The rapid worldwide increase in dry eye disease, according to researcher and radio talk show host Sharon Kleyne, is also creating a crisis in eye allergies, often called "allergic dry eye." Both dry eye and allergy eye involve loss of water in the eye's all-important tear film. Treat one condition, she advises, and you will usually alleviate the other.
Mrs. Kleyne's Bio-Logic Aqua Research Center has been studying the causes of dry eye and eye allergies. An important objective of the Research Center, and her Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water syndicated radio show, is education to enable listeners to recognize dry eye and allergy eye symptoms, and to suggest proactive steps to prevent or alleviate eye allergies.
An "allergy" may be defined as "an adverse immunological reaction to a substance that normally does not produce such a reaction." Adverse reactions to substances such as pollen, mold spores and pet dander (called "allergens"), are allergies because most people are not bothered by them. An adverse reaction to cigarette smoke, bee stings or polluted air is not technically an allergy because nearly everybody reacts to them.
A typical allergic reaction produces symptoms in the eyes, breathing passages and skin. Some allergens only bother the eyes. In our increasingly harsh and polluted global environment, it is important for everyone to take proactive measures to defend their eyes not only against allergens but against all airborne irritants.
The eye's primary defense against airborne allergens is the complex and extremely thin tear film that covers and protects the eye's cornea. The tear film is 99% water. Numerous environmental factors, from air pollution to air conditioning, can increase moisture (water) evaporation from the tear film, resulting in slight, moderate or even severe tear film dehydration (water loss). Tear film water loss may be so slight that no symptoms are felt.
(For additional information on tear film structure and function, visit www.naturestears.com or www.biologicaqua.com.)
For those sensitive to allergens such as pollen, the allergic reaction in the eyes will be more severe if tear film moisture is not at full capacity. The most effective (and least expensive) way to mitigate the effect of allergens and other airborne irritants on the eyes is to pay attention to the health of one's tear film and keep it humidified.
It is common knowledge among specialists that allergy eye (especially pollen allergies) is worse in hot, dry weather and better in cool, humid weather. That is because many allergy eye symptoms are made worse by tear film dehydration (with less water in the tear film, irritants and allergens become more concentrated).
Tear film dehydration is more commonly known as "dry eye" and the symptoms of dry and allergy eye are nearly identical
Standard dry eye remedies such as eye drops and redness relievers may be ineffective against allergy eye because they can wash away the natural tear film, including the evaporation-slowing lipid layer. Chemicals in these products can create their own adverse and allergic reactions.
The best way to soothe allergy eye, and mitigate the effect of environmental challenges such as polluted humidity that dehydrate the tear film, is to emulate cool, humid weather by adding pure, clean humidity (suspended water vapor droplets), to the air around the eyes. The humid mist is naturally absorbed by the tear film to provide immunology protection and help alleviate dry eye and allergy eye symptoms.
Nature's Tears® EyeMist® from Bio-Logic Aqua Research, is a all-natural, patented, personal hand-held humidifying device with no chemical formulations. The mist instantly humidifies a dehydrated tear film to soothe dry eye and allergy eye. Nature's Tears® EyeMist® is a sponsor of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water and is available on www.Amazon.com under "Computer Accessories" and "Health and Beauty."
The Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water is heard live on Mondays, 10 a.m., PST/PDT, on Voice America, World Talk Radio, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes. Go to www.SharonKleyneHour.com for written summaries and on-demand replays of past shows. Also visit www.naturestears.com, www.whatistheeye.wordpress.com, "Nature's Tears EyeMist" on Facebook and "Bio-Logic Aqua" on Twitter.
© 2012 Bio-Logic Aqua Research