Why You Need a Pre‑ACCUTANE Eye Exam: Baseline Testing and Dry Eye Prevention
Should I See the Optometrist Before I Start ACCUTANE?
When you’re about to begin ACCUTANE (isotretinoin), your skin isn’t the only concern. Your eyes can be significantly affected by this medication. You might wonder if a quick check‑up with your eye doctor is worth it. The short answer is YES, in all capital letters! Seeing an optometrist before ACCUTANE helps establish a clear baseline and prevents surprises down the road.
Why ACCUTANE Affects Your Eyes
ACCUTANE works by reducing oil production in your skin’s sebaceous glands. Unfortunately, it impacts the meibomian oil glands in your eyelids the same way. Those glands produce the oily layer of your tear film. When oil decreases, tears evaporate more rapidly. Dryness sets in. Fluctuating vision follows. Ignoring this can lead to more severe issues.
You want to see not just an optometrist, but a DRY EYE SPECIALIST OPTOMETRIST for baseline evaluation. We have the specialized tools, devices, and the clinical expertise to get you through this journey! Only a dry eye optometrist would recommend a PRE-ACCUTANE baseline evaluation because we KNOW how necessary it is to meet a patient's expectations. A thorough exam detects early signs of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). That way, we can address them before they worsen.
What to Expect During an Eye Exam
When you come in, we’ll perform BASELINE DRY EYE TESTING. We’ll measure your tear production and assess the quality of your tear film. One key metric we record is TEAR BREAK UP TIME. It tells us how quickly your tears evaporate. We’ll also examine your meibomian glands under magnification, check for any clogging, and evaluate your eyelid margin. This comprehensive review forms the foundation of your personalized care plan.
Preparing Your Eye Care Plan Before ACCUTANE
This is an example of how I roll. After testing, I’ll discuss customized strategies. We pretty much review MGD CLEANSING SYSTEM and the steps involved. I'll explain why MGD is likely to happen and the symptoms to look out for. I will always discuss MGE, meiboman gland expression - just in case it's something my patient will need. Other items I discuss are preservative‑free artificial tears, omega‑3 supplements, contact lenses, eye makeup etc. Some patients have lots of changes. Others do not. I also talk about the time and expense of regular office visits that may or not be needed depending on symptoms.
My parents leave knowing exactly what to expect and how likely they will need additive therapies for comfort and prevention while they are taking ACCUTANE ... and even what to expect weeks after. I always give them my email address and office SMS number in case they have symptoms so I can intervene quickly. Mu proactive approach is kinda excessive - but that's how I roll, and your DRY EYE SPECIALIST OPTOMETRIST will too.
Hi, I’m Dr. Tanya Gill, optometrist and founder of We Love Eyes. I started We Love Eyes in 2014 while trying to help one of my (stubborn) patients with contact lens discomfort. In 2016, I had 3 products. Fast forward to today - We Love Eyes has almost 30 SKUs. It’s been an amazing journey. Explore my life’s work at weloveeyes.com. Check out my content on TIKTOK. See the profile page and see the playlists: MGD, STYE, DRY EYES . xo
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ACCUTANE eye exam
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pre‑ACCUTANE optometrist visit
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baseline dry eye testing
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tear break up time assessment
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dry eye specialist optometrist
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meibomian gland evaluation
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eyelid hygiene ACCUTANE
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We Love Eyes pre‑treatment
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Dr. Tanya Gill ACCUTANE care
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prevent ACCUTANE dry eyes