry eyes that don’t require a prescription. Artificial tears or drops bring you short-term relief. If you find your eyes sensitive to eye drops containing preservatives, switch to preservative-free drops with single-dose vials. While eye drops are watery, ointments are thick and designed to provide your eyeball with a moisture coat, for longer-term relief. Keep in mind that the thickness can impair your vision after application, hence use ointments before bedtime.

3. Warm compresses
When washing your eyes, gently place a warm compressor on your eyelids and use mild baby shampoo to help your eyelids secrete some oil, improving your tears’ adequacy and quality. For maximum effect, hold your warm cloth on your eyelids for five minutes and gently massage your eyes, including your eyelashes, to remove any debris. Ensure that you properly rinse the soap from your kids to avoid irritation.

4. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment for chronic dry eyes. As an ancient intervention, acupuncture helps to increase tear secreting, prevents ocular damage, and improves tear quality, relieving dry eyes, irritation, and redness. Compared to eye drops and ointments, acupuncture is a more long-term solution for dry eyes and more effective.

5. Change your environment
The environment is a major factor in eye dryness. On windy days, stay indoors as much as possible and avoid smoky areas. If you have to go out on a windy day, or engage in activities like bike riding, protect your eyes using appropriate eyewear. Invest in a quality humidifier to increase moisture to your home. If your heating system is turned on, it can cause air to dry out, and a humidifier helps the air in your home retain moisture.

If you’re experiencing eye dryness, ensure your eyes are well-rested by getting enough sleep and taking frequent breaks from computer use, reading, and TV watching since such activities can cause eye dryness. Resting your eyes helps them regain some moisture. Before making an appointment with your ENT doctor, try out some of the home remedies such as warm compressors, applying artificial tears, and avoiding windy and smoky environments. If the remedies don’t relieve your dry eye symptoms, contact your doctor for further treatment.