No more chemistry. The key to treating dry eyes may be in our tears.

Recently, a group of scientists led by Juan F. Vega dived deep into the microcosm of human tears. They found that our tears are a complex soup of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, water and salts. This unique blend provides essential moisture and protection to the eyes that synthetic eye drops cannot.

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We all know the bad feeling we get after being on a plane on a long flight or working in an air-conditioned room for a few hours. There may be dryness in the eyes, itching or even a slight pain. In such situations, most of us automatically reach for a small bottle of eye drops to quickly deal with the resulting irritation. But few people think about the composition of these drops or their similarity to our tears. Recent scientific studies by scientists have lifted the veil of our own tears and shed light on a possible future treatment for dry eye conditions.

Therefore, for people suffering from dry eye syndrome, understanding the characteristics of human tears can lead to the creation of customized solutions based on artificial tears. They can provide more personalized and effective relief from troubling symptoms.

In the study, Vega and colleagues collected tears from a healthy human and tested ten different formulations of artificial tears. Their goal was to understand how changes in the composition of these artificial tears would affect their effectiveness.

But how can you examine something as small and complex as a tear? Researchers turned to a technique called microrheology. This is a miniature version of instruments used to test the fluidity and stability of liquids such as honey or motor oil, but this time for volumes the size of a tear.

In microrheology, scientists observe how tiny particles suspended in a liquid move. To do this, they shine a light on a liquid and study how the light reflects off the particles. Known as dynamic light scattering, this technique provides scientists with important insights into how a liquid behaves under different conditions. For example, what happens when you blink when it comes to artificial tears?

These studies apply to more than just eye health; they can affect everything from cosmetics to food technology. In these industries, understanding how to control a product’s texture, stability, and flow is crucial to product success.

Vega’s team has made new contributions to the study of human tears and the formulation of artificial tears. Its innovative methods can help us better understand and solve the problem of various eye diseases. The team aims to expand their research and study the tears of people with various eye conditions.

The promise of this research lies in the possibility of creating artificial tears tailored to individual needs, which can significantly improve the comfort and well-being of people suffering from dry eye symptoms. The next time you reach for an eyedropper bottle, remember that there’s a whole lot of science behind this small, nondescript bottle that works to make your eyes feel better.

Previously Focus wrote that eye drops effectively fight myopia. From a simple preliminary examination procedure to a potential panacea for childhood myopia, conventional eye drops have shown promising results in combating myopia in children.

Moreover Focus He wrote about how people managed to develop such a vision. Researchers believe we owe our unique vision not to gradual evolution but to the introduction of new DNA from bacteria.