I want to talk to you about a simple hack to help you stay on track with your dry eye treatment. It's called habit stacking.  If you haven't heard of habit stacking, I'm going to explain it here.  And, I'll even tell you why it's the best way, I think, to incorporate your dry eye treatment into your daily life.

First, let me tell you a little story.  Many years ago, when I was pregnant with my second child, I had something called "Gingivitis of Pregnancy". It was awful. Every time I brushed my teeth, my gums would bleed.  Just the lightest scrub, and I would have a bloody mouth. It was so awful.

I went to dentist to ask what to do.  I was distraught.  My gums were bleeding all the time.  I could just touch them, and they would start bleeding.  My dentist said, I had to start flossing...

Sometimes, we get eye infections.  They can seem to come out of no where.  Last week, I had one myself.  I want to tell you five tips to do if you think you've got an eye infection.  These rules apply whether your eyes are dry or not.

Symptoms of an eye infection include: redness, irritation, scratchy sensation, light sensitivity, tearing, and mucus discharge.  In addition, your eye lids may be swollen and painful to the touch.

Infections can be in both eyes at the same time, or just in one eye.  But, be careful, infections can quickly travel from one eye to the other as well.

If you think that there's something going on with your eyes, these five things are going to work for you to help your eye feel better and get relief quick. Here we go.

No. 1) Take your Contact Lenses out

If yo...

I want to share with you the story of my patient Janet.  Janet was one of the participants in my online course.  She was suffering with two separate incidents of styes during the pandemic shut down.  In her town, she was unable to see her eye doctor in person.  And, she found it very difficult to get the help she needed.  

MEET JANET...

Janet is a 75-year-old woman who loves to perform theater.  She is known for her solo show performances.  During the pandemic, she took her shows on to the Zoom platform so she could continue to create and perform.   

However, the styes were not only uncomfortable, but they were destroying her confidence.  After a frustrating online visit with her health care HMO, she turned to google for help.  Janet found my book, Alleviate Dry Eye.  She liked what she...

"The Dry Eye Well-being Seminar for Patients". This event is designed for you to get some world class education about dry eyes. You'll come away from the event feeling more comfortable about how you treat your eyes.

The event is FREE to register and attend. It will be held on July 31st. Scope Eye Care (you know, the makers of my favorite artificial tear - Optase Dry Eye Intense) is sponsoring an online event. Go ahead and get registered for it here. And, tell all of your friends to join you.

There is a stellar line up of speakers. If you worry about your dry eyes and whether your eyes will always feel like they do today, you have to attend this event. The first lecture is especially for you. You'll be able to let go of the anxiety your eyes are dragging you into when you have the knowled...

My patients and some of my students in my Alleviate Dry Eye course often ask me about how to express their meibomian glands.  You may have been told to do this by your own doctor.  Or, maybe you have read about it or heard about it from a friend.  A lot of folks are still confused as to how to do it.  

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you know I talk about doing four simple steps to take care of our dry eyes daily.  To review, the first step is hydrate, so using an artificial tear. The second step is to cleanse your lids and lashes. The third step is to heat your lashes, and right after that heating you often want to express those meibomian glands, so we're going to talk about that. The fourth step is to take a dry eye supplement. I always recommend HydroEye to my patien...

Mascara is an important topic to American women.  Did you know there is a study that shows that American women apply mascara to their eyelashes an average of 9 times per week?  I think it is probably in every woman's makeup bag.  And, it is so important to take it's ingredients into mind when we are talking about the long term health of our eyes.

Those of us who have dry eyes are already dealing with red and irritation.  Many of my patients tell me that they just can't tolerate eye makeup anymore.  They have suffered too many years of wearing makeup that is full of toxic ingredients. 

Let's talk about three reasons why you should switch to my favorite mascara, Eyes Are The Story.  It's the mascara that I use every day, and I think that it is the best mascara out there for people who are ...

I hope that most Americans have gotten into the habit of having their eyes checked once a year.  No matter your age or stage of life, you should be having an annual eye exam.  And, if you are having a problem with your eyes, schedule an appointment to see your eye doctor.

A lot of times, patients come to see me for a very specific reason instead of for their annual eye exam.  They come to see me specifically because they have eyelashes that are turned around and are poking their eyes.

What is Trichiasis?

Trichiasis is the medical term for eyelashes that are misdirected or growing in the wrong direction.  It's a problem that can be annoying at best, is usually painful, and can lead to devastating eye infections in the worst cases.  

When eyelashes grow inward or towards the eye, they ca...

If you suffer from dry eyes, summer can be a tough time of the year because you want to be outdoors.  You want to be enjoying all the things you love about summer, but your eyes are red, irritated, and watering.  Don't let your eyes hold you back this summer.  I've got a couple of great tips for you to ditch that dry eye drama.

1) Protect your Peepers

Protect your eyes.  No matter what time of year it is, always wear sunglasses when you spend time outdoors.   Sunglasses protect the eyes from UV light.  My patients with dry eyes are usually really sensitive to the light as well.  So, it is best to wear sunglasses anytime you are outdoors to decrease the irritation.  For more details about the best sunglasses for dry eyes, check out this blog.

Along with protecting your eyes with sungl...

Have you ever suspected that you had Demodex mites in your eyelashes?

If you suspect that you have them you may feel an itchiness at the base of your lashes.  Your eyes may also be red, especially around the rim of your lids.  Sometimes, the lids can be irritated and crusty.

How Do You Treat Demodex Blepharitis?

If you suspect that you have a Demodex infection, see your eye doctor. Now's the time and don't put it off another day.  The best way to resolve this type of infection is with an in-office treatment for Demodex blepharitis.

In my office, I offer two different treatments. The first is Zocukit.  I use this as an initial treatment and for more advanced cases.  Zocukit involves using a very high strength version of Zocular gel on the lids and lashes.  I scrub the gel on the lashes...

This week, I have a special guest with me. Zac Denning is meeting us from San Francisco, California. He is with ScienceBased Health, which makes my favorite omega supplement and Zac is here to talk to us today about HydroEye.

According to the TFOS DEWS II Report, it is important to start every dry eye patient on a daily regimen for eye care.  I recommend using 4-Simple Steps daily: artificial tears, lid scrubs, warm compresses, and a dry eye supplement to help support a healthy tear film.

My favorite dry eye supplement is HydroEye. I thought I'd bring Zac on today to share with my readers and listeners, why we both love HydroEye. So let's start out with an easy one.

What is HydroEye?

HydroEye is a clinically tested supplement for dry eye support. It's really a unique formula. It contai...