If you suffer from dry eye syndrome, you may find yourself plagued by constant inflammation, itchiness, and irritation. Along with more traditional home remedies for treating your condition, you may want to try this herbal treatment twice a day. The ingredients can be found in herbal shops, pharmacies, and some grocery stores.

What You Will Need

Before you use the remedy, you will need to gather the following items.

• Ten spearmint leaves
• Two chamomile tea bags
• One cup of water
• Small saucepan
• Small bowl
• One piece of cheesecloth large enough to cover the bowl
• Soft washcloth

Spearmint and chamomile will both moisten the membranes of the eyes and stimulate your natural tear production. They also have an anti-inflammatory effect that will reduce swelling and inflammation.

Directions

Once you have your ingredients and supplies together, follow the directions below to make and use the treatment.

1. Pour the water into the saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil.
2. Slightly crush the spearmint leaves with your fingers to release the oils.
3. Add the leaves to the boiling water.
4. After one minute, remove the pan from heat.
5. Add the chamomile tea bags.
6. Allow the mixture to cool until it is slightly warm to the touch, about a half an hour.
7. Place the cheesecloth on top of the bowl.
8. Remove the tea bags and throw them away.
9. Pour the mixture through the cheesecloth to strain out the spearmint leaves.
10. Place the washcloth in the bowl.
11. Slightly wring out the cloth. It should be moist but not dripping wet.
12. Fold the washcloth in half.
13. Place the cloth across your eyes and leave it there for 15 minutes. If the cloth dries out, dip it back into the remaining liquid and reapply.
14. Remove the washcloth and let your eyes air dry.
15. Repeat this treatment every morning and night.

Before placing the compress on your eyes, make sure it is lukewarm when it is first applied. If it is too cold, the tear ducts will become constricted. This could decrease tear production, drying out your eyes even more. However, the liquid should not be too hot either, since it could burn your eyelids or sensitive mucous membranes of the eyeballs.

When used consistently every morning and night, you should see a decrease in the severity and frequency of your symptoms within a week. However, if you are in constant discomfort, you may want to discuss prescription treatment options with your ophthalmologist. Check out websites like http://arizonaeyes.net for more info.