Updated: 8/31/2019

I – What Is Dry Eyes

Dry eye is the eye condition in which the eye tear is not produced enough to keep your eyes healthy and comfortable. Because of the dry eyes, dust, and other irritants cannot be eliminated from your eyes. As a result, it may lead to pain and discomfort.

If you suffer from dry eyes, it is essential for you to meet a doctor immediately. The doctor will diagnose that condition and give you suitable treatments. Although you use natural home remedies for dry eyes relief, you still need doctor’s advice and suggestions.

Dry eyes condition should not be ignored. If not treated soon and properly, it may increase the risk of eye inflammation, bacterial infections, and even permanent vision loss.

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II – What Are The Causes Of Dry Eyes

There are three layers of tears: the oily outer layer, the watery middle one, and the inner mucus one. Dry eyes happen when these layers are inflamed, or they do not produce enough oil, water, or mucus. As a result, your eyes lack moisture.

The causes of dry eyes include overexposure to dry air or wind, hormone replacement therapy, allergies, Lasik eye surgery, and some medications such as nasal decongestants, antihistamines, antidepressants, and birth control pills. Long-term contact lens wear, aging, not blinking enough, and staring at a computer for long hours also increase the risk of dry eyes^[1].

People with chronic allergies, thyroid disease, exposure keratitis, vitamin A deficiency, and lupus are vulnerable to dry eyes.

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Knowing the causes of dry eyes, you can find the best solutions, treatments, and even simple home remedies for dry eyes.

III – What Are The Symptoms Of Dry Eyes

Dry eyes have common symptoms such as pain, burning, and redness in the eyes. Other symptoms are stringy mucus and turning in the eyes. Your eyes can get tired faster, especially when you read or sit at the computer. Some people with dry eyes also feel that their eyes have sand and they suffer from blurry vision.

IV – When To See A Doctor

Do not worry if you suffer from dry eyes and have some symptoms as we mentioned above. Dry eyes are not a life-threatening disease. It is a common condition that happens when your eyes are not lubricated adequately. Tears play an important role in lubricating your eyes, keeping your eyes healthy and prevent numerous eye issues such as dry eyes. Because of many reasons, the tears do not perform their role properly. For example, when your eyes do not release enough tears or when your eyes release poor-quality tears, it may result in dry eyes as well as many eye problems. The symptoms of dry eyes like stinging and burning are uncomfortable. Some situations may increase the risk of dry eyes, for example, in an air-conditioned room, on an airplane, after working in front of computers for hours or while cycling.

Treatments for dry eyes, including eye drops or lifestyle changes, may relieve the symptoms and make you feel more comfortable. Dry eyes may be treated at home with eye drops or effective home remedies. However, after a couple of days, if the dry eyes are not improved and you have prolonged symptoms such as irritated, red, painful or tired eyes, it is essential for you to see your doctor^[2]. Your doctor will let you do some tests to determine the hidden causes of your dry eyes and then give you the proper treatments. When you make an appointment with your doctor, you should let him know any symptoms you are suffering, personal information such as recent life changes, and a list of vitamins, medications, and supplements you are using. Most cases of dry eyes may be healed within a few days with the help of eye drops and natural home remedies for dry eyes.

V – Top 25 Natural Home Remedies For Dry Eyes Relief

Why don’t you try to apply some remedies for relieving dry eyes which you can find out in your kitchen? If “no”, please continue reading this article on our page All Remedies to know more about home remedies to treat dry eyes quickly and effectively.

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Many studies on the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids have been done. Omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial in reducing depression, relieving rheumatoid arthritis, reducing blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, preventing the early preterm birth and lowering the risk of macular degeneration^[3]. In this article about natural home remedies for dry eyes, we would like to mention omega 3 fatty acids as one of the most necessary nutrients for eye health. Omega 3 fatty acids may relieve the irritation caused by dry eyes. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory properties of omega 3 fatty acids may help to stimulate the production of higher-quality tears^[4]. To protect your eyes and improve your eye’s health, you can take omega 3 fatty acids supplements or consume foods that are rich in this nutrient. Some rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids include flaxseed oil, chia seeds, palm oil, walnuts, soybean oil, eggs and fatty fish like mackerel, sardine, salmon, and tuna.

