Happy Holidays!  I hope this is a great time of year for you.  I understand how hectic gift giving and shopping can be.  I want to make it easier for you to choose gifts that you know your friends will love, but also that will be healthy for their eyes.

Today we're going to talk about giving gifts and giving the gift of good vision.  This is what I talk about all day every day, so I'm so glad you're here to listen. We are going to talk about what you would love to give your mother, your sister, your best friend that would be super special, awesome, and help their dry eyes.

I want everyone with dry eyes to feel that they're comfortable and that they can be soothed and you can pamper them, I've got some really great gifts that'll help you to pamper not only your loved one, but also your pe...

This week is Thanksgiving!  It is one of my favorite holidays.  I love to take the time to think back and remember all the things I can be grateful for in my life.  In this blog, I'll reveal the three things that I am thankful for in the dry eye world that are new this year in 2021.

#1) Innovation in Eye Care

There have been several new drugs that have gained FDA approval in the past couple of years to treat Dry Eye Disease.  The newest drug to receive approval is Tyrvaya.  It was just FDA approved in October.  It is a nasal spray for the treatment of dry eye disease.

A nasal spray!?!?!? Wow.  You won't need to be putting more drops in eyes that sting and burn.  Yay.  It's something completely different.  This nasal spray that stimulates your body to make its own real natural tears.  ...

In an earlier blog, I discussed the importance of using a warm compress mask as part of a daily treatment regimen for dry eyes.  However, some of my patients find it hard to use a mask because of a facial condition they have.  The condition is called Acne Rosacea.  It is quite common in light skinned folks or those with heritage from Northern European countries.

 Acne Rosacea causes irregular blood vessels to form on the skin.  If you have rosacea on your cheeks, there is an 80% chance that you also have rosacea on your eyelids.

 When these irregular blood vessels are close to the eyes, they bring inflammation to its front surface.  This inflammation fuels to cycle of dry eyes.

 My patients that have rosacea, are not fans of using warm compresses because they can cause these blood ves...

I want to talk to you about a very important topic.  It's called "Falling Off the Wagon".  Surely, it's happened to all of us. We've all fallen off the wagon from doing something from time to time. 

Whether we're talking about treating our dry eye, being on a diet, or even making our bed in the morning, we've all stopped doing something even though we know it is in our best interest to keep doing it.  Sometimes, we just want to eat the Oreos.  We know that we shouldn't, but we do it anyway. 

The Down Fall:

Maybe you've been doing great with you dry eye treatment.  Your eyes feel so great  that you stopped doing it.  Maybe you stopped for a couple of days, and your eyes didn't feel bad.  Nothing really bad happened.  You start thinking to yourself:

• Do I really need to do my lid scrubs
...

 Who doesn't love Fall?  We've got hay rides, apple picking, football games, and everything pumpkin spice flavored available for this very short time.  And, this time of year, when the weather gets a little bit cooler here in Louisiana, it is a great time to enjoy being outdoors again.  I want to go over three tips to have happy eyes in the fall.

Tip #1) Hydrate - Keep the moisture coming from the inside

The first tips is to hydrate.  What I mean by this is continue to drink water. I've got a cup that I keep on my desk at the office with a straw so that I can sip and get all of my ounces of water in while I am working.

It's important to remember to hydrate during this time of the year because  it's not so hot outside. So, you're not as thirsty as you were all summer. You will need...

I want to talk to you about step one of my four simple steps to alleviate your dry eye. If you've been following me for awhile, then you know that I advocate you taking four simple steps to care for your dry eyes.

Let's Review

I advocate using 4-Simple Steps to care for your dry eyes daily.  These steps come directly from the TFOS DEWS II report.  This study was conducted to develop a scientifically studied plan on how to diagnose and treat dry eyes. 

These four steps are part of the treatment plan recommended whether you have mild, moderate, or severe dry eyes.  The steps support a healthy tear film, which we all need to have healthy eyes.  And of course, there are plenty of ways to customize the steps to fit your lifestyle.  Here are the 4 steps i...

Have your eyes been feeling a little down lately?  Many of my patients are very concerned with the not only the health of their eyes, but their appearance as well.  As the windows to your soul, you want them to present you in a good light.  I understand, you want your eyes to be open and bright.  You want them to enhance your appearance and not take away from it. 

There's a new eye drop that can make your eyes look more beautiful and alive.  Upneeq is the only FDA approved drop that is used to treat low lying lids by lifting the lid to open the eyes.  Unlike most of the information on my blog, this drop doesn't necessarily have anything to do with dry eyes.  But, I thought you would be interested in a drop that made your eyes look beautiful, right?

What does it ...

I want to talk about something very important having to do with your dry eyes.  Comparison.  Comparison can kill even the best intended hopes and dreams.   Often, my patients will ask me to prescribe something for them that worked for their: mom, sister, best friend, or the girl down the street.  Because, they will tell me, it works so great for that other person.   Or, they may ask me about a treatment that their best friend tried and want to try it themselves. 

However, the cause of dry eye is "multi-factorial"  This means it can come from many different sources.  Both men and woman can have dry eyes, but the cause of the dry eye and thus the way we treat it will be significantly different. 

So comparing other people's treatments to your own is not useful.  Or wanting your outcom...

I want to talk to you about a simple hack to help you stay on track with your dry eye treatment. It's called habit stacking.  If you haven't heard of habit stacking, I'm going to explain it here.  And, I'll even tell you why it's the best way, I think, to incorporate your dry eye treatment into your daily life.

First, let me tell you a little story.  Many years ago, when I was pregnant with my second child, I had something called "Gingivitis of Pregnancy". It was awful. Every time I brushed my teeth, my gums would bleed.  Just the lightest scrub, and I would have a bloody mouth. It was so awful.

I went to dentist to ask what to do.  I was distraught.  My gums were bleeding all the time.  I could just touch them, and they would start bleeding.  My dentist said, I had to start flossing...

"The Dry Eye Well-being Seminar for Patients". This event is designed for you to get some world class education about dry eyes. You'll come away from the event feeling more comfortable about how you treat your eyes.

The event is FREE to register and attend. It will be held on July 31st. Scope Eye Care (you know, the makers of my favorite artificial tear - Optase Dry Eye Intense) is sponsoring an online event. Go ahead and get registered for it here. And, tell all of your friends to join you.

There is a stellar line up of speakers. If you worry about your dry eyes and whether your eyes will always feel like they do today, you have to attend this event. The first lecture is especially for you. You'll be able to let go of the anxiety your eyes are dragging you into when you have the knowled...