3 Worst Things Dry Eye Sufferers do with their Contact Lenses
Sep 10, 2019
My patients will sometimes tell me that they can’t wear contact lenses because their eyes are too dry. There have been tons of innovations in both contact lenses and contact lens care in recent years. For the most part, the idea that you can't wear contact lenses when you have dry eyes is a myth.
Sometimes, not being able to wear contact lenses will be a short period of time while you are undergoing dry eye treatment is true for a short while. But, my goal is always to find a way to get my patients back into contact lenses or have some kind of refractive surgery, if they are a good candidate - read this blog here. Some patients do need to take breaks from their contact lenses because of years of abuse they have put their eyes through. These are the three worst things patients can d...
The 3 Worst Things you do with your Mascara
Sep 04, 2019
As an eye doctor, I get up close and personal with women's eye makeup every day. I routinely use a microscope to examine the eye. This can make the eyelashes about 20 times bigger than the way you see them in a regular mirror.
The horrors I see on people's eyelids are incredible. Makeup caked up into the lashes and in the corner of the eye is only the tip of the iceberg. That built-up gunk leads to inflammation, irritation, and infection over time.
Here are the three biggest beauty blunders I see women committing with their mascara:
1. Sleeping with it
Not removing your eye makeup at the end of the day is one of the worst things you can do for your sensitive eyes. After all, you wouldn't go to bed without brushing your teeth, right? The same risk of cavities applies to the ...
Are my eyes too dry for LASIK?
Aug 28, 2019
I have dry eyes, can I still have LASIK? This is a question I’ve been asked quite often as an eye care professional. I myself have dry eyes, but I also have had refractive surgery. The key to having a successful refractive surgery is knowing that you have dry eyes ahead of the surgery.
What is Refractive Surgery?
The word refraction refers to the fact that you need to wear a prescription to see your best, 20/20. Refractive surgery then refers to any surgery which helps you to achieve better vision without wearing an external vision correction like glasses or contact lenses.
RK or radial keratotomy is a refractive surgery that was once popular but is no longer being performed. RK does not offer results as stable as LASIK and is no longer being performed.
PRK (Photorefra...
Healthy Contact Lens Week
Aug 20, 2019
This week is Healthy Contact Lens Week, August 19 - 23. The CDC, Center for Disease Control, wants you to remember three things about contact lens care. If you have ever had an eye infection you will understand that keeping your eyes healthy truly is the most important thing in life. Having an eye infection can completely stop you in your tracks.
Tip 1: Revitalize your Eyes
Contact lens wear, when done responsibly, can be easy and comfortable. Contact lenses need to be part of your vision correction plan, not the entirety of it. You must have a pair of glasses, even if they are not the greatest pair. Your eyes need a break from wearing contact lenses every day. Do not sleep in your contact lenses.
If you have read my book, Alleviate Dry Eye, you know I have a few ru...
3 Tips I learned from an Oculoplastic Surgeon
Aug 13, 2019
Recently, I had the honor of visiting with a friend of mine in his office. Dr. Bryan Vekovius is an oculoplastic surgeon in Shreveport, Louisiana. Here are three of the tips he taught me about dry eyes.
Tip 1: Dry Eye Treatment should include Eye Lid Treatment
Dry eye is not a lack of water disease. As an eyelid specialist, Dr. Vekovius explained that dry eye is caused mostly from dysfunction in our eyelids. The oils produced inside the lids should be excreted into the tear film upon blinking. When the oil gland is not producing enough oil, or the oil not being released from the lids, the end result is dry eyes.
That is why in my four-step process for treating dry eye two of the steps deal with the eyelids. It is important to cleanse the lids daily. We do not want to use...
Do prescription dry eye medications really work?
Aug 06, 2019
If you have seen an eye doctor for your dry eye complaints in the last 3 years, then probably your doctor has explained to you the benefits of using a prescription dry eye medication. In my book, Alleviate Dry Eye, I advocate a 4 step treatment process. All four arms of the treatment need to be addressed for your personalized treatment plant to be successful.
The four parts of a complete dry eye treatment plan are to tackle: inflammation, biofilm, obstruction, and tear film. Prescription dry eye medications reduce the inflammation component of your dry eye symptoms. To see the chart of all 4 parts of the In-office and Prescription Treatment options, please look at Table 2.1 in the book, or download the workbook that accompanies the book for free here. You will find the table on page ...
The 5 Worst Things To Put On Your Eyes
Jul 29, 2019
Technology is evolving constantly. And, medicine is evolving at a faster rate than ever before. Because of this, there are products and practices that we eye doctors used to recommend to our patients, that we now know are not beneficial.
Today, I will reveal five things your eye doctor may have told you to use that are bad for dry eye sufferers. I'm sorry to say that we just didn't know any better. But, now that we do, I need you to change some of your habits around. Let's get to it.
Baby Shampoo
I always feel bad when a patient tells me that they use baby shampoo to clean their eyes. I know that an eye doctor told them to do it. Even as early as five years ago, I also told my patients to clean their eyelids with baby shampoo. It is what we believed to be goo...
Summer Eye Care Tips
Jul 21, 2019
This week's blog post is inspired by We Love Eyes. Dr. Tanya Gill has shared with us her 6 tips for Summer Eye Care downloadable PDF. This blog is my take on the six tips to living your best life this summer.
TIP 1
Wear your sunglasses outdoors. I reviewed this in detail a few weeks back. Check out the sunglasses blog here. It is very important to wear your sunglasses to reduce the harmful UV rays that are getting to all of the different layers of your eyes. In July, sunlight can be brilliant. Your eyes are already dry, red and irritated. Anything that adds stress to your system will add to your already irritated eyes. It will make your symptoms worse.
In addition, sunglasses block harmful UV rays that can cause problems on the front surface of the eye like pterygium and p...
The 3 Worst Makeup Removers
Jul 14, 2019
One of the questions I am asked most often in my clinic is, "What is the best makeup remover to use for dry, or sensitive eyes?" After I give my list to patients (get your own list here), I follow it with a couple of things I don't recommend.
Then, I often get the same follow-up comment. It usually goes something like this, “But, I have used product X since I was a teenager. How can it be bad for my eyes?“ I would like to point out here that these patients are in my clinic complaining of dry eye symptoms. So, maybe they’re brand of makeup remover hasn’t been working out so well for them.
The most common "things" my patients are using to remove their make up are Vaseline, cold cream, baby shampoo. Notice that I said things here, not makeup removers. None of these are specifi...
Makeup Removers
Jul 12, 2019
Removing our makeup every night is the first step in keeping a beautiful complexion. We all want to have beautiful clear skin and we know that we must remove our makeup nightly to keep it clear.
Removing your eye makeup nightly is truly the best way to getting and keeping our eyes clear and bright. It can make a big difference in how your eyes feel, especially the next morning. You won't wake up with your eyelashes glued together with yesterday's mascara. Ugh, that's just gross.
Patients ask me, on a daily basis, what the best makeup removers are for those of us with sensitive eyes or who wear contact lenses. I have done a lot of research looking into makeup removers that I could wholeheartedly recommend to my patients.
All of the makeup removers on the list are free of t...