2. Antioxidants

Dry eyes may be caused by free radical damage such as oxidative stress that results from aging, poor diet, lack of exercise, chronic stress, medications and unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking or drinking alcohol. Antioxidants play an important role in slowing down the oxidation process. In order to relieve dry eyes and fasten the healing process, you should consume enough green vegetables and colorful fruits like acerola cherries, chard, kale, goji berry, acai berry, spinach, etc.^[5]

3. Vitamins

Consuming vitamins is essential for a healthy diet. Vitamins are good for your skin, your health, and even your eyes^[6]. You can take vitamin supplements that are available in every health store at an affordable price. However, it is still better to increase vitamin intake through food.

Dry eyes require the consumption of vitamin A, C, D, and E. These vitamins contain antioxidant properties.

• Foods that contain a great source of vitamin A include the liver of chicken, duck, pork, fish, eggs, duck eggs, carp, and milk^[7].
• Vitamin C is present in a variety of foods like grapefruit, lemons, strawberries, pineapples, oranges, soursop, mangosteen and so on^[8]. Vitamin is also found abundant in some vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and onion
• You can find vitamin D in yogurt, milk, cheese, egg york, fatty fish^[9]
• Foods that are rich in vitamin E are composed of peanuts, sunflowers, beans sprouts, and sesame. Additionally, vitamin E can be found in nuts, milk, asparagus, animal liver, and fish fat^[10].

4. Enough Deep Sleep

Dry eyes may be caused by sleep deprivation. Therefore, deep sleep is also one of the natural home remedies for dry eyes. Sleep provides your body enough time to heal any ailments and health problems. After long hours of busy work and study, your eyes as well as your body, requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep during the night. If you do not sleep well, your eyes may become sunken and dark circles may appear around your eyes. Moreover, working or playing the game in front of the computer for hours also affect your eye’s health and result in tired red dry eyes. Therefore, it is essential for you to let your eyes relax by turning off your computer and going to bed early. Sleep at least 7 hours per day and avoid looking at the screen of your computer in a period. Doing these small things for one week, you can see a significantly different result^[11].

5. Turn On Enough Light

Many people make mistakes when they watch television and use a computer without light. The darkness of your room and the lights coming from the screen of the television and computer may result in eyestrain. Therefore, it is recommended placing a lamp with enough light next to your television and computer. That helps you not only see images on the screen more clearly but also keep your eyes from regulating too much.

Use perturbed lamps when you read books. The perturbed lamps make the light shine directly into the pages. Moreover, a bed headboard light is highly recommended for bookworms who like reading books on their bed. The bed headboard light may help to prevent eye strain.

When you work or play the game in front of the computer, you should have a bulb that is effective in lighting the room and your keyboard.

It is recommended that wearing eye protection glasses when you ride on the road. The eye protection glasses may help to protect your eyes from dust and sunlight. Moreover, sunglasses are necessary if your eyes are exposed to the sun. The sunlight may affect your eyes and make your eyes drier.

6. Warm Compresses

Tears contain water and oily glandular secretions. Warm compresses may stimulate the production of higher-quality tears by boosting the circulation levels in the eyelids. It helps to open the clogged meibomian glands and soften the hardened meibum, relieving dry eyes^[12]. You need to apply warm compresses to your closed eyelids. The warm compresses need to be done with a proper temperature. Less frequent or shorter use of warm compresses with different temperature may give ineffective results. The ideal temperature of the warm compresses should be at 108 degrees Fahrenheit, according to some researchers.

You will need:

• Warm water
• A clean cloth or towel

Do this:

• Soak the towel or cloth into the water
• Squeeze to remove the extra water
• Place the wet towel or cloth to your closed eyelids
• Let it sit for 10 minutes
• Repeat the warm compresses twice a day to get a satisfactory result

7. Change The Environment

Environmental factors like dust, allergens, and sunlight are causes of dry eyes. If you live in an unfavorable environment, you should make some positive changes. Follow some suggestions to prevent the dry eyes from worsening and fasten the healing process.

• Avoid smoking or staying around people who are smoking because smoking not only affects the overall health but also results in dry eyes^[13].
• Do not go out if the weather is windy. The wind may make your eyes drier and result in several eye problems^[14]. It is recommended to wear eyeglasses to protect your eyes from dust and the wind if you have to take part in the particular outside activities such as skiing, riding a bike or motorbike, and riding in the convertible
• Use a humidifier in your room to maintain the moisture of your eyes after studying or working in long hours^[14].

