Effect of Exercise

[Jerry]

If I go jogging for at least 30 minutes, my red rimmed eye lids (bottom eye lids) clear up and eye soreness goes away for about an hour or so. Continous longer exercise, for example walking 18 holes of golf, gives me even longer relief, up to 3 hrs, then it's back to my symptoms again. Vigorous exercise is about the only sure fire way I have of relieving my symptoms.

Anybody have any theories on this? I have mentioned it to a couple of Dr.'s and they pretty much dismiss it. I'm thinking that the rapid increase in my pulse and blood flow during exercise is causing my glands to open up and function more efficiently. I'm just wondering if this should be a clue as to what kind of treatment would work best for me?

[regina]

im the same..

I think sweat and the the warmth of your body heating up helps secrete the oil glands...how does that sound? Well at least that was my theory...

[Guest]

Dr. Latkany mentions in his book that dry eye sufferers can benefit from working up a good sweat... I can't remember if he explains why that is though...

Regina's theory has potential though!

[mansfield61]

Exercise works for me as well. I bought the TRX system and do it at home or bring it to the gym with me.

What I do is string together 8-10 exercises (usually alternating between push and pull) and do each exercise for 45-60sec each.

I try to take a little time as possible between sets and do 3-4 rounds.

My feeling is that the increase in circulation is possibly helping the glands to express and the endorphin effect cannot be over looked either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQHlfy2RHeo

[painless]

My symptoms are often worse after exercise, and otherwise are just the same, but I think it's great that something so good for you also makes your eyes feel better!

Since you mention that one of the symptoms vigorous exercise alleviates for you is soreness, I too wonder if the natural endorphins from vigorous exercise are helping a bit.

[rooneyandfergie]

Exercise helps to relieve my symptoms for a limited duration

Exercise helps to relieve my symptoms too. I feel better when doing exercise and after that for a couple of hours. However after that the symptoms come back again. Symptoms like gritty sensation, redness and itchiness usually come back again after that. In Dr L's book he did mention about the benefits of exercise

Maybe because exercise distracts you from thinking about the dry eye symptoms as much or maybe psychologically u just feel better because the body releases 'feel good' hormones.

Exercise just seems to make everything feel better ranging from illnesses such as depression to IBS.

[Lucy]

I think exercise helps although I have to way to explain how or why. At least when we are exercising, we may have our miinds on the exercise instead of our eyeballs. It's been the consensus through the years on the boards that exercise does help. Lucy