My TheraTears Experiment: Day 1

Today marks my first day of taking the TheraTears supplement in hopes of regaining eye moisture. The instructions on the box say to give it 4 to 8 weeks before any significant results are seen. The bottle I bought, with 90 capsules, will last 30 days. So, I’ll give TheraTears a go and see if my dry eyes improve after a month or two.

I have to say, though, I did hesitate before buying a bottle of TheraTears. Sure, I’m a supporter of using natural supplements to enhance health, but “enhance” is the key word here. Balanced nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains is my main goal when it comes to staying healthy. Vitamins, herbs, and other supplements are just that—supplements.

Looking at the ingredients in TheraTears, I saw some basics—vitamin E, flaxseed oil, and fish oil. I thought, these ingredients are nothing new to my diet. I eat a variety of oily fish several times a week, mix flaxseed in my yogurt every day, and get an adequate amount of vitamin E through my everyday foods and also in my multivitamin.

So why in the world would I want to spend my money on this supplement? The short answer: I’m desperate. Seriously. My vision is getting increasingly blurry and my dry eyes are just bothering the heck out of me. Without vision coverage insurance, I am trying hard to avoid a visit to the ophthalmologist.

Besides, I think that’d be a waste of money anyway. When I did have health insurance and vision coverage, I saw both my family doctor and an ophthalmologist about my dry eyes. Neither one gave a damn about my problem; both basically said dry eye syndrome is common nowadays and nothing to worry about. (I’ve done a lot of reading since then and have learned otherwise. Don’t let your doctor off the hook about your dry eyes! There are several tests that can be used to diagnose dry eye syndrome.)

I decided to take TheraTears after reading about how flaxseed and fish oil tend to become oxidized before they can do a body any good. This is why vitamin E is included in each capsule; the vitamin E prevents this oxidation from occurring. Why is oxidation so bad (in this situation, anyway)? Well, the oxidation of fatty acids in flaxseed and fish oil produces free radicals. These free radicals are what we want to avoid, as studies have indicated that they may help certain diseases, including cancer, progress faster. Anyway, maybe this oxidation thing is why my regular dietary intake of flaxseed and fish oil hasn’t been easing my eye dry symptoms. Time will tell, right?

You can buy a 90-capsule bottle (a 30-day supply) on Amazon.com for $12.76. I was surprised at the cheap price because I saw other eye health supplements costing twice (sometimes 3 times) as much as TheraTears. It’s a wonder that this company doesn’t jack up the price, just to stay in line with the prices of the other eye health supplements. (Knock on wood, lol.)

I like that TheraTears was used in a 18-year research study conducted by the National Eye Institute, and with favorable results. It’s hard to know which eye health supplements to take and which ones not to bother with, especially when online product reviews can be faked and of course the company selling the supplement will say only positive things about their product. Knowing there was a study overseen by a U.S. government agency helps a bit in reassuring me that my money spent is not being wasted on a bunch of empty promises.

Anyhow, I’ll see where this TheraTears eye health supplement takes me. I’d be lying if I didn’t have high hopes for this product—I’m eager to get my normal eye moisture back!