What causes dry eyes and are there supplements for dry eyes?

supplements for dry eyes

If you’re experiencing dry eyes, you are not alone. An estimated 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with dry eye, but the actual number of Americans suffering from dry eye symptoms is likely much higher. These millions of consumers are seeking help for their dry eye symptoms and have created a billion-dollar market; one that’s projected to reach $6.54 billion by 2027. Dry eyes are one of the most common complaints seen by optometrists, and many consumers are looking for dietary supplements that can provide nutritional support for their dry eyes.

Clinically studied Nutritears is a nutraceutical that combines the antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin, curcuminoids, and vitamin D3 to support eye hydration and comfort. Please keep reading to learn more about what causes dry eyes, dry eye symptoms, and dietary supplements for dry eyes.

What is dry eye?

Dry eye is what happens when your eyes either don’t produce enough tears or don’t produce enough of the right kind of tears to keep your eyes hydrated and support your vision. This can lead to sensations of discomfort in the eye. When your eyes are healthy, and you blink, tears spread over your eyes in a thin film. This cleans the surface of your eye and helps keep your vision clear. Despite its watery appearance, a healthy tear has three layers: oily, watery, and mucous.

  • The outside layer of a tear is oily, which gives the tear a smooth surface and prevents evaporation. The eye’s meibomian glands produce the oil in a tear.
  • The middle layer of a tear is watery and makes up most of a teardrop, giving tears their watery feel. The water in this layer washes away any dirt or particles on the eyeball and keeps the eye moist. The lacrimal glands in the eyelids produce this watery layer.
  • The inner layer of the tear is made of mucous. The mucous helps the watery layer spread over your eyeball, which is essential in keeping your eye wet enough. Mucous lets the moisture in your tears adhere to your eye. This important mucous is made in the conjunctiva.

What causes dry eyes?

Here are some of the potential causes of your dry eyes.

  • Aging. You make fewer tears as you grow old due to hormonal changes
  • Women are more likely to have dry eyes, especially if they have gone through the hormonal changes of menopause.
  • Certain health conditions can cause dry eyes.
  • Eyelid disorders, such as when the eyelid is turned out (ectropion) or turned inwards (entropion).
  • Exposure to irritating environments, such as being around cigarette smokers or being exposed to a forest fire or being in a very dry climate.
  • Using a computer or electronic screen for a long time.
  • Doing activities that reduce your rate of blinking, such as reading or using screens.
  • Long-term use of contact lenses.
  • If you’ve had corrective eye surgery like LASIK.
  • If you use specific medications such as: water pills, or diuretics, which increase urination and are used to treat high blood pressure; beta-blockers, which are used for heart conditions and high blood pressure; antihistamines, which are used for allergies and colds.

Dry eye symptoms

Dry eye symptoms can range from mild to severe. Many people self-treat with eye drops or artificial tears. Here are some of the common symptoms of dry eye:

  • Your eyes may feel like they are stinging
  • You may feel a burning sensation in your eyes
  • There may be a sensation of scratchiness in your eyes; some people describe this feeling as “gritty”
  • You may have mucous strings around your eyes or in your eyes, particularly upon waking up in the morning
  • You may have red eyes or other signs of irritation. These signs of irritation likely increase if you are exposed to blowing wind or secondhand smoke from a cigarette
  • Your contact lenses feel painful or irritating when you put them in your eyes
  • Your eyes are constantly tearing up or full of tears

Are there supplements for dry eyes?

While many people support their dry eyes with artificial tears, more than 60% of these consumers are dissatisfied with using eye drops. This is because the relief they offer is temporary, and it is inconvenient to reapply eye drops several times throughout the day. The lack of ease and effectiveness provided by eye drops has many consumers wondering if there are alternative approaches to manage dry eye symptoms, such as with nutritional supplements.

For many consumers, nutritional therapy is first on their minds when it comes to even occasional dry eye discomfort. Consumers are excited about the increasing evidence of the importance of nutrition when it comes to an all-natural supplement for dry eyes. In fact, 70% of consumers say that they think supplements are more effective or as effective as their current dry eye treatments.

Nutritears for occasional dry eyes

Nutritears is a nutritional supplement with a multi-modal approach to occasional dry eye discomfort. It is patent pending, and Nutritears’ effectiveness is backed by this clinical study. The Nutritears formulation uses a proprietary Integrative Actives platform to deliver natural support for discomfort associated with occasional dry eyes. Nutritears may also lessen the need for artificial tears and help to address the main issues of occasional dry eyes.

Benefits of Nutritears

Nutritears contains 20 mg of lutein, 4 mg of zeaxanthin isomers, 200 mg of curcuminoids, and 600 IU of vitamin D3. Lutein and zeaxanthin are potent antioxidants and are sourced from high-quality marigold flowers. Our curcuminoids, which are also powerful antioxidants, are found in the root of the turmeric plant.

A clinical study of Nutritears shows that it:

  • Helps support healthy moisture levels within the eye and increases eye hydration
  • May reduce tear loss and helps to support and improve the healthy production of tears, which naturally moisten the eye
  • May help to soothe the discomfort those with occasional dry eyes experience as soon as two weeks

How does Nutritears work?

Nutritears delivers comprehensive nutritional support for occasional dry eyes by using scientifically backed ingredients such as lutein, zeaxanthin, curcuminoids, and vitamin D3. Our concentrated formula delivers these ingredients in a smaller pill, making them easier to take. And our formula delivers multimodal benefits by combining ingredients that are known to support eye health and a healthy response to inflammation.

During this study, 60 participants experiencing mild to moderate dry eye symptoms were randomly given either Nutritears or a placebo, taking one capsule every morning.

The main conclusion was that Nutritears significantly improved dry eye symptoms in those taking the supplement. Eye hydration and moisture levels became healthier, tear stability and overall quality improved, as did eye comfort overall. Moreover, Nutritears was well tolerated by study participants, and there were no adverse effects reported.

Nutritears From OmniActive

If you’d like to offer the clinically demonstrated benefits of Nutritears to your customers, we’d love to work with you. Here at OmniActive, we’re pleased to offer our clinically backed, premium quality nutraceutical ingredients and our experience developing top-selling nutraceutical products. You’ll find innovative solutions here at OmniActive, which means you can formulate softgels, gummies, and chewable supplements with Nutritears. Please contact us with any questions, if you’d like a sample, or if you’re ready to start formulating.