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...

Summer is a great time of the year to enjoy spending time with your friends and family outdoors. This can be especially challenging for dry eye sufferers since they often are sensitive to wind and sunlight. Let’s discuss three ways to protect your eyes this summer.  

#1) Protect Your Eyes 

Wearing your sunglasses to protect our eyes from UV rays is important any time of the year. Harmful UV rays have been linked to cataract creation and an increased risk of development of macular degeneration. In the summer, it is extra important to wear sunglasses because there are more hours of daylight. 

When you have dry eyes, your eyes tend to be more sensitive to light and to wind. I like to wear sunglasses whenever I'm outdoors year-round, but especially in the summertime. Make sure that your sun...

This week, I'm going to talk to you about something that probably, you never thought someone from Louisiana would teach you about.  It's something called snow blindness.  It can occur when you go outdoors and you enjoy yourself for the day when there's snow on the ground and you didn't protect your eyes properly.

When we go outdoors on a cold day I'm sure you've put on your long Johns, so  your legs will be nice and warm. You put on your winter boots, you put on your coat, you put on your hood, you put on your gloves, and finally you go outside and you enjoy yourself all day. You've protected your body, but you forgot one crucial thing because maybe it was also cloudy.  You didn't wear eye protection with an Ultra Violet (UV) blocker. 

 And the next day, when you wake up, your eyes are r...

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...