Dry eye syndrome is a condition where the eyes do not produce enough tears or the right type of tears. Typical symptoms include stinging or burning of the eyes, blurred vision, mucus around the eye, irritated eyes, or pain when using contact lenses. There could be different causes of dry eye such as looking at a computer screen for long periods, the side-effect of certain medications, chronic sleep deprivation, eye surgery or certain diseases.

In most cases, this condition is very easily treatable. Here are a few treatments for dry eyes:

1. Artificial tears
Artificial tears can be used to provide moisture to the eye. Over the counter, moisturizing eye drops are available with different ingredients and viscosity. Eye drops that have lower viscosity are more watery and provide quick relief but the effect can be short-lived. The high viscosity drops, look more like a gel, provide longer-lasting relief. It is important to note that with the dry eye syndrome, there are further sub-categories such as evaporative dry eye where the tears evaporate too quickly or aqueous-deficiency dry eye where the eye doesn’t produce enough tears. The right eye drops for you will depend on exactly which type of dry eye condition you have.

2. Warm compress
A warm, wet compress helps by unclogging the glands in the eyelid. There are natural oils in the eyelid. The heat from the warm compress helps in draining the oil from the clogged glands. The warm compress also adds some moisture to the eye. If there is any inflammation in the eye, a warm compress helps in reducing the swelling. Most experts recommend using a different washcloth for each eye in case there is some infection in the eye. The cloth should be warm but not hot.

3. Nutritional supplements
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to decrease the symptoms of dry eyes. Although Omega-3 supplements are safe for most healthy adults, you should consult with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet. There is a thin oil film covering the eye. The film is a combination of water and natural oils. Omega-3 helps with maintaining the quality and quantity of that layer of the oil film. You can get Omega-3 from your diet too. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and catfish are a great source of Omega-3.

4. Humidifiers and air filters
Controlling the surrounding humidity levels may help ease symptoms of dry eye. One of the major issues causing dry eyes is the evaporation of moisture from the eyes. Humidifiers can help reduce the rate of evaporation. Experts believe that people living in cities with higher air pollution are more likely to suffer from dry eyes. Using an air filter and humidifier could be a worthy investment to treat our dry eye.

5. Castor oil
Castor oil promotes lipid production in your eyes. It contains antioxidants and fatty acids that are beneficial to the eye. It might sound counterintuitive to add oil directly in the oil but it is known to be a proven treatment for dry eye. Make sure the oil is 100% pure with no other ingredients. The oil must be stored in a non-plastic container. Make sure your eye is clean and dry before applying castor oil.

Whether it is moisturizing eye drops or castor oil, these treatments require consistency and patience for the treatment of dry eyes to work.