Eyes Can Be an Indicator of General Health During Flu Season: Tips for Easing Discomfort

Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) January 16, 2014

Eyes are a mirror of general health and can be helpful as an early warning of impending illness, reports water and eye researcher Sharon Kleyne. This can be especially beneficial during winter flu season, says Kleyne, because the sooner one becomes aware that they are coming down with the flu, the more can be done to lessen its severity.    

Sharon Kleyne hosts the globally syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water® radio show on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes. Kleyne is Founder of Bio Logic Aqua Research, a fresh water and health research, education and product development center. The Research Center’s global signature product, Nature’s Tears® EyeMist®, provides a personal humidifying mist that prevents dry eye by instantly supplementing lost tear film water.

Most physicians, Kleyne notes, recognize a relationship between eye health and physical health. There is even an alternative medical practice called “iridology” that professes to observe changes in the iris in the eyes as an early indicator of systemic health problems    

Even if iridology ultimately proves to be a pseudoscience with no validity, says Kleyne, the eyes still reflect general health. When the body is tired, run down and unhealthy, the eyes will look dull, red and droopy. When the body is healthy, happy and alert, this will almost always be reflected in the appearance of the eyes.

When the body is fighting off disease, according to Kleyne, the first symptom is invariably dehydration or loss of systemic water, which can range from slight to severe. When the body begins to lose water, it is felt first in the eyes and mouth. Dehydration, says Kleyne, is a primary flu symptom.

The surface of the eye is 98% water. When the eyes lose some of their water content because of dehydration and illness, says Kleyne, “dry eye” symptoms are often experienced. These symptoms include itching and burning eyes, grainy eyes, blurred vision, headache and feelings of stress. These symptoms may go unnoticed but can be revealing.

Kleyne points out that doctors recommend “drinking plenty of water” as a basic component of flu treatment. For healthy individuals, Kleyne recommends at least eight glasses of water per day, in addition to all other fluid intake. To alleviate dry eye symptoms, Kleyne recommends the application of an all-natural humidifying mist to supplement lost tear film water. Nature’s Tears® EyeMist®, from Bio Logic Aqua Research is specifically intended as an all-water tear film supplement for dry eye.

Does it work the other way? Can health be improved or the flu avoided by providing supplemental moisture to dry eyes? That is a complex question, says Kleyne. Drinking additional water can be extremely beneficial and keeping the tear film well hydrated, at the very least, will greatly benefit eye health. Kleyne notes that the eyes are a major bacterial and viral entry point. That’s why physicians specifically caution not to touch the eyes after possible flu exposure. Viral and bacterial entry is far less likely when the tear film is healthy and fully humidified.

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