Tuna Appears To Help Eye Sufferers After Laser Eye Surgery

Phyllis Knapp, a secretary from Kalamazoo, Mich., knows all too much about an ocular condition called dry-eye syndrome. Her eyes burned all the time. At times, the pain was so unbearable, it was as if acid had been thrown in her face. During breaks at work she'd cover her eyes with a cold compress to get relief. Finally, the distraction became so unrelenting that she left her job.

"There's no relief from it; the only relief you get is when you shut your eyes," she says.

An estimated 8 million to 10 million people in the United States, mostly women, suffer from dry-eye syndrome. It can't be cured with a few eye drops, and it leaves its sufferers with burning eyes, blurred vision and the need to protect their eyes from the elements at all times.

The causes vary. Some, including Knapp, reported that their symptoms first occurred after laser eye surgery. But it especially affects women as they age, most likely the result of hormonal changes that cause them to produce smaller amounts of the lipids that are normally in tears.

There is no known cure for the condition, but research suggests something sufferers can do: Eat tuna.

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