8. Break

Your eyes may become tired, red and dry when you use a computer or laptop in a long time. It is recommended that looking away from your computer and looking at other things that are 20 feet from your eyes. When you feel your eyes tired and strain, you should close your eyes and take a break for at least 20 minutes before working or study again. It is an easy tip on how to treat dry eyes and relieve eye strain you can do at home.

9. Frequent Eyelid Cleaning

This treatment is recommended for people who get diagnosed with blepharitis and some eye conditions related to eyelid inflammation. Therefore, it is recommended that cleaning your eyelids frequently to get rid of dry eyes^[12].

In order to clean your eyelids, you can use a mild soap or wash.

Method 1: Use A Mild Soap

You will need:

• Baby shampoo or any mild soap that is recommended by doctors

Do this:

• Place the soap on your fingertips
• Apply it to the closed eyelids and massage it gently
• Use normal warm water to remove the soap on your eyelids

Method 2: Use mild wash

You will need:

• A mild eyelid wash (Or you can mix water with baby shampoo)

Do this:

• Close your eyes
• Use mild wash to massage your eyelids gently
• Rinse it off with lukewarm water

10. Water

Dehydration may increase the risk of dry eyes^[15]. Therefore, it is recommended to increase the water intake during the day. Water plays an important role in boosting the metabolic activities of your body. The need for water depends on age, gender, and physical condition. A woman requires 90 oz. of water per day to keep your body hydrated while a man needs to drink at least 125 oz. of water daily. 20 percent of water in your body is taken from foods while you take a rest from the purified drinking water.

11. Green Tea Or Tea Bags

Green tea is widely consumed because of its amazing benefits for health and beauty. Moreover, green tea or tea bags are beneficial for dry eyes. Green tea is packed with antioxidants and polyphenols that are contributed to benefits of green tea include reducing the risk of cancer, preventing heart disease, treating type 2 diabetes and aiding in weight loss^[16]. Green tea may treat dry eyes by hydrating your eyes^[17]. Undoubtedly, green tea or tea bags are one of the simple natural home remedies to treat dry eyes.

Here is the instruction on how to use tea bags for dry eyes relief.

You will need:

• 2 or 3 tea bags
• A cup of hot water
• Two cotton balls

Do this:

• Dip tea bags in hot water
• Let it soak for a few minutes
• Soak two cotton balls into the tea
• Place these two cotton balls onto your eyelids while you lie on the flat surface
• Let it sit on your closed eyelids for 5 to 10 minutes
• Use the warm water to rinse your eyelids

You should repeat this treatment twice or thrice a week to get a significant result.

12. Zinc

In addition to potassium, zinc is also included in a list of necessary nutrients for eye health. Zinc deficiency may result in dry eyes as well as other eye problems^[18] Zinc helps keep different body systems function well and stimulates the activity of approximately 100 enzymes, especially enzymes of the eye’s vascular coating.

People who do not consume enough zinc through their diet are vulnerable to diseases and ailments. A recommended dietary daily zinc intake for women is 8 mg per day while a man needs to consume 11 mg of zinc per day. For the fast result and convenience, you can take zinc supplements after consulting your doctor or a health care provider. However, it is advisable for you to eat zinc-rich foods such as fish, legumes, mushrooms, kelp, liver, yeast, sunflower seeds, whole grain and so on.

13. Castor Oil

Castor oil is said to boost lymphatic circulation as an amazing poultice; therefore, it is one of the effective home remedies for dry eyes you can apply at home. This oil is often used in Ayurveda to treat and prevent floaters cataracts. Moreover, castor oil may help for eye detoxification. Many studies found out that castor oil may work for dry eyes caused by meibomian gland dysfunction^[19].

In order to treat dry eyes, you need to put two drops of castor oil in both of your eyes each night. You should repeat this treatment until you see a satisfactory result.

14. Tamarind Seeds

Tamarind is a fruit of the Tamarindusindica. This fruit is grown widely in India and it is often added into Indian cuisine. People living in rural areas eat roasted tamarind seeds as their healthy delicious snack. These seeds can be found in the dry season. Tamarind seeds are rich in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin C, calcium, and amino acids^[20]. Because of the high nutrient content, tamarind seeds possess numerous health benefits. One of the benefits is treating dry eyes^{[21] [22]}.

You will need:

• Warm water
• Some tamarind seeds

Do this:

• Put some tamarind seeds in water
• Let these seeds stay for 5 to 10 minutes
• Strain the solution
• Apply this solution around your eyes
• Wash it off with warm water

It is recommended doing this treatment once or twice a day to get a significant result.

