What evidence is there that gluten and dairy affect dry eye?

[Lacrima]

I'm in my second year of diagnosed dry eye- and after a period over the summer where I was doing really well, I am currently almost right back where I started. I have come to understand (thanks to this amazing forum) that I shouldn't get too excited or worried either way, because it can fluctuate.. So for the moment I'm taking things month by month and trying out new stuff (eg. I've had Lipiflow and I'm going for MGD probing in a few weeks).

The thing is I am taking the same dose of medication as before- the only thing I have changed is that I have reintroduced wheat and dairy into my diet.
I had cut it out almost completely for some months when I was doing well. Now I eat it a few times per week.

None of my specialist ophthalmologists think that cutting out gluten and dairy affect dry eye... just that the best dietary change is to get lots of omega-3. They think I was doing better in the summer because of climate etc. and will probably fluctuate throughout the year. Another doctor just said my condition is simply progressing (I'm choosing to ignore this opinion right now, because I've heard it before and I improved...losing hope is losing the battle!).

I am considering cutting dairy and/or gluten out again- but would really like to read some conclusive clinical studies on whether it can affect meibomian glands or aqueous levels.. I can't seem to find anything other that subjective accounts...

[DCRdryeye]

Hi Lacrima, your statement sounds like a doctor LOL. Well, in terms of "food intolerances" we are all individuals. You'll need to do an Elimination diet under the care of a nutritionist or an IgG blood test to see what foods affect you in negative ways. Be mindful the culprit foods (there could be 1 - 4 or more) can take hours to days to show there effects so it can be tricky to track them down.

[Lacrima]

Hi Lacrima, your statement sounds like a doctor LOL. Well, in terms of "food intolerances" we are all individuals. You'll need to do an Elimination diet under the care of a nutritionist or an IgG blood test to see what foods affect you in negative ways. Be mindful the culprit foods (there could be 1 - 4 or more) can take hours to days to show there effects so it can be tricky to track them down.

LOL I should probably go and buy a copy Elle and take a break from medical journals I sometimes think I am getting dry eye from reading about dry eye... Thanks so much for telling me about IgG blood test- really good info!

[LaDiva]

I just had $2000 worth of allergy testing done, and found that I was only allergic to a few things, and none of them food. (Weeds, mold, dust mites.) I cannot eat milk products, sugar, soy products or any oils other than olive oil and coconut oil. Most grains also cause inflammation when I eat them. Spelt is OK, but wheat is not, and rice is a good thing. Again, I am not allergic to any of the foods I listed as being problematic, but when I eat them, my eyes become inflamed, and the oil quality becomes very bad very fast. I have eaten all of these foods most of my life, and never had a problem, but now, look out. I truly, wonder about genetically modified foods. Scientists tell us they are safe, but I strongly feel this is why some of us are having so many problems with food and inflammation. Best of luck to you. It's not much fun limiting what we eat, but it can really make a difference.

[Lacrima]

I just had $2000 worth of allergy testing done, and found that I was only allergic to a few things, and none of them food. (Weeds, mold, dust mites.) I cannot eat milk products, sugar, soy products or any oils other than olive oil and coconut oil. Most grains also cause inflammation when I eat them. Spelt is OK, but wheat is not, and rice is a good thing. Again, I am not allergic to any of the foods I listed as being problematic, but when I eat them, my eyes become inflamed, and the oil quality becomes very bad very fast. I have eaten all of these foods most of my life, and never had a problem, but now, look out. I truly, wonder about genetically modified foods. Scientists tell us they are safe, but I strongly feel this is why some of us are having so many problems with food and inflammation. Best of luck to you. It's not much fun limiting what we eat, but it can really make a difference.

Hi LaDiva, Thanks for your reply. It's really good that you have been able to figure out what foods affect you the most. Do you have any symptoms other than inflamed eyes and bad oil quality when you eat them?

[LaDiva]

Hi Lacrima,
Yes. I feel fuzzy and foggy, for lack of a more scientific description! Sometimes I get skin rashes. When I eat products with soy, I get boils, or blind pimples, on my head and around the hairline. That boil thing is scary. Ice cream is a huge no-no in terms of plugged meibomian glands. There is something called Coconut Bliss (kind of like ice cream), which is OK in moderation, and I seem to be able to tolerate goat cheese.

[Lacrima]

Hi LaDiva thanks for your answers. I think I should watch more closely for symptoms when I eat wheat or dairy.. So far, I think I just feel puffier on my face. I don't have really obvious symptoms like you, which is why I am questioning this so much. Glad you found an ice-cream you can eat

[LaDiva]

LOL! Thanks so much,and best of luck, Lacrima!

[spmcc]

Thanks so much for telling me about IgG blood test- really good info!

FYI: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...article535082/

[DCRdryeye]

FYI: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...article535082/

Doctors can be very skeptical and many down right arrogant...just read my blog about that. IgG is a proven method and many doctors don't even want to read the research on it. How many have let us down in treating out dry eye for example? Don't be Dr. Google and have some faith.

