One of the microorganisms that can cause eyelid inflammation, itching and dry eyes is actually a mite. Our team can see evidence of these critters using the biomicroscope, and may prescribe an eyelid wipe formulated to kill them. “Tea tree oil acts against bacteria, fungus, mites, and inflammation, all of which may be involved in some forms of blepharitis” said the Ophthalmology Times.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “On average, mites have a three-week lifespan, and hygiene is critical for interrupting their life cycle, said Dr. Tseng. ‘Mites should die out if you don’t let them mate.’ Unfortunately, eyelids are less accessible to thorough cleaning because they are surrounded by the nose, eyebrow, and cheekbone”.
Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic for certain organisms that cause eyelid irritation which can lead to dry eyes and styes. Eyelid wipes formulated with tea tree oil like Quidel lid’n lash wipes provide enough to be effective at removing bacteria, debris and dandruff, yet not too strong to cause irritation. They also provide moisture and skin-firming hyaluronate to tighten eye wrinkles as an added plus.
Another product that Dr. B will prescribe for certain cases is Demodex wipes from Ocusoft, which “adds buckthorn seed oil to the tea tree oil, as both ingredients have been shown to be effective against Demodex mites”, according the the Review of Optometry.
“In addition to its application in various pathologies, tea tree oil also being used quite successfully as a makeup remover and ingredient in face wash and shampoo.” – Covalent Careers.
Eyelid wipes aren’t just for eyelid mites. The tea tree oil and other ingredients in them keeps bacteria, fungus, and other microorganisms in check, as well as possessing inherent anti inflammatory properties. That’s why Dr. B recommends using an eyelid wipe daily for general eyelid hygiene, to remove make-up and hydrate the skin.
Dry eyes can be a real pain in the eye! You might feel your eyes are dry, irritated, red, blurry vision that comes and goes, stinging or burning, like something’s in your eyes, or like sandpaper as you blink, among others.
At Advanced Vision Care and Dry Eye Spa, our dry eye program for the fastest relief possible includes a combination of the following take-home treatments:
Fish Oil Complex
Improves the quality of oils our meibomian glands produce, which keeps the eyes hydrated. My choice is “E-Z Tears” Omega 3 from Eye Promise because it provides naturally sourced, high quality factors such as evening primrose oil, turmeric root extract, green tea leaf extract which reduce inflammation of the glands. For a vegetarian alternative, Algae Omega by Nordic Naturals has also been shown to provide a similar effect.
Preservative-Free Artificial Tears
The key is to use a drop that is preservative-free. Preservatives are chemicals that can actually irritate the surface of the eye after the liquid drop evaporates. I always recommend Oasis tears because they provide lubrication to maintain a healthy eye surface and alleviate dry eye symptoms. There are two types: Oasis Tears or Oasis Tears PLUS individual vials which are good for 24 hours, or a preservative-free bottle which is specially designed so no air gets into the bottle, keeping them sterile. The regular version is more like natural tears, and the “plus” version is thicker and lasts longer for more effective relief; however, they may cause a bit of “oily” vision for a few minutes.
Hot Compress
Applying heat over closed eyes aids in opening the eyelid pores so the hardened oil from your meibomian glands can make its way out. Using a face cloth with hot water can work but it cools off after just 2 or 3 minutes and needs to be reheated. Our program includes an Oasis heat mask that you heat in the microwave for 20 seconds and it delivers moist heat for up to 15 minutes.
Lid Wipes
These remove debris and oils released from clogged eyelid glands and as well as unwanted bacteria or hardened makeup around the eye lashes and skin. The I-lid & lash wipes by I-med are available in regular I-Lid&Lash and I- Lid&Lash plus with tea tree oil (a natural antimicrobial). Scrub eyelashes side to side with your finger over closed eyes using gentle pressure for 5 seconds each. Use morning and night.
