http://www.care2.com/greenliving/treating-dry-red-or-puffy-eyes.html
Treating Dry, Red, or Puffy Eyes
By Jessica Centers, Delicious Living
Dry, red, and puffy eyes can make you look tired–even sick–and can age you faster than any amount of makeup can mask. But easy lifestyle tweaks can help solve common eye problems.
Dryness
Close your eyes and take breaks from the computer every 45-60 minutes, for at least two or three minutes, says Paul Anderson, ND, of Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. Also eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as wild Atlantic salmon and sardines or take a fish-oil supplement (1,000 mg) once a day. You can use over-the-counter artificial tears, containing saline and proteins to stimulate tears, as often as needed, says Mitchell H. Friedlaender, MD, an ophthalmologist in La Jolla, California. Preservatives used in eye drops are safe, says Friedlaender, but ones with benzalkonium chloride can cause eye irritation in people who wear contacts or use drops frequently.
Product picks: Boiron Optique 1; Prima Vu Herbal Eye Drops
Redness
“If your eyes are chronically red, get evaluated by an ophthalmologist to rule out infection,” says Roy S. Rubinfeld, MD, an ophthalmologist in Chevy Chase, Maryland Anything from dryness to allergies may cause redness, but blepharitis–a low-grade inflammation caused by excess oil, dandruff, and staph bacteria on the eyelids–is often to blame, says Rubinfeld. If blepharitis is the culprit, “Clean the lids and lashes with baby shampoo, and rinse off with a wash cloth and warm water,” he says. Also remove makeup with a cotton ball dabbed in cleansing vitamin E oil.
If allergies are causing redness, cover eyes for five to ten minutes with a cold, wet washcloth. Supplement with B12 (1,000 mcg) and bioflavonoid (1,000-3,000 mg) to lower allergic response.
Irritation from dirty or overused contact lenses can also make eyes look red and inflamed. “If they feel uncomfortable, take them out.” But don’t get in the Visine habit, he says. Eye drops that constrict blood vessels can have a rebound effect similar to nose sprays, he says. “Use them and a few hours later, you need more. Eyes get redder and redder over time, especially with frequent use.”
Product picks: Pure & Basic Vitamin E oil; Dr. Hauschka Eye Solace soothing eye compress
Circles, bags, and wrinkles
To prevent water retention around the eyes, Derick recommends limiting salt intake to 1,500 mg per day and using creams that contain caffeine, a vasoconstrictor that shrinks blood vessels so they retain less fluid. Creams that contain vitamin K can aid clotting and reduce the appearance of dark circles caused by broken blood vessels. Morning cold compresses can also help constrict blood vessels and drain fluid from around the eyes. At night, apply a vitamin A cream to help stimulate collagen and make wrinkles less apparent. Also try sleeping with your head propped up on a couple of pillows to stimulate drainage, says Derick.
Delicious Living is the go-to resource for the natural and organic lifestyle, helping readers eat well, live green, and stay healthy. Visit deliciouslivingmag.com for more articles and free recipes.
Product picks: Dermae Organic Expressions Brighter Eye Cream; Eminence Organics Cucumber Eye Gel
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24 comments
add your comment »Christina B., I used to take 4-6 capsules of fish oil daily, and never noticed a difference in my dry eyes than I do today taking 2 Evening Primrose & one Udos Unrefined Algae DHA. Every claim I've ever found for a non veggie source, I've always been able to find a veggie alternative. Just keep googling and stuff, because, sadly, regular research supports more of a meat eating diet.
Also, not everyone can take preservatives in their drops, like myself, so be cautious if your eyes hurt by adding drops that don't seem to help. Mine crept up on me, starting out subtle, and had caused a rash on my eyeballs. Though I'm probably one of the few, there are alternatives that don't do that, and even outside of my condition, I'd rather go with them anyway. But I'm also mentioning it because there might be someone else with my problem that's currently unaware of it.
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Where can you get theses creams for around your eyes that contain vitamins k and a? What are some of the names of these cremes?
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Thanx for the info, we have a lot of probs with eyes around here.
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Thanks Mel! :)
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Thanx for the excellent info - in this day and age of computers we all definitely need to take greater care of not only our eyes [which are most important] but also our bodies and take those 7 min breaks etc.
Brightest Blessings
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I really do need to make sure I take eye breaks with my computer usage. My eyes are soooo important to me yet I don't take enough care for them. I'll be starting now by taking my contacts out, shutting down the computer and going to bed!
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As a vegetarian, can I take flaxseed oil instead of fish oil and still get the same results?
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Looks like I'm doomed with Circles, bags, and wrinkles. Oh my Goodness how the years have creeped up on me.
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I need this article, because I already have pollen difficulties, and surfing the web doesn't make the wear and tear on my eyes any less of a hassle.(-;
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I can vouch for fish oil supplements helping to alleviate dry eyes. I was originally taking them for other reasons, but noticed over time that my eyes had become considerably less dry and irritated than usual. Later, I read that fish oil was good for this. During times where I have a lapse in taking the supplements, my dry eyes reoccur.
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