Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) are a treatment we prescribe for dry eyes.  The reason fish oils can help with dry eye symptoms is because our tears are made up an oily layer that is produced by oil glands that line our eyelids (meibomian glands). Fish oil improves the stability of the oil layer of our tears, making the tears take longer to evaporate, so they stay in our eyes longer. 

When the meibomian glands are inflamed (meibomitis) they don’t produce the oils needed to keep the eyes hydrated.  The EPA in fish oil suppresses this inflammation, which dramatically reduces the gritty irritation you might have upon waking in the morning.

Most health organizations recommend a daily intake of at least 250–500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA.  Even if you absolutely love fish, you would be spending a lot of coin to get your recommended dose.  Because most of us don’t consume that much, Dr. B recommends taking a high quality omega 3 supplement such as EZ Tears from Eye Promise.  EZ tears by Eye Promise is a high quality omega 3 supplement that contains all the recommended ingredients: a high percentage of DHA and EPA as well as other anti-inflammatory factors (evening primrose oil, turmeric root extract, etc.) to reduce inflammation and improve dry eye symptoms. With a 30 day money-back guarantee, this is Dr. B’s top choice (read about how to avoid the fish burps here)

Vegetarian, or just not a fan of anything “fish”? Retaine’s Flax seed oil is a good alternative to fish oil, suggests Dr. B.  Learn more about how fish oil helps the eyes here.