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...

Many of my patients ask me about using artificial tears.  There are so many of them on the market.  It's hard to know which ones to use.  

Based on the research provided by the Tear Film and Ocular Surface (TFOS) Society, I advocate using Artificial Tears on a daily basis to care for your dry eyes.  TFOS wrote a report called the Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS II) Report that utilized the expertise of 150 clinicians and scientists from around the world to compile all of the literature available in the dry eye space and write a consensus on how to treat dry eyes.  

The TFOS DEWS II report advises using 4 steps to care for your dry eyes daily:  

1. Every day, the first step is to hydrate your eyes with an artificial tear.
2. The second step is to clean the lids and lashes.
3. The third step is to...

One of the most common complaints I get from my patients that I either see in the office or online in a telehealth visit is, "Why are my eyes so tired?"  And then, the patient usually elaborates with something like this, "I don't know what they're doing, they're just tired. I wake up, and they're tired. I drink my coffee, and they're tired. Why am I so tired all the time?"  Today, I will review three reasons why your eyes are tired.

#1) Your Eyes are Dry

Most Americans are using digital devices constantly.  Whether it's computers, phones, tablets, or even watches.  You are using these electronics for up to eight hours a day. Sometimes you may even use two at a time. You're on the computer and you're on your cellphone all at the same time.  You can't escape these digital devices. The de...

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...