Eyelid Foam or Gel
Instead of using harsh soaps or body wash which can contain chemicals that irritate eyelids (the thinnest skin in the body), eyelid foams are gentle on eyelid skin and formulated to dissolve hardened oil build-up on your eyelashes and reduce bacterial overgrowth. Among those we prescribe are Zocular’s zocufoam, Ocusoft’s platinum foam, and Oust Demodex foam. To use in conjunction with lid wipes by applying to the lid wipe or directly to your eyelids.
Hypochlorous gel or spray
Hypochlorous acid is an organic substance found in the body’s neutrophil cells. It is an antimicrobial agent, and neutralizes bacteria, toxins, and inflammatory mediators in the body. It also works to prevent biofilm formation as well as deactivate problematic enzymes. I recommend Avenova antimicrobial spray or Oasis Hypochlorus spray, which may be applied to a lid wipe or index finger to spread across your lashes and leave it on or rinse.
Home therapies are a key part of the success of a dry eye treatment plan, so you have to do your part for it to work well. You may feel better right away, or it may take a couple months to get noticeable and lasting relief. Be persistent and follow through, and it will pay off.
Taking a high quality daily fish oil supplement is a safe way to boost our diet with the essential omega 3 fatty acids that have so many good effects on dry eyes and general health, especially if we don’t eat enough fish each week. Check out how to “Say goodbye to fish burps”.
Intro:
Dry eye is a complex and chronic condition that can worsen or improve with multiple variables. One of them is diet. The Mayo Clinic confirms: “Taking an omega-3 fatty acid supplement can reduce symptoms of dry eyes”. The reason fish oils can help with dry eye symptoms is because our tears are made up of an oily layer and a watery layer, and the oily layer is produced by oil glands that line our eyelids called meibomian glands. Taking a fish oil supplement improves the stability of the oil layer of our tears, making the tears take longer to evaporate, so they stay in our eyes longer.
How it works:
Fish oil contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are natural anti-inflammatory agents that are important for healthy brain development and retinal function. When the meibomian glands are inflamed (meibomitis) they don’t produce the oils needed to keep the eyes hydrated, and the EPA in fish oil suppresses this inflammation, which dramatically reduces the gritty irritation you might have upon waking in the morning. It also protects the gland that produces the watery part of the tears (the lacrimal gland), thereby inhibiting secondary inflammation of the eye tissue. Turmeric, which is found in curcumin, also demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties that help with meibomitis.
How much to take:
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acid, which is a natural anti-inflammatory with no side effects. Most health organizations recommend a daily intake of at least 250–500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA. A typical 1,000-mg fish oil softgel contains about 250 mg of combined EPA and DHA, while one teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid fish oil has around 1,300 mg of omega 3.
In general, people of all ages should take between 2,000mg to 3,000mg of fish oil with food daily for dry eye. It’s important that each capsule contains a combined total of at least 600mg of DHA and EPA. If you eat a meal of salmon, herring, sardines, trout or codfish, you can skip one capsule.
How much is too much?
“According to the European Food Safety Authority, omega-3 fatty acid supplements can be safely consumed at doses up to 5,000 mg daily,” according to Rachael Link MS, RD. Beyond this amount, possible side effects are, “increased bleeding risk, higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol, blood sugar control problems, and a fishy aftertaste or odor. In some at-risk populations, such as people who have had a heart transplant, omega-3 fatty acids may affect heart rate. If you have heart disease, only take omega-3 fatty acids under the direction of your healthcare provider,” says Katherine Zeratsky, R.D. “As a general rule of thumb, if you experience any negative symptoms, simply decrease your intake or consider meeting your omega-3 fatty acid needs through food sources instead”.
What to take:
EZ tears by Eye Promise is a high quality omega 3 supplement that contains all the recommended ingredients: a high percentage of DHA and EPA as well as other anti-inflammatory factors (evening primrose oil, turmeric root extract, etc.) to reduce inflammation and improve dry eye symptoms. With a 30 day money-back guarantee, this is Dr. B’s top choice. For an excellent vegetarian option, try Algae Omega by Nordic Naturals.
What else does fish oil do?
In addition to alleviating dry eye, taking omega-3 supplements has shown other eye health benefits, such as a lower incidence of age-related macular degeneration and nuclear cataracts.
