Should you take fish oil if you have dry eyes?

I often have dry eyes from working with computers for long periods. Can I use fish oil to improve this condition? (Ha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply:

Dry eyes are often caused by reduced tear production or excessive tear evaporation, damaging the surface of the eyeball and causing discomfort. Common signs of dry eyes include dryness, burning sensation, a feeling of grit or foreign objects in the eye, blurred vision, and photophobia (sensitivity to light).

Fish oil is a type of medication or dietary supplement in the form of soft capsules. Typically, the market offers two types: fish oil containing fat-soluble vitamin A (or containing both vitamins A and D) and fish oil containing omega-3 fatty acids (sometimes with added omega-6).

Omega-3s are unsaturated fatty acids found in the fat of certain types of fish in cold, deep waters, such as salmon and tuna. Omega-3 fatty acids are good for cardiovascular health, helping to reduce bad cholesterol in the blood without affecting good cholesterol.

Using fish oil containing omega-3 fatty acids to improve dry eyes is incorrect. These fats also don't help treat eye disorders. If your dry eyes are due to a vitamin A deficiency, your doctor may prescribe fish oil capsules containing vitamin A.

To treat dry eyes, doctors prescribe eye drops called artificial tears. These contain 0.9% saline solution (NaCl), a viscosity-enhancing agent to help the medication stay in the eye longer, and other nutrients.

Ideally, you should visit a reputable medical facility with an ophthalmology department for examination. Depending on your condition, the doctor will prescribe appropriate medications, fish oil, etc., to provide optimal benefits. Supplementing with natural broccophane extract from broccoli helps increase thioredoxin, contributing to the protection of retinal pigment epithelial cells and the lens, helping to reduce dryness, blurred vision, eye strain, and improve eyesight.

Doctor Tran Thi Tra Phuong
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System

Readers can ask questions about nutrition here for the doctor to answer.

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