In this part of the dry eye series, the goal is to highlight some solutions to combat ocular surface inflammation and its causes. In Part 3 of this series was read, one would know that dry eye caused by inflammation is deeply rooted to what happens on the eyelids. So, much of this discussion will be centered on treating the eyelids, lashes, and meibomian glands. Improvement of the eyelid issues does not happen overnight because they are chronic in nature. Unfortunately, chronic issues take more time and effort to create physiological changes. But while the lid issues are being treated, prescri ..read more

Ocular surface inflammation is the most common reason for dry eye syndrome. Inflammation can come from a lot of sources, of which, the main culprit is what’s happening on or inside the eyelids. The most common eyelid issue is blepharitis, which can be broken down into the anterior and posterior varieties. Anterior blepharitis is inflammation of the skin near the eyelashes and inside the eyelash follicles. It can be caused by bacterial overload, seborrhea, rosacea, and/or demodex. Posterior blepharitis is when the conjunctival layer that lines the inside portions of the eyelids and the eyeball ..read more

In this part of my dry eye series, I want to talk a little about what tears are made of and why the individual components are very important to the development of dry eye symptoms. There are three basic components to our tear film. When I say tear film, I mean the very thin mixture of fluid that covers the surface of the eye after a blink of the eyelids occur. The three basic components of the tear film are meibum, aqueous, and mucous, and they are all produced by different sources. Meibum Layer The first layer, or meibum, is an oily substance that is produced by glands named Meibomian glands ..read more

Dry Eye Basics Dry eye disease is a catch all based diagnosis for people who suffer from a non-allergy related ocular surface disorder. It is estimated to affect between 5 and 25% of the population, with it being more common in women than men. The phrase “ocular surface disorder” means that something is creating a problem with the surface of the cornea (the clear tissue over the iris) and/or the conjunctiva (the clear tissue that covers the eyeball and under the eyelids). Chronic redness, tearing, grittiness, light sensitivity, intermittent visual blur, and burning are all symptoms of dry eye ..read more

Contact Lens Dryness A consistent issue that I see in my practice, and one that is most likely also encountered by other Charleston eye care specialists, is caring for patients with substantial contact lens dryness. Some of the symptoms I consistently hear are: Continuously feel the contact throughout the day Intermittent blurred vision because the contact may move around Have to blink a lot to keep things clear Eyes that feel tired all of the time Not being able to get through the work day with contacts Have to take them out right when getting home from work because they are dry They move ar ..read more

We are about to start the new school year here in Charleston. As a kid, I remember being sad when the summer was over, but also being excited about a new year ahead.  The coolest part was seeing how much everyone had changed during the summer. Some people would come in and appear to have totally transformed themselves into new people, with new outlooks and new maturity. I still get excited for my son on the first day of school, because I remember this as a positive and fun thing to go through year after year, and I can feel his excitement as well. This brings me to why I think every kid ..read more

As a Charleston optometrist, I see my fair share of red eye balls. Occasionally, i’ll see patients outside of the office whose eyes look red. Inevitably, they’ll come up to me and say “Hey doc! My eye is red, I think I have pink eye. What do you think?” And after a quick glance at each eye I’ll typically say, “Yep, your eyes are red, but….” And then I ask a series of questions to rule out the presence of the nasty, icky, pink eye that everyone thinks they have when their eyes are red.  You know the kind of pink eye that your kids bring home from school that spreads like wildfire through ..read more