Acupuncture for Dry Eye Relief?

Acupuncture^[1] may help ease dry eye syndrome^[2], a small study^[3] suggests.

Published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the study involved 36 people with dry eye syndrome (a condition that occurs when the eyes don’t produce enough to tears to stay properly lubricated). For four weeks, each participant received acupuncture three times weekly. At the end of the treatment period, patients showed a decrease in dry eye symptoms and an increase in their eyes’ watery secretion.

It’s not known how acupuncture might help relieve dry eye syndrome, a disorder most prevalent among people over age 65. Often treated with over-the-counter artificial tears, dry eye syndrome might also improve with the use of omega-3 fatty acids^[4] (healthy fats thought to tame the inflammation^[5] associated with dry eye).

For more help in boosting your defense against dry eye, make sure to stay hydrated and break frequently when performing activities that require prolonged periods of visual attention.

References^{^} Acupuncture (altmedicine.about.com)^{^} dry eye syndrome (altmedicine.about.com)^{^} study (www.liebertonline.com)^{^} omega-3 fatty acids (altmedicine.about.com)^{^} inflammation (altmedicine.about.com)