The Future of Dry Eye Therapy

While the majority of dry eye cases can be treated just by using over the counter eye drops, for the select severe cases, more drastic treatment is necessary. Thankfully, recent progress in the field of dry eye research has produced several promising alternative treatment procedures that may provide lasting relief to patients suffering from severe dry eye symptoms.

One of the more well-publicized new alternative treatment has been Lipiflow by TearScience. Lipiflow works by applying heat and gentle pressure to the inner eyelids in order to unclog the meibomian glands. This technique can produce significant improvement in cases of evaporative dry eye since insufficient lipid layer on the tear film is often the key to the condition. Best of all, the treatment is FDA approved, meaning health insurance coverage is a likely possibility.

Intense Pulsed Light therapy works in a similar way to Lipiflow. IPL aim to eliminate bloated, inflammatory blood vessels in the lower eyelid and unplug the necessary oil glands. The result can be significant and patients often report dramatic improvement in the severity of their dry eye symptoms.

Along with Lipiflow and IPL, there has been advances made in the field of at home treatments. Mucosta ophthalmic suspension UD2% is a new drug launched by Acucela and Otsuka Pharmaceutical. The drug has a new mechanism of action which increase the level of mucin in the tear covering conjunctiva and cornea. If effective, Mucosta will stabilize the tear film and lessen the amount of corneal-conjunctival damage associated with dry eye.

Retaine® MGD™ Ophthalmic Emulsion by OCuSOFT is a revolutionary new type of eye drop that stay within the eye. It uses Novagali’s Novasorb technology to bind positively charged ions within the artificial tear to the negatively charged ocular surface. This ensures that the product will be spread in an “optimal, uniform and comfortable way across the entire ocular surface”, improving retention time and user comfort.

The treatment options listed above are just some of the new dry eye therapies that are currently out in the market. Many more are likely to be in the pipeline, awaiting results for tests and clinical trials. There seem to be a general trend that in recent dry eye research to focus more on the root of the condition, aka problem with the patient’s tear film. This is great news for people suffering from severe dry eye who need extra help.

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Could Dry Eye Be Making Your Migraines Worse?

While there isn’t sufficient research to prove a connection between dry eye and migraines, some studies suggest that the two may be related. Thinking logically, such a connection would make sense. We tend to react to dry eye symptoms by rubbing, itching, and squinting. All of these activities increase pressure around and behind the eyes, which in turn could aggravate headaches.

So what does the research say? A research study called “Dry Eyes and Migraines: Is There Really a Correlation” found that dry eye disease occurs more frequently in patients who experience migraine headaches than in non-migraine patients. Of course, correlation does not equal causation, but this research supports the hypothesis that migraine attacks may be worsened or set off by dry eye symptoms.

Dry eye symptoms alone are bothersome. If these symptoms are setting off migraine headaches too, they might seriously limit and affect day to day activities. So what can you do? Pinpointing the root of your dry eye symptoms is a good place to start. If your symptoms are seasonal, your dry eye may be a result of allergies, which proper treatment can control. Check out your pharmacy for options or consult your doctor. If you wear contact lenses, consider how your specific type of lenses may be contributing to your dry eye. Check out our article here to read more about how your choice of contact lenses and lens cleaning routine affects your symptoms. Often, however, dry eye has little to do with lens use or allergies. Many patients suffer from blepharitis, inflammation of the eyelid, which cause worrisome dry eye symptoms. Proper eyelid hygiene is the answer to this problem. Consider investing in eye drops, liposome sprays, and lid scrubs to combat your symptoms. Occusoft offers an impressive line of products that get to the root of your problem so you can find relief. Regardless of the root of your dry eye, EyeEco’s Tranquileyes product uses soft, flexible goggles to offer eye hydrating therapy. The goggles create a humid, warm environment that stimulates tear production and slows the evaporation of tears. By combating the root of your dry eye symptoms, and finding relief, you can prevent pressure build up behind the eyes that might be triggering your migraines.

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LASIK Patients: Remain on the Lookout for Dry Eye

Why Can LASIK Lead to Dry Eyes?