15. Rose Water

Rose water is recommended as one of the natural home remedies for dry eyes and sore eyes. Regular application of rose water may give you a significant relief because it contains anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties^[23]. When you use the rose water solution, the discomfort and irritation caused by dry eyes may disappear after around five minutes.

Do this:

• Soak a cotton ball in the rose water
• Apply the cotton balls to your closed eyes
• Let it sit in a few minutes
• Remove the cotton balls

It is recommended doing this treatment several times a day to get a satisfactory result.

16. Chamomile Tea

The chamomile tea made from the dried blossoms is often used to treat various health ailments. Bisabolol found in chamomile is responsible for those benefits of chamomile tea. Bisabolol contains calming and antimicrobial properties. Moreover, containing anti-inflammatory and cooling effects, chamomile tea may help to retain the lost moisture and relieve your eye tiredness. Chamomile tea is also one of the effective home remedies to help you relieve dry eyes by reducing the irritation^{[24] [25]}. When you apply this remedy, you need to follow these steps below:

You will need:

• One teaspoon of dried chamomile flower
• Two cotton balls
• 200 ml of boiling water

Do this:

• Take a teaspoon of chamomile flower (you can use chamomile tea bag instead)
• Pour it into the boiling water
• Let the dried chamomile flower or tea bags steep in boiling water for 15 minutes
• Then, let it cool
• Soak two cotton balls into the cool chamomile tea
• Apply the wet cotton balls to your eyelids and the surface around your eyes
• Leave it for 15 minutes
• Soak the cotton balls again in the cool chamomile tea when the cotton balls become dry
• Repeat it until you feel rejuvenated and your dry eyes get a significant relief
• Wash your eyes with warm water to finish
• Follow this remedy twice a day daily until your condition is improved

When you do this treatment, make sure that you close your eyes to prevent the liquid from getting into your eyes. Sometimes, you also use the leftover tea bag over your eyes. It will help you get rid of the redness of eyes.

17. Aloe Vera

18. Lavender Oil

This oil is also one of the effective and helpful home remedies for dry eyes. It has many benefits on health, including eyes because it contains antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory effects^[30]. Moreover, lavender oil is beneficial for preventing and reducing anxiety and depression^[31]. That is the reason why lavender oil may relieve dry eyes caused by antidepressants.

So following this direction is necessary.

• Prepare a bowl of warm water
• Now, put 2 – 3 drops of lavender oil into it
• Mix well
• Next, dip two cotton balls in this mixture
• After that, squeeze out excess mixture from the balls
• Finally, put them on your eyes. Remember to close your eyes before applying the balls
• Do this remedy twice or thrice per day daily until your eyes are better

19. Cucumber

Cucumber is the simplest remedy you can apply when you have dry eyes. It may help your eyes relax and moisture because cucumber contains 95% water^[32]. Using cucumber may help to eliminate toxins that cause eye problems, including dry eyes. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory properties of cucumber are beneficial in relieving the puffiness of your eyes and treating dry eyes by supplementing a great source of vitamin A^[33]. For the optimum result, you should keep cucumber slices in a refrigerator for a couple of minutes before applying. The cold temperature can numb the dry sensation. Thus, whenever your eyes are dry, let’s go to the kitchen, take a cucumber and follow these steps below:

• First, cut a fresh cucumber into slices
• After that, put them into the refrigerator in order to let them cool in a few minutes
• Next, take the cucumber slices out
• Then, close your eyes
• Finally, put the cool slices on your closed eyes and leave them on at least 20 minutes
• Keep doing this method several times per day as needed
• Repeat every day till you see the result

20. Potato

Potatoes are packed with carbohydrates and vitamin C; therefore, potatoes are often used to benefit your skin, hair, and health^[34]. Moreover, potatoes are rich in vitamin A and E, which are essential for dry eyes. The reason you should use it to treat dry eyes is that it may provide the cooling effect. Or in other words, potatoes give you a relief from dry eyes and helps to hydrate your eyes. Potatoes may help you get rid of dark circles and give you cooling and hydrating effects that help to relieve the discomfort and irritation caused by dry eyes. The use of potato is easily applied at home. Here is the recipe you are looking forward

• Now, take a potato
• Then, grate it
• After that, place it on your affected eyes before you go to bed
• Follow this once a day daily until you see the improvement

