There was a great lecture on Sleep last week sponsored by my friends at Umay.  Poor sleep habits have a direct relationship to the dryness of your eyes.  

You can watch the webinar here.  But, I also wanted to highlight some of the most important points in this blog.  There are several hacks you can use to encourage your body to sleep better.

Here are the best tips:

#1) Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule 
Getting good sleep starts from the minute you wake up.  Your actions all day long will have an affect on how well you are able to rest that evening.  Thinking about setting your circadian rhythm will go a long way in helping your body wind down at the end of the day. 

Try to keep the same bedtime as well as the same waking time each day.  Being consistent within 15-30 minutes will set yo...

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...

If you have been hanging around with me for a while now, then you know that I preach the same rules over and over and over again.  In the past couple of weeks, I've had some thinking time. I started to re-evaluate my hard and fast rules.

I would like to review these 4 dry eye rules. Last week, I reviewed 2 of them.  If you haven't read about those two, please check it out here.  It turns out that there are times when it's okay to break the rules.  Let me tell you when you can break three of them.  Then, I'll explain why you can never, ever, ever, ever, ever break one of them.

Rule #1)  Never Use Waterproof Mascara

Why is it bad for you?

It's a rule because waterproof mascara contains toxins. The ingredients that makes it stick onto your eyes makes it hard to remove. Some of it stays...

If you have been hanging around with me for a while now, then you know that I preach the same rules over and over and over again.  In the past couple of weeks, I've been in the car a lot. So, I've had some thinking time. I started to re-evaluate my hard and fast rules.

I went to a funeral and a wedding in the same 10 day time span. To say the least, there was a bit of crying going on. And, it provided an opportunity for me to reevaluate some of the rules that I preach.

I would like to review these 4 dry eye rules.  Normally I'm quite the rule follower, but I had some reassessment time. And, it turns out that there are times when it's okay to break the rules.  Let me tell you when you can break three of them.  Then, I'll explain why you can never, ever, ever, ever, ever break one of them....

Digital devices play a huge role in causing and exacerbating dry eye symptoms.  Unfortunately, for most of you, digital device use is an important part of how we earn your living.  You could not do your job without staring at a digital screen of some kind each day.  Eliminate Digital Eye Strain using this guide.

Optometrist and inventor, Dr. Sharmin Habib, has developed an amazing device to help you not only rest your eyes.  But, the device also stimulates tear production and cues you to meditate.  What an awesome tool to use to soothe your tired eyes.

I have a device I've been able to utilize at home for about a month now.  The device is available for patients to pre-order now though.  It's super exciting. And, I want to tell you all about it.

Convenient Dry Eye Relief:

• Fully ad...

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...

I am honored to have a special guest with me, Dr. A Pavly Moawad, MD, MRCSEd(Ophth), FICO. She 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. 

What is Sjogren's Syndrome?

Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease. The main characteristics are dryness in the eyes, mouth, skin, and vagina.  Sjogren's syndrome attacks the glands that make secretions which lubricate our different parts of our body. But, the main two organs are the eyes and mouth. 

How is Sjogren's syndrome defined?

• Using lubricating eye drops more than three times per day
• Experiencing these symptoms more than three months
• Also has dry mouth

What's the next step in a Sjogren's Diagnosis?

These days, there are lots of beauty trends focused around eyelash length.  It seems to be, the longer the length the more glamourous or more beautiful.  As women, we may want to follow the fad.  But when you suffer from dry eyes, is it safe to follow it?

What is the ideal eyelash length?

Eyelashes play and important role in protecting the eye.  ​Length is important. Your natural length is designed to suit the level of the brow bone. They are intended to deflect wind, debris, and allergens.  Lashes that are too long can be just as detrimental to your eyes as lashes that are too short.  

The actual ideal lash length is one third of the width of your eye.  This is the best length to ensure your eyes are properly protected.

​How does the mascara lengthen the lashes?

There are 2 ways to a...

I have something special to announce.  One of my favorite Clean beauty brands, Twenty/Twenty Beauty has just released their first CLEAN mascara. It is called Clean Sweep Mascara. 

Why do you need a CLEAN Mascara?

Mascara is one of women's favorite beauty products.  It is reported that the average American woman applies mascara 9 times a week.  That's more than once a day.  And, once it is on the lashes, generally, women leave it on all day long.  

Women love for mascara to make their lashes look darker, longer, and for the look to last all day.  When you have something so close to your eyes all day long, you need to make sure it's healthy for your eyes.  You don't want the ingredients to be toxic. And, you don't want the mascara to flake off into your eyes.

What is CLEAN Beauty?

In ...

Dry eye disease is multifactorial. This means that it comes from many areas in our body and in your environment. There are several factors that worsen dry eye disease that we cannot change. These are gender and age. Females over the age of 40 are more susceptible to having dry eye disease than others. Unfortunately, we cannot change these factors. 

What's the best approach to dry eye treatment? 

There are many other dry eye risk factors that can be changed. The best plan to treating dry eye disease is taking a multifactorial approach. In my own patients, I recommend taking 3 three pillar approach to treating dry eye disease. These pillars are: 

E: Eyes – customizing the 4-simple steps of daily eye care for the patients lifestyle. This daily regimen of eye care brings down the overall in...