Each time you blink, your eyelids coat the surface of your eye with a tear film that provides nourishment and lubrication. If you do not produce enough tears, or if the tears have a poor quality, you may experience dry eye syndrome, an uncomfortable condition that may affect your vision. Flaxseed may ease the symptoms of dry eye syndrome in some people. Understanding dry eye and the role of flaxseed may help you discuss the possible benefits with your eye doctor.
Symptoms
Dry eye syndrome typically causes the surface of your eyes to burn or feel scratchy, and the whites of your eyes may appear red. You may have a foreign body sensation, as if you have an eyelash or fleck of dust in your eye. Many people also have excessive watering, to the degree that tears stream down their cheeks. This is the body's natural response to surface dryness, but these weak, quickly produced tears wash away any of the thick nourishing tear film present on the surface, exacerbating the symptoms. Though flaxseed will not help your glands produce more tears of a high quality, flaxseed may offer some relief from the symptoms.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed contains significant amounts of essential omega-3 fatty acids that may aid in helping dry eye symptoms. You can purchase ground flaxseed and sprinkle this over oatmeal, salads or other foods. Instead of ground flaxseed, you may choose flaxseed oil, which you can purchase in a bottle or in capsule form.
Dosage
Your health care provider will help you determine the appropriate dosage of flaxseed or flaxseed oil to help your dry eye problems. The dosage depends on your health and the medications you currently take. Your doctor may recommend from 1 to 2 tsps. of ground flaxseed each day. If you elect to use the liquid form, she may recommend 1 to 2 tsps. of flaxseed oil, or one to two capsules daily.
Additional Treatments
Flaxseed alone usually does not relieve dry eye symptoms. You may need to use nonmedicated artificial tears to lubricate the surface of your eyes. Severe cases of dry eye may require a medicated eye drop to help your eye produce tears, or your eye doctor may need to perform a simple in-office surgical procedure to block the tear ducts, and this may help your natural tears stay in your eyes longer.
Considerations
Prior to using flaxseed, talk with your health care provider, since flaxseed use may not be appropriate for certain health conditions or in conjunction with some medications. For example, your doctor may not recommend flaxseed if you take a blood thinner such as Coumadin or warfarin, since flaxseed may intensify the effects of these medications.
