The Atkins diet focuses on consuming a high-protein diet and limiting your carb intake. If followed faithfully, this type of diet can aid in boosting weight loss. While losing weight may be a desirable goal on your path to good health, eliminating or severely reducing your intake of fruits, vegetables and other types of food could result in nutrient deficiencies or other conditions, which may lead to poor health or symptoms such as stinging or burning eyes. Understanding how your eye symptoms may relate to your diet can help you make necessary changes.
Ketosis
Consuming little to no carbs could result in ketosis, which is a condition that occurs when your body breaks down fat to use for energy. Proponents of the Atkins diet believe this is one of the components that helps with weight loss when following this eating plan. However, ketosis may result in symptoms such as weakness and dizziness, and you may also experience dehydration associated with this process.
In turn, dehydration can affect your eyes. If the surfaces of your eyes do not have the right balance of moisture, this could result in dry eye, which is a condition known to cause stinging and surface irritation.
Vitamin A
Followers of the Atkins diet and other low-carb plans may have low levels of certain nutrients, particularly those found abundantly in fruits, vegetables and other carbohydrates. In relation to your eyes, a deficiency in vitamin A may cause dry eye, resulting in a stinging sensation. Sources of vitamin A include protein sources such as beef and chicken liver, as well as eggs, milk and cheese. Plant-based sources of this nutrient include carrots, cantaloupe, spinach, kale and mango.
Other Causes
If you follow the Atkins diet or any other eating plan and experience stinging eyes or other ocular symptoms, you may have a condition unrelated to your diet. Eye allergies and eye infections commonly result in eye stinging. You may experience additional symptoms such as redness or discharge, and recognition of these symptoms, along with a thorough examination, will help your doctor determine the cause of your discomfort.
Considerations
If you experience eye discomfort, contact your doctor for an evaluation. During your appointment, discuss your diet with your doctor, and provide a sample daily or weekly menu if necessary. This will help your doctor determine if your eating habits have contributed to your symptoms. You may need to take a daily multivitamin to ensure that you do not have low levels of nutrients, and your doctor may also recommend that you drink more liquids or make other dietary changes to prevent complications from following a low-carb diet.
References
- Atkins: The Program
- MayoClinic.com; Low-Carb Diet; May 1, 2010
- MedlinePlus; Dehydration; August 8, 2009
- Office of Dietary Supplements; National Institutes of Health; Vitamin A and Carotenoids; April 2006
- University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center; Dry Eye Syndrome
- MedlinePlus; Eye Burning -- Itching and Discharge; October 31, 2009
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