Fact Check: Can Exercise Help with Dry Eyes?

It's no surprise that exercise promotes general health and fitness but can exercise help with dry eyes?

Dry and itchy eyes can result from many things, including computer usage, ageing, hormone changes and a sedentary lifestyle. Research does show that some exercises can help some people reduce the symptoms of dry eyes.

Here's all the scoop you need to know about the factors and exercises you can do to avoid itchy eyes:

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What is Dry Eyes?

There are three levels to tears. The three layers are the watery middle layer, the inner mucus layer and the oily outside layer.

Dry eye syndrome can develop if the glands that make the different components of your tears are swollen or don't generate enough water, oil or mucus.

Your tears will evaporate more quickly if they lack oil, and your eyes won't be able to retain moisture over time.

The following are causes of dry eye syndrome:

• Hormone Replacement Treatment
• Exposure to the wind or dry air, such as ongoing heater use in the wintertime, can cause allergies
• LASIK surgery for eyes
• Several drugs, such as birth control pills, nasal decongestants, antidepressants, and antihistamines
• Ageing
• Long-term contact lens use
• staring at a computer for long hours without blinking

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How Exercise Can Help?

Exercise, which primarily involves large muscle groups, also has distinct effects on your eyes.

Researchers have explored how aerobic exercise might benefit your vision. It's been found that exercise increases blood circulation, which in turn reduces intraocular pressure, a measure of fluid pressure inside the eye.

Aerobic exercises can help improve your eye vision. (Image via Pexels / Arina Krasnikova)

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the rear of the eye is filled with a jelly-like substance called vitreous humor, and the front of the eye is filled with a more watery liquid called aqueous humor. A little amount of fresh aqueous humor constantly enters a healthy eye, while an equal amount also drains away. This equal flow corresponds to a constant pressure.

Too much pressure in the eye can damage your optic nerve and cause blindness, although some people can have high intraocular pressure without any effects. Exercise also has other benefits on the eyes, such as lowering inflammation and increasing tear secretion, both of which help with dry eye issues.

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Exercises to Do for Dry Eyes

Blinking exercises are easy to do and can be seamlessly integrated into your day. To do them, simply blink rapidly 2-3 times a minute. Here are some exercises you can do everyday at home or anywhere:

1) Close-Pause-Pause-Open-Relax

Here's how you do it:

• Close your eyes.
• Pause, and keep them closed for two seconds.
• Open your eyes; relax, and repeat five times.

2) Close-Pause-Pause-Squeeze-Open-Relax

To do this exercise:

• Close your eyes softly without squeezing them.
• For two seconds; pause, and close your eyes.
• Squeeze your eyelids together slowly and softly, keeping your eyes closed.
• Relax your eyes, and slowly open them.

Exercising the body helps keep the eyes in shape and reduces eye strain. One of the main reasons eyes get dry is due to working on a computer all day long. To prevent dry eyes, consider using lots of eye drops during the day and resting your eyes periodically during the day as well as after working on a computer or reading.

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Importance of Blinking Your Eyes

It's crucial to fully lubricate your eyes with each blink. Blinking insufficiently might make the symptoms of dry eyes worse.

Simply check your eyes in the mirror to see if you are blinking completely. You can partially blink if your eyes feel dry, look re, or have a horizontal band of red blood vessels across them.

You might have dry eye syndrome if you've added blinking exercises to your routine but are still experiencing eye irritation.

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Alternative Home Remedies to Try

Dry-eye syndrome can be treated with omega-3 fatty acid supplements, which must be taken regularly for at least three months to see improvement.

If environmental factors are to blame for your dry eyes, try changing your way of life. For example, quit smoking, and wear eye protection when exercising outdoors in windy conditions.

Your home's humidifier can add moisture to the air, which can help reduce dry eyes.

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Bottom Line

Yes—a session at the gym - whether that means weight lifting or aerobics can improve your vision.

It may even reduce the risk of developing AMD (Age-related macular degeneration) in the future. However, eye doctors caution that you shouldn’t expect to see a massive improvement from a single workout session. The real magic happens when you begin an exercise routine, and keep it up consistently.

However, if your symptoms become bothersome or even painful, you may want to go see an eye doctor to make sure they aren’t signs of something more serious, like keratoconus or a retinal tear.