4 Home Remedies That Help Seniors With Dry Eyes
Seniors are often prone to having dry eyes. The weather, indoor air quality, and the medications that seniors take can all uninfluenced whether or not seniors develop dry eyes. Allergies and other conditions can contribute to dry eyes also. Even though dry eyes are rarely serious or dangerous they can be painful and quite annoying for seniors. Luckily there are some home remedies for dry eyes that seniors can try to alleviate the irritation, redness, and discomfort of dry eyes. The most recommended home remedies for dry eyes include.
A Hot Shower
Taking a hot shower can help relieve dry eyes. The warm moist air in the shower can help seniors feel better, especially in the winter when the air is dry and cold but the indoor air is hot and dry. If seniors don’t want to actually take a shower because they are afraid of falling elder care can help seniors feel safe in the shower. Or an elder care provider can run the shower so that the bathroom gets steamy and warm and your senior parent can just sit in the bathroom until their eyes feel less dry.
An Herbal Simmer Pot
An herbal steam works on the same principle as a shower, but it’s a little easier on seniors. Although your senior loved one will need help from an elder care provider or from you to prepare it. Fill a slow cooker with water and some herbs like lavender or chamomile. You can use lavender or chamomile tea bags to make cleanup easy. Turn the slow cooker on high and cover until the water is boiling. Then turn it to low and leave the lid off. Place it in the living room or whatever room your senior loved one likes to hang out in. Place it carefully out of the way so your senior loved one won’t trip on the cord and leave it going for a few hours. The warm steam and herbs will make the air warmer and wetter and eliminate dry eye. The herbs can help soothe the eyes too.
More Sleep
Seniors with dry eyes should try to get one or two more hours of sleep at night than they are currently getting. Sleep gives the eyes a chance to moisten themselves and recover from things like dryness and allergens. Sleeping with an eye mask on can help the quality of sleep and help the eyes stay hydrated all night.
A Warm Mist Humidifier
Using a warm mist humidifier in the bedroom and living room can push warm moist air through out the house. That warm moist air can make dry eyes a thing of the past for seniors. Just make sure that the humidifier doesn’t run all the time. If the humidifier is on too much the house could become moldy, which can lead to other health problems. Using a warm mist humidifier is also great for treating sinus problems at home.
