Fast and Lasting Relief For Your Itchy Eyes

By Mark Rosenberg, M.D.

It's that time of year again when patients come to me with runny noses and watery eyes begging for some relief from their allergies. They complain that trying to function with itchy or twitching eyes is not only a nuisance but gets in the way of enjoying life. Being an allergy sufferer myself, I have to say I can relate. That's why I have personally researched a few natural remedies that really work.

The Underlying Cause of Your Itchy Eyes

The number one cause of itchy eyes is hypersensitivity to dust or pollen. This is an allergic reaction to something the body is trying to fight off similar to a virus or bacteria.

This causes you experience symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, itching, and irritated eyes. About half the population of Americans have some degree of allergies, and according to studies, seventy-five percent of all common allergic reactions affect the eyes.

Soothe Itchy Eyes Naturally

When it comes to allergies, the best advice is to avoid the culprit that is affecting you. But in the case of itchy eyes, it's impossible to shield yourself from any possible source or irritation that might be in the air.

When you are indoors I always recommend a good air filter that removes much of the dust particles. This of course is a way of controlling the air you breathe when you are inside, but let's take a closer look at what you can do when you are out in the elements.

There are two natural supplements that I recommend.

oThe first is Perilla frutescens extract. Perilla frutescens is a plant in the mint family that grows commonly all over Asia and is used for both food and medicine.

In a study published Experimental Biology and Medicine researchers found that people with allergies who take a daily dose of Perilla frutescens extract enjoy reduced symptoms including less itchiness in their eyes.

oThe second is Butterbur extract. Butterbur extract proved as effective as leading prescriptions in reducing and preventing allergy symptoms including itchy eyes.

My Eyes Aren't Itchy-They're Twitching

Patients not only report itchy eyes, but describe a condition known as twitching eyes. Eye twitching is caused by small muscle spasms below or above the eye and is usually triggered by stress or fatigue. In most cases, the spasm will last a little while and then go away on its own. Although it is not a serious condition, twitching eyes can be very annoying and tiring.

To prevent mild eye spasms from occurring or to stop the twitching I advise my patients to get a good night's sleep and some relaxation. I always ask them to take a moment to think about the sources of stress in their life and find ways to relieve it. By reducing stress or finding an outlet for tension usually prevents future eye twitching episodes.

If your eye twitching persists longer than two days or if it causes your facial muscles to spasm as well, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor to rule nerve issues and to explore other treatment options.

Your eyes play an important role in the quality of life. You are not alone if itchy or twitching eyes are your problem. Don't continue to suffer in silence, talk to your doctor about some of the natural remedies mentioned here. Finding the best method to relieve your symptoms will allow you to make the most of the outdoor environment as well as your indoor space.

Mark Rosenberg, M.D.
Institute For Healthy Aging

http://www.vitalmaxvitamins.com
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Can Lack of Sleep Affect Your Eyes?

By Dr. Charles Simon

     

    

In a society known for being on the run, many often try not to think about what the effect is on their health. What is well known on the other hand is, our ever-increasing to-do list. Days are filled with a long laundry list of "must-do's" and sleeping falls to the backburner of importance. The affects of not getting a good night's rest may not only affect your mood the next day, but also your vision. No, we are not talking about the aesthetics and those dreaded dark circles or under-eye bags, but the actual health of your eye is in jeopardy when you do not receive adequate sleep.

Studies show that the eye needs at least five hours to replenish. Without adequate time to revive themselves, your eyes cannot work to their full potential. Over time this can lead to consequences, including popped blood vessels in the eye due to the strain on the eye.

For example, a shortage of sleep can contribute to dry eye. Think of sleep as a way to recharge and refresh your eyes to prepare them for the next day. When you don't get sleep, your eyes look and feel as tired as the rest of your body may feel. When tears do not adequately lubricate the eye, a person may experience. Those suffering from dry-eye may experience some pain, light sensitivity, itching, redness, or even blurred vision.

An extended lack of sleep has also been attributed to other more serious eye conditions, such as Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (AION). This usually occurs in elderly to middle age people with a history of sleep apnea. The condition is an inflammatory disease of blood vessels that occurs especially with aging. Over time, damage to the optic nerve occurs from insufficient blood supply to the eye and it eventually can cause vision loss.

To bypass any future problems that are eye health related, it is best to make getting sleep a priority for your health. If you have a hard time finding time for shut-eye, it is suggested to make a plan to schedule sleep and stick to it. Often times, other items may seem serious but sleep is the time the body replenishes itself. If scheduling sleep is not the problem, and then maybe the problem is actually falling to sleep. In that case, there are thousands of remedies for sleep. Some include: 1. Not exercising before bed, 2. Limit caffeine intake during the day, 3. Reducing stress levels, 4. Take a warm bath before bed, and 5. Use aromatherapy solutions.
 

Contributed by Dr. Charles Simon, CEO of Simon Eye Associates. For more information on eye health and vision please visit our website: Simon Eye Associates

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Causes Of Itchy Eyes

By Renee Foo   

 

In a nutshell, itchy eyes develop as a symptom of some other medical reasons. We need to understand and determine whether the itchiness in the eyes is a result of allergies or illness or diseases. There are many causes of itchy eyes. The following is an attempt to list the major and common causes of itchy eyes but this is no way a complete listing due to the many possibilities of rendering one with this itchiness in the eyes.

Allergy

Under the allergies section discussed, there are mainly 4 broad categories of these allergens that are capable of causing an allergy. To recap this again, they are the external outdoors, in-door household, food and medication as well as animal.

Allergies are often triggered by external environmental substances. Itchy eyes can develop if one comes into contact with dirt and dust (external environment/ in-door household), pollen from plants and flowers (external environment/ in-door household), animal dander from cats and dogs (external environment/ in-door household), and lastly food and medication.

Common Cold

Common cold affects people across all age groups. This is by far the most potent and dangerous illness to strike the human's immune system. It adopts a very agile structure in that it is able to mutate its form neutralizing the anti-bodies developed to suppress it. Common cold is a viral infection. When contracted, itchy eyes usually develop together with other symptoms such as running nose, sneezing, cough, headache, itchy throat, tiredness, congestion and fever. Common cold normally last 2 weeks and itchy eyes can last as long as this infection before it is clear up.

Pinkeye or Conjunctivitis

Itchy eyes may develop as a symptom of pinkeye. Unlike the other symptoms resulting from allergies or common cold, pinkeye is a highly contagious disease. This is even more potent among the young people. Pinkeye is usually a bacterial or viral infection. It may also be due to allergies. The name given as a result of allergy is called Allergic Conjunctivitis. This will cause the eyes to be itchy, red and watery.

Conjunctivitis can damage the cornea and impair the vision in some extreme cases if condition is left untreated.

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes refer to a condition resulting from the eye's lachrymal glands deficiency. The lachrymal glands are not able to produce adequate tears, thus making the eyes dry. This dryness in the eyes without the tears to moist the eyes normally result in much discomfort.

The irritated eyes are likely to develop redness, get itchy due to this dryness and in swelling are possible. Similar to allergies, the external factors such as dry weather and smoke can aggravate dry eyes condition. Artificial eye-drops are commonly available over the shelf for self medication to treat dry eyes.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis refers to a condition of a persistent inflammation of the eyelids. This condition may be due to a bacterial infection in the skin around the eyelids. While this may be a minor condition that does not mean that it will not cause a problem.

The resulting itchiness in the eyes can be very irritating.

Millions of people suffer from eyes diseases. Eyes are one of the most important organs of the human body, and it is vital that these eyes are well taken care of.

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