3 Ways to Help Your Tear Film
When it comes to eye health and addressing concerns of appearance, dryness, allergies and inflammation – your tear film plays a major role. From delivery of nutrients to providing protection to the delicate structures of the eye, the tear film is often taken for granted. Discover my 3 ways I help my patients address tear film conditions and problems:
If your lacrimal gland isn’t making enough tears or your Meibomian glands are not releasing enough oil – add some. There are many options available at your local CVS or Walgreens. There are also some that are a little bit more difficult to find. Here I will highlight a few.
Use Systane Ultra in preservative free vials to reduce BAK to the ocular surface. This is my go to lubricating drop after my patients have lasik eye surgery.
My patients with blepharitis love Refresh Optive Mega-3. It is a newer drop on the market. Again preservative free vials is key.
Freshkote is a little harder to find, but its my go to for patients with inflammatory dry eye concerns but don't want prescription eyedrops. Freshkote comes in a preservative free bottle for convenience.
Medicate your tear film. You can address a medical diagnosis with many types of prescription eye drops. You’ll need the right diagnosis and a prescription from an optometrist. Here are the 2 eye drops that I commonly prescribe at my private practice for dry eyes.
I have been prescribing Restasis for over 10 years. Restasis inhibits the production of T-cells over time so a prescription for at least 12 months works best.
Xiidra is newer to market and an excellent prescription eyedrops for dry eyes. It binds to LFA and ICAM to inhibit inflammatory mediators. It has been received with much success at my private practice.
The third category is the newest category in tear film care. For many of my patients that work behind digital devices all day – studies show that blink rate (how many times you blink a minute) can decrease up to 50%. Much like windshield wipers on a car, the blink provides natural cleansing action for the eyes. Without the blink, think of the eye as a dirty windshield by the end of the day.
In this case, I use my hypochlorous cleansing spray. At my private practice, I have my patients spray it directly into their eyes (off-label use) or directly onto closed eyelids during the day. Usually 1-2 pumps twice a day or as needed is a good starting point.
My patients also use this to improve the appearance of their eyelids from bacteria and inflammatory concerns. It's also preservative free since it's stabilized by pH technology.
Love + Healthy Eyes,
