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...

The cause of Dry Eye Disease is multifactorial.  This means that the factors that make it worse come from all around us.  It is our lifestyle, or the things you're, or are not, doing on a daily basis that can either improve or hinder your dry eye symptoms. 

Last month, I did a webinar with Scope Eyecare to explore how to deal with Dry Eye Disease while you're working.  Your computer and other digital devices can play a big role in how dry your eyes feel. Download the guide to Digital Eye Strain Relief here.

In this webinar, we took a deep dive into:

• How to know if you have dry eyes. Yes, there are tons of tests your doctor can do, but you can do this quick test to find out for yourself.
• Blink regularly and intentionally.  Close your eyes and intentionally squeeze the lids closed for
...

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...

February is the coldest month of the year in most parts of the US. It's colder than January or December, so it's important to talk about how to protect your eyes from the cold winter air.

Dry eyes are already sensitive to temperature changes and wind.  The cold air really irritates dry eyes, and it usually makes them water. That's your body's protective mechanism to defend against the irritant of the cold.  The best way to protect your eyes while outdoors during the winter months is to wear sunglasses or goggle that will cover your eyes from cold or wind.

Once you're back indoors, you can also rinse them with preservative-free artificial tears to clear the irritants.  I previously covered everything your need to know about the best sunglasses when you have dry eyes here.  Let's discuss...

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 ...

Step 1: Make up remover

  Step 2: Cleanse the Face

 

The Dazzling Eyes Bundle

I want to talk to you about clean makeup products that can give your eyes a dazzling look this holiday season.  Just because you suffer from dry eyes does not mean that you have to give up on your makeup. Absolutely not, Ladies. There are products out there that you can use that will make your eyes look great and be comfortable. So let's get started. I've got five steps to having dazzling eyes this holiday season.

Step No. 1) Clean Eyes 

Begin with clean eyes. If you've been following me for a while, you know, I like you to use four simple steps to take care of your eyes every day.

Step one is to clean your lids and lashes. One of the products I recommend most is a hypochlorous spray. It kills bacteria and viruses that live on our lids and lashes and can cause redness and irritation. Th...