“Omega-3s help repair our bodies by fighting chronic inflammation that can adversely affect our eyes, heart, blood vessels, joints and skin. Much like an oil change helps an engine run more smoothly by cutting down on friction, omega-3s can re-oil parts of our bodies that have worn down over time…Pregnant women and individuals over 40 years of age particularly benefit from omega-3 supplementation”, says Dr. Michael Geiger.
How long will it take to work?
You can expect to feel the benefits after a month, but it often takes up to 3 months to reach the maximum effect.
What’s the difference between an Ophthalmologist and an Optometrist?
Ophthalmologists and optometrists are both eye care professionals that diagnose and treat vision disorders, eye injuries, infections, inflammations and eye diseases, but only ophthalmologists perform surgery. Optometrists fit contact lenses and glasses, and treat eye conditions that do not require surgery. When surgery or the expertise of a medical specialist is required, optometrists refer patients to an ophthalmologist. This is similar to how a primary care physician refers patients to a specialist. Ophthalmologists are medical doctors (MD or DO), while optometrists hold a doctor of optometry (OD) degree.
Opticians work in the optical and specialize in fitting, ordering and dispensing eyeglasses, perform contact lens training, ordering and dispensing, in addition to other devices that can help improve vision.
The eyes are the window to…your body! When Dr. Burgett looks in your eyes, he is able to detect if there are signs of eye disease, but also certain systemic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, systemic infections and autoimmune diseases. Sometimes the eye doctor may be the first to diagnose signs of a systemic disease even if you don’t have any symptoms. For example, we can have Hypertension (high blood pressure) for years without feeling any different. Diabetes is another disease that can show signs in the eyes as the first point of diagnosis. Red, painful eyes can sometimes be the first sign of an autoimmune disease.
Your eyes can be affected by the general health and status of the rest of your body. For example, your eyes may become drier if you have not had enough water. Good nutrition and a healthy diet rich in antioxidants have a significant effect on the retinal cells in the back of your eyes. Eating daily helpings of swiss chard, collard greens, kale, bell peppers and raw spinach is always ideal, but if that’s not possible, then a daily eye vitamin like “Eye Promise” can help your eyes receive what they need for optimal health. Your eye health can often be a reflection of your overall health, making your eye exam an integral part of keeping you healthy.
From an eye doctor’s perspective, it’s both amazing and a little scary to think of how many children have undiagnosed vision problems that are sight-threatening.
Vision is a critical part of a child’s development and helps them meet milestones. A child should be able to use both eyes together as a team by 6 months old. Otherwise, they could develop a condition called “lazy eye”. Lazy eye is commonly due to strabismus (misalignment of the eyes), a difference in refractive power (prescription), or a combination of the two. Strabismus can be so slight it may not be noticeable by the parent or child, but can jeopardize a child’s sight. Strabismus is an eye disorder that may cause permanently decreased vision and poor depth perception for the rest of the child’s life if not treated in time. Refractive errors (the need for glasses) or small eye turns in children can also lead to permanently reduced vision if left untreated.
Your child’s sight could be at risk even if you don’t notice any symptoms. Some signs of vision disorders are squinting, winking, or head turn. However, you may not notice any of these symptoms because the child may be relying on the “good” eye and they may appear normal. Often the causes of lazy eye can be missed in vision screenings, which is why optometrists recommend a child get their first comprehensive eye exam between 6 months to 1 year old. The optometrist will perform more specialized tests to determine the alignment, prescription of the eyes, and to rule out any ocular health concerns.
To be sure your child does not have an undetectable vision disorder, at Advanced Vision Care and Dry Eye Spa we strongly urge parents to get their children’s eyes examined as soon as possible, at age 3 or younger. The next eye exam* is recommended before a child starts school, around 4-5 years old, to ensure they have all the visual tools they will need. Once in school, an eye exam is recommended every other year. This way, the child is examined at key stages of development based on the changing demands they will have with age and schoolwork. We hope to see you and your children soon!
