Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) May 05, 2015
Every year, news articles appear warning about the summer and winter dry eye seasons. Turns out, the worst dry eye season is spring, also known as allergy season, when the atmospheric pollen count spikes in most of the United States. The only season offering a respite from seasonal dry eye is autumn. Fresh water advocate Sharon Kleyne, host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® radio show, will discuss spring dry eye on her radio show of May 11, 2015. Kleyne is the inventor of Nature’s Tears® EyeMist® for dry eyes.
For the live show or to hear a podcast, go to http://www.SharonKleyneHour.com.
The syndicated Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® radio show, hosted by fresh water advocate Sharon Kleyne, is heard weekly on VoiceAmerica and Apple iTunes (Monday, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time). The education oriented show is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua® Research, founded by Kleyne and specializing in fresh water, atmosphere and dehydration. Nature’s Tears® EyeMist® is the Research Center’s signature product for instant dry eye relief.
Pollen allergies, also knows as “pollenosis” or “allergic rhinitis,” Kleyne notes, occur largely in spring because that’s when most wind pollinated (“anemophilous”) plants bloom (as opposed to bee or animal pollinated plants). The most common wind pollinated plants are trees, including conifers and the vast majority of broadleaf trees. All release their pollen in spring.
The flowers on oaks or maples are very small and often barely noticeable because they don’t need to attract bees, say Kleyne. Buckeye, dogwood and magnolia are bee pollinated trees with large, attractive flowers. The pollen from bee and animal pollenated plants does not get into the air and does not cause allergies. Ragweed, a common cause of hay fever, wind pollinates in mid-summer.
Although “allergic rhinitis” means “allergy of the nose,” itching and watery eyes are also common symptoms, according to Kleyne. In people with pollen allergies, wind borne pollens cause surface irritation of the nose and eyes, stimulating the release of histamines and other inflammatory hormones. The result is redness and inflammation of the eyes and nasal passages.
The surface of the eyes is 99 percent water, according to Kleyne. The basal tear film that covers the eyes contains oils, proteins, salt and antibodies in addition to water. A decrease in tear film water of only 2 percent can trigger dry eye symptoms, including itching and watery eyes. Pollen dehydrates the tear film because pollen is a water attractant, says Kleyne. Pollen also stimulates “reflex tearing” to wash the pollen away - hence, the watery eyes. The presence of inflammatory hormones is further dehydrating and tends to perpetuate any dry eye symptoms that develop.
Water eyes only replace basal tear film water for a few minutes, according to Kleyne. The net effect of watery eyes is a loss of basal tear film water. However, reflex tearing also washes away the pollen.
Winter is the worst dry eye season, says Kleyne, because cold air can’t hold as much water as warmer air and thus tends to be very dry. Cold winter air is extremely dehydrating to body surfaces. Indoor air with forced air heating and cooling is also dehydrating in winter. In contrast, summer dry eye occurs when warming temperatures increase kinetic activity in the tear film’s water content, increasing the evaporation rate into the surrounding atmosphere.
Spring, atmospheric conditions are ideal for eyes – moderate humidity and moderate temperatures. Under these ideal conditions, the eyes are able to absorb water vapor directly from the surrounding atmosphere. The only problem, Kleyne notes, is the high pollen count. As the eye absorbs the humidity droplets, it also absorbs any pollen around which the water droplets may have formed.
The recommended allergic rhinitis treatment is allergy shots. Kleyne offers other recommendations to keep eyes moist and hydrated in spring. The best way to will soothe spring dry eye, calm redness and irritation, and dilute inflammatory hormones is to maintain the film’s water content. The eyes’ surface can be kept moist by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day – in addition to all other fluid intake - and by supplementing the tear film’s natural moisture content with Nature’s Tears® all-natural, 100% water EyeMist®.
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