For the 77 million people in the United States who suffer from dry eyes, ophthalmologist Robert Latkany promises quick relief.
"Eye irritation is not normal," he writes in his latest book, The Dry Eye Remedy (Hatherleigh Press, $15.95).
He says the condition of dry eyes (also known as dysfunctional tear syndrome) "often starts as a minor irritation but can develop into a major problem affecting your vision and appearance. Or it can be a signal of a deeper disorder."
He is the founder and director of the Dry Eye Clinic in New York; in addition, he is active in research on the subject.
"Intermittent blurry vision and chronic irritation sap the person's energy and rob the body of its natural vigor," he writes.
In The Dry Eye Remedy, he gives dry-eye sufferers simple and practical ways to improve their vision, reduce wrinkles and redness and restore overall eye health -- without surgery.
He provides up-to-date health-care information and ways for dry-eye sufferers to change their environment and lifestyle by installing humidifiers and drinking more water.
He says some over-the-counter remedies for dry eyes "only offer temporary relief." And a more radical solution -- eyelid surgery -- might "make problems worse," he writes. He's also not a big advocate of eye drops. One of the most reliable remedies, he writes, is to set up what he describes as a "Home Eye Spa," with a soothing eye-cleansing massage you can give to yourself. One of the easiest solutions, he says, is to simply put a warm washcloth over your eyelids and relax.