Castor Oil for Dry Eyes

According to a study, castor oil could be effective in treating dry eyes in comparison to conventional dry eye supplements.

Researchers in Department of Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK conducted a study to determine the effect of an oil-in-water emulsion eye drop compared with a conventional dry eye supplement (hypromellose) on tear physiology in dry eye.

The researchers observed a total of 53 patients with mild to moderate dry eye (27 in emulsion group and 26 in hypromellose group) through a randomized parallel, longitudinal, and investigator-masked study.

Patients were instructed to use the test solutions three times a day for thirty days. Tear production, evaporation, lipid layer structure, and osmolality were measured before and thrity days after the use of the drops.

The results showed a statistically significant decrease after one month in tear evaporation rates with both emulsion and hypromellose. However, the decrease with emulsion was significantly greater than with hypromellose.

Lipid layer structure improved from day 1 to day 30 of the study with the emulsion but not with the hypermellose. No significant changes were seen in tear production and osmolality with either of the drops.

The study concluded that the oil-water emulsion was more effective in reducing tear evaporation than hypromellose after repeated application over a 1-month period.
This study showed the potential of the emulsion in the management of evaporative dry eye.

1.    Khanal S, Tomlinson A, Pearce EI, et al. Effect of an oil-in-water emulsion on the tear physiology of patients with mild to moderate dry eye. Cornea. 2007 Feb;26(2):175-81.