21. Warm Milk With Honey

Honey contains amazing antibacterial properties^[35]. Meanwhile, milk includes soothing properties^[36]. So when you combine both ingredients, you will get a better result for this situation. And here is the direction which you can follow in order to get rid of dry eyes:

• Take an equal amount of honey and warm milk
• Mix them well together
• Continue stirring it until the honey becomes smooth in the milk
• Now, store it in a dropper
• Drop 2 or 3 drops into your affected eyes every day for several times until your condition is improved

22. Almond Milk, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Honey, And Cloves

The mixture of almond milk, turmeric, cinnamon, honey, and cloves are highly recommended if you have dry eyes. Almond contains a lot of nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B2, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus^[37], so it has many benefits on health and skin, including smoothing the skin^[38]. Turmeric has curcumin which is packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties^[39] and beneficial for treating eye disorders such as dry eyes^[40] while cinnamon possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that may increase the sensitivity to insulin^[41]. As mentioned above, honey contains antibacterial and antifungal properties, which are effective for relieving dry eyes^[42] while cloves are packed with antioxidant and antimicrobial effects^[43]. The mixture of almond milk, turmeric, cinnamon, honey, and cloves can work for dry eyes if applied regularly.

You will need:

• 1/8 tablespoon of cloves
• One tablespoon of turmeric powder
• One teaspoon of honey
• ½ tablespoon of cinnamon powder
• A sufficient amount of almond milk

Do this:

• Make the almond milk warm
• Sprinkle the cinnamon powder, turmeric, and cloves into the warm almond milk
• Add one teaspoon of honey into this mixture
• Mix all these ingredients well
• Consume this mixture

You will get the visible result if you consume it daily for a few weeks. Besides treating dry eyes, this mixture is beneficial in preventing many problems and ailments related to eyes.

23. Gooseberry Juice And Honey

It’s the best idea when using the combination between gooseberry juice and honey. Gooseberry juice has been used to treat many diseases and protect the general health, including improving eye health^[44]. Here is the recipe you are looking for:

• Now, take a gooseberry
• Then, extract the juice from it
• Next, add a teaspoon of honey into it
• After that, mix well
• Finally, drink this juice
• Repeat twice or thrice per day daily till your situation is much better

24. Almond Oil With Castor Oil

Scientists have found that almond oil may be used for different health and beauty benefits. Almond oil is made from an almond tree that is available in the Mediterranean region and Southeast Asia. Almond oil is beneficial in promoting heart health and treating many skin issues. This healing oil has a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, potassium, protein, and zinc, which are also the essential nutrition for healthy eyes^[45].

As we mentioned above, castor oil is often used to treat many issues related to the eyes, especially dry eyes caused by meibomian gland dysfunction

The mixture of castor oil and almond oil is a good treatment for relieving dry eyes too. And you should follow this direction here to reduce dry eyes:

You will need:

• ½ teaspoon of almond oil
• ½ teaspoon of castor oil

Do this:

• Now, take a few drops of almond oil as well as a few drops of castor oil
• After that, mix them well together
• Apply the mixture of oil under your eyes before you go to bed
• Do this every day until you feel better

Additionally, you can apply this mixture of oil during the day as needed. The oil solution for dry eyes should be applied in the day time only to prevent blurred vision.

Additional Tips:

Along with applying one of the home remedies above, you should also follow these tips below in order to treat or prevent dry eyes:

• Keep your eyes moisture from evaporating
• Clean your eyelids with mild soap or baby shampoo
• Do not irritate your eyes
• Use artificial tear drop whenever you feel uncomfortable
• Decrease the salt in your diet
• Get an eye exam regularly
• Massage your lower and upper lids twice a day daily
• Stop wearing contact lenses

In order to keep your eyes healthy and well-hydrated, you should maintain a good diet and healthy lifestyles. It is important for you to avoid any factors causing dry eyes. Apply those introduced simple natural home remedies for dry eyes and change your lifestyle to see the difference. If you want to know more about natural home remedies for other diseases and conditions, go to our main Home Remedies page. After reading this article, we hope that you can find out the best and the most suitable home remedies to get rid of your dry eyes easily and quickly. However, the article is only for informational purposes; therefore, you should see your doctor in order to get the advice before applying any home remedies to relieve your dry eyes. If you have any questions, or you know other at home remedies for dry eyes, please leave them below.