Today, I'm diving into the world of dry eye relief and exploring a brand-new solution that's making waves in the eyecare world. Say hello to Miebo, the recently FDA-approved medication from Bausch + Lomb, designed to treat dry eye symptoms. But before we delve into this exciting development, let's take a moment to understand the intricate layers of our tear film. 

The Three Layers of Tear Film 

Your tears are more than just salty droplets that express your emotions; they're a complex blend of three crucial components: 

• Watery Layer: This layer coats the front surface of your eye, providing moisture and nourishment. 
• Mucus Layer: The mucus layer serves as a foundation, holding the watery layer in place. 
• Oily Layer: The final layer, produced by your meibomian glands in the eyelids, a...

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...

The eye care industry is constantly evolving. There is always research going on to make products better, more tolerable, and longer lasting. This past year, there were 3 new products that hit the market that can significantly affect your dry eye relief. Let's talk about three of the best dry eye products that came to market in 2022.

 #1) For your Eyes: Optase MGD Advanced Dry Eye Drop

Optase has been available in the US for a couple of years now. Their preservative-free Dry Eye Intense drop has been a favorite of mine for several years now.  However, in 2022, MGD Advanced came to the US market as well. 

MGD Advanced has three key ingredients:

1. Hyaluronic Acid: binds moisture to the front surface of our eye.
2. Trehalose: a naturally occurring compound that prevents drying out, or desicc
...

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...

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...

My patients and some of my students in my Alleviate Dry Eye course often ask me about how to express their meibomian glands.  You may have been told to do this by your own doctor.  Or, maybe you have read about it or heard about it from a friend.  A lot of folks are still confused as to how to do it.  

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you know I talk about doing four simple steps to take care of our dry eyes daily.  To review, the first step is hydrate, so using an artificial tear. The second step is to cleanse your lids and lashes. The third step is to heat your lashes, and right after that heating you often want to express those meibomian glands, so we're going to talk about that. The fourth step is to take a dry eye supplement. I always recommend HydroEye to my patien...

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...

What are Warm Compresses Used For?