Sharon Kleyne Reveals The Truth about Dry Eye, Water and the Cornea.

Corneal dry eye could begin with water loss from the eye's tear film.

"Ocular dryness (dry eye) can deplete corneal stem cells."
Ula Jurkunas, MD, Harvard Medical School, July 11, 2011

Sharon Kleyne - researcher, lecturer, author, entrepreneur

Sharon Kleyne, water and health advocate, Bio-Logic Aqua Research Founder, and host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour - Power of Water radio talk show. New educational dry eye discovery will motivate the public to become more proactive in taking better care of their eyes - and the importance of the function of water in the tear film. The importance of water in alleviating dry eye symptoms and maintaining corneal health was discussed during two on-air interviews by Sharon Kleyne, with Harvard Corneal Researcher Dr. Ula Jurkunas, a clinician scientist heading corneal research (July 11, 2011) and with Lasik pioneer Dr. Marguerite McDonald, a clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at NYU and refractive eye surgeon (June 1, 2009).

Nearly everyone experiences dry eye and eye dehydration symptoms, including infants. Dry eye caused by dry air and diet accounts for 80% of eye doctor visits in the United States. Dry eye can lead to blindness. Most people in the world do not take the condition of dry eye seriously.

Recent research at Harvard University and elsewhere, now provides a graphic picture of just what happens, physically, when the eye surface, especially the protective "tear film" covering the cornea (the clear part of the eye), begins to lose water, resulting in dry eye and dehydration symptoms.

Doctors Jurkunas and McDonald agreed with Mrs. Kleyne that loss of water in the tear film is the underlying cause of dry eye. According to Dr. Jurkunas, "It is important to keep the cornea clear and hydrated. When the tear film is too dry, the cornea becomes somewhat irritated and opaque." According to Dr. McDonald, "When the tear film lacks sufficient water, small corneal ulcers can begin." Chronic dry eye could cause loss of vision.

According to Dr. Jurkunas, "Corneal stem cells originate in the conjunctiva (the fleshy inner corner of the eye) and migrate across the white (sclera) to the corneal epithelium (the membrane covering the cornea)." Ocular dryness can cause stem cell deficiency.

Dr. Jurkunas explains that chronic dry eye, eye infections, allergies, and other conditions, can lead to a permanent impairment in the production of corneal stem cells. This is called "corneal stem cell disorder."

Dr. McDonald reported that dry eye disease is a health crisis in the United States that can lead to severe eye discomfort, loss of work productivity, stress, fatigue, allergies, impaired vision, and, ultimately, blindness. Sharon Kleyne revealed research has discovered that dry eye and tear film dehydration can be caused by numerous environmental conditions, including dry air (low humidity), polluted air, improper diet, sugar, lack of sleep, climate change, wind, insulated walls and windows, forced air heating and cooling - and most importantly, not drinking enough pure, 100% water.

Both Dr. McDonald and Dr. Jurkunas agreed with Sharon Kleyne's concerns about the global dry eye crisis and her assertion that "good hydration equals good vision."

Listen to Sharon Kleyne Hour - Power of Water airs Mondays, 10 a.m., PST/PDT. The syndicated show is heard on Voice America/World Talk Radio, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes. Go to www.SharonKleyneHour.com for summaries and replays of past shows.