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After battling constantly tearing, scratchy, itchy, bloodshot, painful eyes for 3 years I found my cure. I couldn't look at a computer monitor for more than 5 minutes without tears streaming down my face. I couldn't watch a movie, walk outdoors in the breeze or bright sunshine. I spent every day in pain. I saw two opthamologists (they said it was classic dry eye - they both said have surgery to narrow the exposed area of the eye), a dry eye optomistrist, an allergist, a dermatologist and had a sinus CAT scan. I took antihistamine daily and started allergy shots for pollen and grasses. I bought every eye drop in the store. I was using restais drops daily (they do help tear production). I bought computer glasses. Nothing worked.
Then I started to do my own analysis in earnest. I determined I am allergic to soy. I was enjoying soy lattes, soy & fruit smoothies, soy yougurt, etc. I cut the soy from my diet and within a week I was off every eye drop, the redness around my eyes was gone, the itching was gone. Sunshine and wind are no longer a problem. I am in front of a computer monitor 8+ hours a day with no problem (I still like my computer glasses better than bicfocals).
I've since done a lot of reading and it seems soy is a pretty common allergy and we are adding soy to our diets in many ways. Food allergies frequently manifest themselves as conjunctivitas.
I know this won't be the answer for everyone suffering from dry eye. But its worth considering food allergies. Although you can be tested by an allergist you might try your own detective work first. Consider any foods you consume every day and in larger quantities (especially if the food has been processed and concentrated). A quick search of the web will reveal 8 typical food allergies that might be a good starting point.
I never would have believed my problem could be cured by such a simple lifestyle change but it's true. I've waited a month before writing this note to ensure that I wasn't offering false hope.
Good luck and best wishes to all who are suffering from this debilitating situation.
Then I started to do my own analysis in earnest. I determined I am allergic to soy. I was enjoying soy lattes, soy & fruit smoothies, soy yougurt, etc. I cut the soy from my diet and within a week I was off every eye drop, the redness around my eyes was gone, the itching was gone. Sunshine and wind are no longer a problem. I am in front of a computer monitor 8+ hours a day with no problem (I still like my computer glasses better than bicfocals).
I've since done a lot of reading and it seems soy is a pretty common allergy and we are adding soy to our diets in many ways. Food allergies frequently manifest themselves as conjunctivitas.
I know this won't be the answer for everyone suffering from dry eye. But its worth considering food allergies. Although you can be tested by an allergist you might try your own detective work first. Consider any foods you consume every day and in larger quantities (especially if the food has been processed and concentrated). A quick search of the web will reveal 8 typical food allergies that might be a good starting point.
I never would have believed my problem could be cured by such a simple lifestyle change but it's true. I've waited a month before writing this note to ensure that I wasn't offering false hope.
Good luck and best wishes to all who are suffering from this debilitating situation.
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