Today we're diving into an important topic: sunscreen. As a dry eye specialist, you might wonder why I'm discussing sunscreen. The reason lies in a condition called ocular rosacea, which involves irregular blood vessels around the eyelids, leading to eye dryness. This condition is closely associated with facial rosacea, making patients more sensitive to the sun. Treatments for facial rosacea, such as intense pulsed light (IPL), require careful post-treatment sun protection.

To help us understand the importance of sunscreen and the differences between types, I've invited Rachel Downey, a health and wellness advocate with Crunchi. When browsing the sunscreen aisle, Rachel understand how overwhelming it can be to choose the right product. Here's what you need to know:

What's the Differen...

 I hope you've already watched my latest video on cultivating good eye habits, if not, catch it here. After all, taking care of your eyes is paramount, right? Your eyes are irreplaceable, the only pair you'll ever have.

That's why I'm thrilled to introduce you to the Eye Care Essentials Course, designed to guide you through the daily steps necessary for optimal eye health. And here's the best part: you can get this course for free when you purchase the Eye Care Essentials Kit, complete with all the products you need for your daily eye care routine. 

Now, let's dive into how we're going to turn these essential steps into lasting habits. Research suggests that if you commit to something for 28 consecutive days, it becomes ingrained as a habit. That's where tracking comes in handy.  Here a...

What is a Total Solar Eclipse?

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk, and you may be able to glimpse the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona.

Throughout a solar eclipse, the moon casts a shadow onto the Earth's surface, creating a temporary dimming of daylight. This phenomenon can be observed within the path of totality, where the sun is completely obscured, as well as in regions experiencing a partial eclipse, where the sun appears partially covered by the moon.

When Will it Happen?

The 2024 total solar eclipse will occur happen on Monday, April 8, 2024. It will be visible in the continental United States, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada...

Focusing on these three essential habits are of the utmost importance in maintaining healthy eyes. Let's cultivate good habits around eye hygiene this month, it's important to pay special attention to the well-being of our eyes. Afterall, they are the only pair we'll ever have. 

Tip 1: Remove Your Contact Lenses 

Remove your contact lenses before any of the three "S"s. Never leave your contact lenses in your eyes while:

1. Showering
2. Swimming
3. Sleeping

Removing your lenses prior to these three S's ensures you keep your eyes in top shape. Each of these activities increases your risks of sight threatening eye infections. Always removing contacts before any of these situations will reduce your risk of complications and maintain healthy habits.

The most effective contact lens cleanser o...

Hello there, eye enthusiasts! Today, we're going to dive into a treasure trove of eye care products that'll make you want to give your peepers some extra TLC. If you've been following along on my eye-care journey, you know that I'm all about four simple steps to keep those windows to your soul sparkling. If your not sure which 4 steps I'm talking about, this blog will set you straight.  So, let's jump right into it and chat about some fantastic over-the-counter products from Bruder Healthcare that have recently caught my attention. 

Step 1: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! 💧 

First things first, it's all about hydration, my friends. We often recommend using artificial tears to add some much-needed moisture to the surface of our eyes. But here's a twist – Bruder has a unique way to hydrate your...

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...

This is week three of the 3 myths of dry eye disease. If you've missed the other 2 myths, be sure to check out the other blogs: Myth 1 and Myth 2. 

Myth#3: There's nothing I can do to treat my dry eye disease.

If you've been Keeping up with the other myths, then you already know that this myth is wrong. There's so many things you can do to treat dry eyes, and some of them are very new. If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I always talk about the four parts to treat dry eye, which is E Y E S.  The EYES method gives four pillars of dry eye disease treatment.

Pillar #1) EYES

Step #1 is to treat your eyes. I like to talk about 4-simple steps to treat your dry eyes:

1. Hydrate with a Preservative-free Artificial tear - get the guide here
2. Harmonize with a lid and la...

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...