#195: Better Rest, Some Relaxation, and Eyes that Feel Great! Umay has the Answer
Let's explore the fascinating world of eye health and discover innovative solutions to keep those peepers in tip-top shape. We're diving into the realm of digital eye strain relief with innovator and dry eye expert, Dr. Sharmin Habib from Umay REST. She's here to talk about the magical Umay REST device.
Meet Dr. Sharmin Habib and the REST Device:
Dr. Habib, an eye health expert, walks us through the wonders of the Umay REST device, designed to become the cornerstone of our daily eye care routine. The REST device tackles two crucial aspects of eye health: tear production and tear protection, addressing those pesky dry eyes and digital eye strain we're all too familiar with.
The Science Behind REST:
Are you curious about the science that makes REST so comfortable...
#194: Best Tips for Mascara wear for Sensitive Eyes
We all love mascara. It turns out it is the most popular cosmetic. Most of us feel it's something that we feel like we can't live without. Many women won't even leave the house without putting it on.
Mascara makes your eyelashes look long, dark, and beautiful. It highlights the windows to our souls. In this blog, I'll explore three tips for you to wear mascara if you are a dry eye sufferer.
Tip #1) No Waterproof Mascara.
Many dry eye sufferers will start using a waterproof mascara because their eyes are so irritated and sometimes they run water. They use the waterproof mascara, to avoid it from running down their face.
However, there are waxes and toxins in this waterproof mascara that makes it waterproof. These waxes are hard to remove from your lashes at the end of the day. An...
#193: The Worst Thing you can do while Wearing your Contact Lenses
When you wear contact lenses there is always an increased risk of eye infections. In this blog, I'd like to explore the biggest risk factor for eye infections related to contact lenses.
When bacteria gets trapped under contact lenses it leads to infections called ulcers. An ulcer occurs when bacteria begin to create a crater in the front surface of the eye. When they are trapped underneath a contact lens it provides a nice, warm, safe home for them to burrow in and make a big infection.
The bacteria creates a hole in the front surface of your eye, and if you don't see an eye doctor quickly enough and get treated, it could lead to a sight threatening scar. These are very serious infections. They differ significantly from pink eye.
The symptoms of a contact lens related ulcer...
#192: Best Tips to Enjoy Summer with Dry Eyes
Summer is a great time of the year to enjoy spending time with your friends and family outdoors. This can be especially challenging for dry eye sufferers since they often are sensitive to wind and sunlight. Let’s discuss three ways to protect your eyes this summer.
#1) Protect Your Eyes
Wearing your sunglasses to protect our eyes from UV rays is important any time of the year. Harmful UV rays have been linked to cataract creation and an increased risk of development of macular degeneration. In the summer, it is extra important to wear sunglasses because there are more hours of daylight.
When you have dry eyes, your eyes tend to be more sensitive to light and to wind. I like to wear sunglasses whenever I'm outdoors year-round, but especially in the summertime. Make sure that your sun...
#191: How to Get Rid of Eye Irritation from Makeup
In the last blog, I shared with you the ways in which your eye makeup could be causing dry eye disease. If you missed it, please click here. In this blog, I will discuss three ways you can treat your eyes when the dryness eye disease is attributed to makeup.
No. 1) AVOID TOXIC INGREDIENTS
The United States bans only 11 ingredients from the product lists of cosmetics. However, the European Union bans over 1600. Many of your favorite products contain ingredients that are toxic to the ocular surface.
In order to avoid toxins, you will need to start reading ingredient labels. I’ve compiled a list of the ingredients you need to eliminate from your makeup in this handy list. You can download the list here. These are particularly toxic to your eyes.
No. 2) REMOVE YOUR MAKEUP
Re...
#190: How Does Makeup Wear Cause Dry Eye?
Patients come to me every day because they can no longer wear their eye makeup. Their eyes are irritated, red, watery. They apply their makeup and later find it running down their face. They're frustrated because they can't wear the products that they love.
This happens so often. I want to give you three reasons that this is happening:
REASON #1) INFLAMMATION
Some eye makeups cause inflammation to your eyes. Have you ever put your mascara on and then your eyes started to burn? This is happening because the ingredients in that mascara were irritating to your eyes.
Did you know that women apply mascara nine times a week on average? That's more than once a day. Women are applying mascara multiple times a day. And if that mascara contains irritating ingredient, it will cause inflamm...
#189: 5 Eye Care Myths Busted by the TFOS Lifestyle Reports
In 2021, I was invited to serve as a member of the Public Awareness Committee for the TFOS Lifestyle Workshop. This is a global initiative where doctors, scientists, and researchers come together to gather information and make recommendations. The purpose of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society’s newest workshop was to produce evidence-based education about the lifestyle choices patients are making which cause ocular surface disease.
The purpose of these TFOS workshops is to gather the known evidence-based research and compile it. This helps to gather a consensus from research to help guide treatment protocols. It also answers questions about disease progression and uncovers areas that have not yet been fully researched. In fact, each subcommittee report has a section to suggest whe...
#188: LipiFlow: A Treatment for Dry Eye Relief
LipiFlow is an in-office treatment for dry eye disease to reduce the scratchiness and irritation of the eye. The device is used to loosen the oils that may be trapped on the oil glands in you eyelids. These glands are called meibomian glands, and when the oils inside of them get trapped, we call it meibomian gland disease.
During the treatment the trapped oils are melted and released from the glands. The oils are able to come out onto the front surface of your eye, protect your tears from drying out and give you stable vision that doesn't fluctuate when you're blinking. The procedure also calms down the redness, irritation, and eliminates that scratchy feeling that you might be having on your eyes.
Since I've been performing LipiFlow treatments in my office for years, I'm going to sh...
#187: New Dry Eye Relief Product that makes Travel Easy
Traveling can be a little tricky when you have sensitive eyes or suffer from dry eye disease. There seems to be added environmental stressors around every corner when you are in a new setting. I travel often and I've developed a little kit of products that I'm always sure to grab when I leave town.
The last time I traveled I added a new product to the kit. It's definitely going to be a staple of my daily care regimen whether I'm on the go or not. I love this product so much that I don't just use it when I travel and its brand new, so I'm excited to talk to you about it. It's called Neutra Wipe from Tear Restore.
First, let's review the 4-simple steps to dry eye care:
- Hydrate with an artificial tear
- Harmonize with a lid and lash cleanser
- Heat with a warm compress mask
- Heal w ...
#186: Ivizia: A New Ingredient in Artificial Tears for the U.S.
Ivizia is a new over-the-counter artificial tear that's just hit the U.S. market in 2022. It's different from any other tears on the market before. This is an artificial tear, so it's an over-the-counter product that you can pick up at your drugstore or local pharmacy.
#1) Ivizia has two great ingredients for your dry eyes.
Hyaluronic Acid
Now I know all you ladies know about hyaluronic acid (or HA) is because you love it when it's an ingredient in your skincare products. HA binds water to your cells and puffs them up and makes them more plump. You love having HA on your face so that your skin looks dewey and fresh.
You'll love this same ingredient on your eyes as well. The HA will bind moisture to the front surface of your eyes and make them feel more comfor...
