The Worst Thing You Can Do for Your Eyes This Allergy Season. Here’s What to Do Instead 

Spring flowers are beautiful, but they can wreak havoc on your eyes. If you’re dealing with itchy, red, watery eyes during allergy season, you might be tempted to grab an over-the-counter antihistamine like Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritin, or Xyzal. But if dry, irritated eyes are also part of the problem, these over-the-counter remedies may make things worse. 

Let’s explore a few ways to have eyes that feel great, see great, and look great, even when allergy season is in full swing. 

The Antihistamine Mistake 

While oral antihistamines are great for sneezing and nasal congestion, they come with a hidden downside: they dry out your eyes. 

These medications work by reducing histamine, the chemical your bo...

Have you ever noticed red, irritated eyelids or an itchy, scratchy feeling at the base of your lashes? You might have been told you have Demodex blepharitis, or DB. Although DB may sound concerning, it’s very common. And, there are effective treatments available. 

What Is Demodex Blepharitis? 

Demodex blepharitis is a common type of eyelid inflammation caused by an overgrowth of Demodex mites. tiny These mites are tiny micro-organisms that live in your eyelash follicles. Everyone has some Demodex mites, but when their numbers increase too much, they can lead to irritation and inflammation. 

Signs and Symptoms of Demodex Blepharitis: 

🔴 Red, swollen eyelids 
🤕 Itchy or scratchy sensation at the lash line 
⚡ Burning or irritation, especially in the morning 
🕵️‍♂️ Crusty debris at the bas...

Sometimes my patients share cringe-worthy practices with me in my clinic. These are things they do with their eyes that they don't know are harmful. It's time to address these habits head-on. Let's talk about bad eye habits.

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...

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...

A few weeks ago, we talked about Demodex mites in the eyelashes and how I don't recommend the use of tea tree oil anymore to remove those Demodex mites. There is a new study out of Harvard Medical School indicating that Tea Tree oil is toxic to the cells of the meibomian glands. You can read the original article here.

Demodex mites normally live on human eyelids and lashes. These are microscopic and you can't see them with the naked eye. Below is a super magnified image of the Demodex mite. They have little mouths and they bury themselves inside of the lash follicle. Their little tails hang out at the top of the follicle. If you know you have an overgrowth of Demodex mites you will need an in office treatment or use a daily cleanser to get rid of them.

How do you know if you have a Dem...

I'm going to talk today about a question that my patients ask me all of the time: "How can I wear my contact lenses during allergy season?" "They're itchy, they're red, they run water all over the place, I don't know what to do, I can't get my contacts in!" I've got three tips for you today on how to wear your contact lenses during allergy season.

Tip #1) Take a Break

Tip number one: Take a break! You don't have to wear your contact lenses every day! I know you don't want to hear this, but maybe just during this season, save them for special occasions. Wear them occasionally. Wear them less time during the day, take them out when you get home, or only wear them when you're going out. Take a little break.

Tip #2) Wear a Daily-disposable Contact Lens

Number two, wear a daily-disposabl...

It's Springtime, and we've been talking a lot about how to take care of yourself during the spring. If you missed it, the last blog was all about Springtime allergies, how to avoid them, and a couple of tips on how to treat them.

Now that we know that we should just avoid Springtime allergies, we're going to dive into what to do about your eyes when you're suffering from allergies. I've got three tips for you today on how to treat your eyes when you're suffering from Springtime allergies and maybe even still have dry eyes to kind of compound the fact.

Tip #1) Artificial Tears and Cool Compresses

Use artificial tears and a cool compress. We've got right here, a cool compress. You're going to just have that ready in the freezer and then you can come home and lay that over the eyes. The hi...