In the clinic, I get asked this question all day long, "What's causing my eyes to be so dry?" The short answer is that dry eye is multifactorial. It comes from many different causes. Some of the things we have no control over, like your gender and your age.  Women, especially those over 40, are more likely to have dry eye than men. And, we can't change our gender or age.  But, there are a ton of causes of dry eye that we can control.   

Let's talk about what you can take care or change to help our dry eyes. I like to break this down into three parts. I called it the EYE Method.  The first is E for Eyes. The Y is for Your Health. And, the final E is for the Environment. 

This week, we will take a deep dive into how your environment helps effects your dry eyes. 

E is for the Environment

Th...

In the clinic, I get asked this question all day long, "What's causing my eyes to be so dry?" The short answer is that dry eye is multifactorial. It comes from many different causes. Some of the things we have no control over, like your gender and your age.  Women, especially those over 40, are more likely to have dry eye than men. And, we can't change our gender or age.  But, there are a ton of causes of dry eye that we can control.   

Let's talk about what you can take care or change to help our dry eyes. I like to break this down into three parts. I called it the EYE Method.  The first is E for eyes. The Y is for Your Health. And, the final E is for the Environment. 

Let's look at each part.  Last week, I dove in to how the Eyes play a role in causing dry eye disease.  If you missed it,...

Happy 4th of July!  Summer is here.  Let's go over three great tips to take care of your eyes this summer.  As dry eye suffers, there is a new challenge with every season of the year.  In the winter, the air is dry.  In the spring, there is too much pollen in the air.  Both allergies and dryness play a role in your management plan. 

In the summer, there's a lot of light and many dry eye sufferers have sensitivity to light.  And, there may be some water sports that you want to be involved in.  I've got a few tips and tricks that you can use to be more comfortable.

Tip #1) Use Protection

Protect the skin around your eyes

Have you ever wondered what sunscreen is safe for you to use around your eyes?  Especially when your eyes are dry, they tend to be sensitive to everything.  Opulence Bea...

This week's blog is a continuation of the discussion I had with Dr. Pavly Moawad.  A. Pavly Moawad, MD, MRCSEd(Ophth), FICO is a Lecturer and Consultant Ophthalmologist at Cairo University Hospital in Egypt. In her ophthalmology practice she specializes in seeing patients with Sjogren's Syndrome. She has graciously agreed to share her vast knowledge on the subject of Sjogren's Syndrome with my readers.

In this part of the interview, I wanted to highlight how the eye doctor can determine whether you should be further evaluated for Sjogren's Syndrome, and the best treatment options for these patients.

Is there an Eye Exam to Determine Sjogren's Syndrome?

Sjogren's Syndrome attacks the glands that make secretions like tears and saliva.  So, the best test to determine if a patient has Sjogr...

One of the biggest complaints my dry eye patients talk to me about is redness.  Across the board, no matter their age or gender, patients hate having red eyes.  It's just embarrassing.  And, in truth, other people do notice when your eyes are red.  

Let's face it, the eyes are the windows to your soul.  And although rose colored glasses may give you a sunnier disposition, rose colored eyes do not.  There is no beauty in red eyes.  And, we don't like the story that red eyes tend to relate about activities we may have engaged in the night before.

Instead let's concentrate on how to make your dry eyes white again. This week especially, only a few days before Easter, you don't want to be mistaken for an Easter bunny.

Why are your eyes red when they're dry?

Well, dry eye is driven by inf...

A lot of patients come to my office because their dry eyes are affecting their ability to work.  Some days your eyes may be bothering you so much that you just can't continue to work for another minute. What are you going to do now?

 I don't know if you know this, but I spend a lot of time on the computer myself.  I wrote a book a few years ago.  I write articles for Optometric journals and prepare lectures to present to colleagues.  I also have a blog and a website. All of these things can cause me to be on the computer into the wee hours. Often my eyes own eyes are tired, and I feel like I just can't keep going.

I've found some things that really help.  I have done a number of blogs to help you adjust your workstation and help you keep working.  And, I've prepared a Guide to help you...

Happy Mari Gras!

It's Mardi Gras season here in Louisiana.  And, Mardi Gras season gives the folks here in Louisiana one more thing to celebrate.  There are parties, parades, masquerade balls, and lots of fun to be had.  Everyone likes to get dressed up for it and wear beaded necklaces and fun masks. 

Since there is a lot of masquerading going on, it's the perfect time to talk about an eye condition that often masquerades as dry eyes - seasonal allergies. Or, I should say that allergies sometimes aren't the cause of your symptoms and it's really dry eye that's the underlying problem.

My patients often come in to see me and talk to me about symptoms of redness and watering. Then, they down play the symptoms by stating, "It's just my allergies". That's how it masquerades. A symptom that...

It's almost Valentine's Day!!  Let's talk about how to make your eyes look gorgeous for your date.

There are five steps you can take to make your eyes pop, even when they're dry or sensitive, when you're out for Valentine's day. On this night especially, you don't want to hide your eyes because you're embarrassed by their redness.  Eyes are the window to the soul.  And, we all know that making eye contact is key in building relationships.  And, Valentine's Day is all about relationships.  So, let's stop hiding our eyes, and get them looking gorgeous.

STEP 1) LET THEM POP

You're ready to look great on your Valentine's Day date.  You don't want your leads to make you appear sleepy.  Use one drop of Upneeq at least 20 minutes before "go time".  And, your eyes will look more open and alluri...

I've been talking a lot about how Winter is a dry eye season.  There are many factors in your environment and also in your lifestyle that can be significantly affecting how your eyes feel this time of year.  

If you haven't been following along with this series about how to help your dry eyes feel more comfortable this time of year, you can catch up with these blogs: self-care, indoor adjustments, and outdoor adjustments.   

1) Diet

Now let's talk about your diet this time of year, especially with the holidays, you probably ate all sorts of things that aren't part of your normal diet. There's usually lots of potlucks and people bringing in little treats from home this time of year.

When you're at the office, you may be eating too much sugar, wheat, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine. Just ...

In the winter season, it's important to take care of your body so that your body takes care of your eyes.  Last week, we discussed all the ways in which winter season is the hardest on your eyes.  Taking care of you eyes is crucial so they  don't feel dry, itchy red and scratchy all season long, like some of my patients complain about.  If you winterize your self care, your eyes will be happy, and you can live your best life. So let's dive in.

Keep reading to learn how to get the best sleep and why sleep is so important this season.  Then, next week, I'll dive into how to eat what you want and control your dry eye symptoms at the same time.

SLEEP

Stick to a Sleep Schedule

It's essential during the winter season to stick to a schedule. Bedtime is just as meaningful as the time that you ...