Tamarind helps cure dry, itchy eyes

An eye drop made from the seeds of tamarind tree is the new effective treatment for dry, sore, itchy eyes.

Rohto Dry Eye Relief, made by a Japanese firm, has been clinically proven to treat the condition, a newspaper reported.

The solution is a combination of hyaluronic acid and a polysaccharide made from the seeds of the tamarind tree.

Clinical trials have shown that volunteers using the Rohto eye drops had a five-fold improvement in their symptoms compared with a group using only hyaluronic acid.

The condition called “dry eye” syndrome affects up to a third of the population at some point in their lives and occurs where there is a low level of tear (or aqueous humour) production in the eye or an excessive loss of tears from evaporation or a combination of both.

Women are believed to be affected nine times more than men. Post-menopausal women tend to suffer more as they make fewer tears.


It can also be a side effect of some medications including diuretics, some antihistamines, the contraceptive Pill and beta-blockers.

Increasing levels of air pollution also mean our eyes are exposed to more potential irritants and bacteria.

The symptoms of “dry eye” include discomfort, a feeling of grittiness in the eye or a burning feeling, aversion to light and blurred vision.