I love taking care of my eyes.  it makes them feel great when I do my daily treatment to them.  Then, I feel great knowing I've done something to help myself look and see my best.  I bet someone in your life loves to do that too.

My holiday gift guide contains all of my favorite products that I use to take care of my eyes on a daily basis. So, you can think about giving them as a gift to a loved one. The first two are brand new products that were just launched this year in 2020.  You can no longer say nothing good came out of this year.

#1) Optase Dry Eye Intense Drops 

I love this artificial tear. It's not like any other artificial tears on the market.  With most artificial tears it feels great at first, but then you feel just as dry as you did before you put it in.  Optase is differe...

Because it's the week of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to really give thanks for all the blessings in my life and in my business. 

Vision

I am thankful for your vision. To me, vision is the most precious of our five senses.  And, as an eye doctor, I feel that it is my duty to help you protect your vision to the best of my ability.  This is why I talk about caring for your eyes every day as part of your self care routine.  If you are not sure what I am referring to, please check out this blog.  And, my book, Alleviate Dry Eye, is all about the ways in which you can care for your eyes. 

This month is the two year anniversary of the release of Alleviate Dry Eye.  It is available in paperback and in Kindle version on Amazon.  So, if you haven't gotten a copy yet, check it out.  I ...

 

Why is our breath bad in the morning? 

What are Warm Compresses Used For?

Most of us are spending more and more time on our digital devices these days.  The new normal has been translated into trying to do everything we enjoy doing, only now we are using a device to do it.

No more in-person conferences, hello Zoom meetings.

No more coffee dates with friends, hello FaceTime.

No more shopping in stores, hello Amazon.

No more dinner at restaurants, hello Door Dash.

No more doctor's visits, hello telehealth.

Some of these things may be blessings, but they are leading to more complications down the road.  We are spending more and more time on digital devices to help us live our lives with less person to person contact. 

When we spend time using computers or digital devices, the number of times we blink per minute decreases.  The complication I see showing up...

Are your eyes constantly looking red and feeling scratchy?  When you're using the computer, do they sting and burn or even water too much? Does your vision blur when you're trying to get your work done? Do you feel like you just can't concentrate because you feel like you're constantly blinking to keep things clear? 

These are some common complaints my patients tell me about when they're trying to use the computer and they have dry eyes. I have a powerful tip to show you how to keep your dry eyes in check while you're on the computer.  It's called the 20X20X20 rule with a twist.

What's the 20X20X20 Rule?

The 20X20X20 rule means to take a quick break from looking at your computer screen to looking at something about 20 feet away, for just 20 seconds, about every 20 minutes.  During thi...

Happy Fall Y'all!

Fall is here.  Lots of people tell me that fall is their favorite season.  Usually, after the incredible heat of a Louisiana summer, we are ready to enjoy some chill in the air.  Of course, with a change in seasons, there are different things that dry eye sufferers need to take note of.  I've got a few tips to help your eyes stay comfortable during this fall season. 

Control Your Outdoor Environment

This time of year, people are usually out (thanks COVID) enjoying football games, apple picking, pumpkin patches, hayrides, and maybe even a bonfire.  With all these fun outdoor activities, what could go wrong for a dry eye sufferer?

Allergies

Anytime there is a change in season, there is a change in the plant life surrounding you.  So, perhaps you weren't allergic to ...

Mask Associated Dry Eye is dryness caused or exacerbated by wearing a face-covering mask.

Many of us have been mandated to wear a face-covering while in public by our local government for months now.  Many people who work in the public are now wearing these masks for a large portion or at least several hours a day.

Personally, I wear a mask the entire time I am at work, whether I am in front of patients or not.  I am still in the building or in a room with others, so wearing a mask is important.  Dry eyes associated with wearing a mask is increasing in patients.  It is even increasing in patients who did not have dry eyes previous to the pandemic.

2 Ways Poor Mask Fit Leads to Dry Eyes:

Too Loose:

Breathing out while wearing a mask that does not fit tightly to your cheeks can send the...

Is it something I'm doing that's making my eyes dry? 

This is something my patients ask me about every day. Is it something I'm doing that's causing my eyes to be dry?  Well, unfortunately there's something we're all doing that's causing our eyes to be dry.  Right now here in Shreveport, Louisiana it's late summer.   That means that the weather is hot, and there's lots of pollen in the air.

Environment

Sometimes, it is a factor of your surroundings that are causing your eyes to be dry.  One factor to consider is the current season of the year.  Summer tends to have more moisture in the air than winter, but having the air conditioners on full blast and pollen in the air is going to irritate your dry eyes. 

In the winter, heaters and freezing temperatures tend to dry the air both indoo...

My patients ask me that all the time, "How can I get dry eye relief that lasts?" The answer is that you need a holistic treatment plan. 

What is a holistic treatment plan?  Let's start with an example we can relate to.  Let's talk about Barbara wanting to lose weight.  She decided to join a gym and committed herself to go to the gym every day, but since she was being so good about going to the gym, she also decided she didn't need to change what or when she was eating. 

For a whole month, Barbara went to the gym every day.  And, she continued eating as she normally had.  When she stepped onto the scale at the end of the month, she found that she had gained weight.  During this month, she had improved her cardiovascular health, improved her breathing, and her stamina.  She had even put on...