[PotatoCakes]

I tried eliminating dairy and nuts, and then gluten, for a period of 90 days each. An allergist told me, that while unlikely to be the cause of my dry eye, I would need to go at least 90 days free of suspect items in order to allow my body to heal the damage / inflammation caused. Neither elimination made a difference for me but it couldn't hurt to try; as PP said, everyone is different. If you do decide to try an elimination diet, you have to be vigilant about label reading. For instance, there may be gluten in "malt flavoring" and "natural flavors"; if in doubt, call or email the company to find out. Soy sauce contains gluten; stick to Tamari. Worcestershire may contain soy sauce so unless you can find one that says "gluten-free", you need to avoid it. To go dairy-free, lactose-free products are NOT the same as dairy-free; lactose-free products can still contain casein, which is found in ALL animal dairy products (even human). Vegetarian does not mean vegan (aka dairy-free) so even tofu-based cheeses and spreads may not be safe. Once you get good at reading labels, it's not so bad but it does take some practice and in the beginning, I found myself going on line at the grocery store to check certain items.

[Guest]

The thing is I am taking the same dose of medication as before- the only thing I have changed is that I have reintroduced wheat and dairy into my diet.
I had cut it out almost completely for some months when I was doing well. Now I eat it a few times per week.

None of my specialist ophthalmologists think that cutting out gluten and dairy affect dry eye...

I am considering cutting dairy and/or gluten out again- but would really like to read some conclusive clinical studies on whether it can affect meibomian glands or aqueous levels.. I can't seem to find anything other that subjective accounts...

I doubt you'll find any clinical studies on whether or not wheat and dairy can affect dry eye. For starters, who will fund these studies? It's certainly not the food production industry since it's not in their best interest to fund something that will decrease purchases of their product. It's certainly not the drug companies since they won't make any money off people treating their allergy by no longer eating the offending food.

So that leaves government and/or research institutions... but with so many more urgent things to study, I don't see this being a priority for them either.

If you're lucky, you may find a small study somewhere... but the conclusions that you can draw from a small study (that is not HUGE, multicenter, placebo-controlled (tricky to do with food), and double blind etc.) are limited.

The current mainstream-medical consensus seems to be that food allergies are not likely to affect dry eye. They accept that environmental allergies can cause itchy eyes, but many (maybe most?) doctors do not think food allergies can affect the eyes (never mind getting down to specifics like MGD and aqueous deficiency). It's not the fault of the doctors, as it's just the way they are taught - until someone does a major study on this, the status quo will remain as is.

Since there are no good studies on this, we have no way of knowing if the current consensus is correct, since it's based on supposition, rather than hard facts resulting from careful study.

So that leaves the option of experimenting with elimination diets, while trying to control all other factors affecting your eyes as best you can, and trying to figure out for yourself if what you eat affects any components of your dry eye issue.

You say the only thing that has changed is the re-introduction of wheat and dairy into your diet - seems to me your best bet is to try cutting them out again and see if things improve. If they do, then you could bring them back into your diet again and see if things once again get worse.... repeat as often as you like to be certain that the results are not coincidence (whatever those results may be).

re: allergy blood tests - these tend to be expensive, and do not have hard-core scientific proof as to the validity of their results. If it were me, I'd only spend big bucks on these if the money didn't matter to me (ie. you have plenty, so don't care if the test ends up being a waste), or if you are absolutely desperate and can think of no other doable (for you) way to figure out what your food sensitivities may be (ex. if an elimination diet is not an acceptable option to you). Keep in mind that due to the lack of hard-core validation of the results of these allergy blood tests, you probably shouldn't take their results as gospel, since it's possible for them to show false negatives or false positives. They're a nice tool to have out there, but I just wouldn't be 100% confident in the accuracy of the results.

[spmcc]

Doctors can be very skeptical and many down right arrogant...just read my blog about that. IgG is a proven method and many doctors don't even want to read the research on it. How many have let us down in treating out dry eye for example? Don't be Dr. Google and have some faith.

I had the food tests done. I was told to eat (expose myself to) a huge list of foods. Because I'm vegan, I did NOT eat meat. But my test results showed I had IgG and IgE antibodies to beef. I haven't eaten beef since 1982. That is just ONE of the reasons why I know these tests are bunk. The article that I linked is just an explanation by a doctor why these tests are bunk. But you can choose not to believe doctors or medical research.

[bakunin]

What I've read about food and possibly dry eyes is that some foods (gluten, dairy etc etc) may affect the guts, and then with problems in the guts you can have diseases in your immune sstem and others, so diverse as people are.

Of course that is not the approach of the mainstream medicine, but there are plenty of doctors, and some of them very well known and respected, that spread the word about it.

[DCRdryeye]

What I've read about food and possibly dry eyes is that some foods (gluten, dairy etc etc) may affect the guts, and then with problems in the guts you can have diseases in your immune sstem and others, so diverse as people are.

Of course that is not the approach of the mainstream medicine, but there are plenty of doctors, and some of them very well known and respected, that spread the word about it.

You are spot on. The foods we eat not knowing we have an intolerance (and even the colorings, preservatives, flavorings, etc) cause "Leaky gut"...not yet accepted by the medical community but I know biochemists and a few doctors who are very savvy and accept it's a fact. Leaky gut allows food substances to leak through opened gaps in the intestines. Your body sees it as foreign and forms antibodies against them. Those same antibodies can be shaped to fit receptors in other parts of the body such as THE EYES. It's a theory how rheumatoid arthritis and other "auto-immune" disorders exist.

There is a test that can be done to see if you have leaky gut.