LASIK and other vision correction procedures involve penetration of the eye surface, which can lead to reduced corneal nerve sensitivity. Dry eye can result if your eyes struggle to sense when they need to produce tear lubrication after the surgery.

Who Is Most At Risk?

Dry eye is a common side effect of LASIK surgery for both people who suffer from the condition before the procedure and those who have never experienced dry eye. However, those with higher degrees of myopia tend to be more at risk for dry eye because these patients require a deeper removal of corneal tissue to reshape the eye. More significantly, for 25% of patients, dry eye symptoms are found to persist for up to six months after surgery. Older age, certain allergies, autoimmune diseases can also contribute to dry eye, so patients who fit these criteria should be extra aware of the potential dry eye side effects of these procedures.

So What Should You Do?

Doctors often recommend that patients attempt to treat current dry eye conditions before undergoing LASIK. In addition, doctors may recommend that even patients with normal tear production use dry eye treatments as a preventative measure before surgery. People with and without dry eye might be encouraged to take fish oil supplements in the weeks before surgery in order to improve the tear film. MedOp carries a product called MaxiTears containing Omega-3 fish oils that is specifically formulated for dry eye sufferers looking to improve their tear production. After surgery, patients might find relief by using EyeEco’s soft flexible goggles called Tranquileyes. The product comes with reusable gel packs to be used within the goggles that provide eye hydrating therapy to soothe and restore dry, tired eyes. The goggles create a humid, warm environment around the eyes to helps stimulate tear production and slow the evaporation of tears. Of course, dry eye relief may be found through a number of options. For ideas on how to combat dry eye, especially during these summer months, check out our blog "Beat Your Dry Eye This Summer". 

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Makeup Application for Those Affected by Dry Eye

Women are three times more likely to be affected by dry eye than men. This is partially due to hormonal changes in our body to the fact that we are constantly putting foreign bodies into our eyes via eye makeup. Fortunately, there are tricks and tips you can follow to make sure those smoky eyes do not become rabbit eyes by the end of the night.

 

If you suffer from severe dry eye, avoiding eye makeup completely may be the safest option. However, this does not mean that you cannot have beautiful nude eyes. A little bit of attention to the rest of your makeup can do wonders. Instead of using mascara, consider how an eyelash curler can give you that full lash look without the irritation. The right shade of lipstick and blush can also help to emphasize your eyes without going anywhere near them. You can keep your lipstick look relatively natural while still bringing an element of drama to your face. Go for an after-exercise flush when applying blush.

If you only suffer from mild to moderate dry eye and would still  like to wear eye makeup, consider these tips. Avoid powder eye shadow in favor of creams as powder can travel and irritate the eyes while cream eye shadow will stick in place. If you choose to use liquid eye shadow, eyeliners, and/or mascara, make sure the product is alcohol free. Also, do not use waterproof makeup. The traditional methods for removing waterproof makeup such as Vaseline and baby oil will leave residue around the eyelid and this residue is then spread all over the eye. Also, do not ever share eye makeup or use expired items. Cross contamination is a real problem and with dry eye, even the tiniest infection can become a big cause for concern. 

Once you have the appropriate eye makeup, follow the tricks below to minimize possible discomfort during and after application. If you are using Restasis or other types of natural eye drops, shoot to apply these a half an hour before you do your makeup. Moist eyes will help to make the process as pain free as possible. When using mascara, make sure to apply from the tips rather than from the root of your lashes. In general, you should make sure to avoid the lid margin when applying any type of eye make up.

The last and most important step for dry eye sufferers (and those without dry eyes) is cleansing. Proper makeup removal is absolutely key to preventing irritation. Ocusoft lid scrubs are currently one of the best products on the market for dry eye makeup removal. Ocusoft offers products that come in both bottled liquid and pad forms. The product is gentle enough for daily use and will not irritate the eyelids. It is both lint and fragrance free so you can be sure that it will not worsen your dry eye condition. Pick up Ocusoft products at your local drug store or ask your eye doctor for a sample. The company is even now offering specialized mascara for dry eye sufferers!

Explore more dry eye tips and tricks, and find other optical information, by visiting our facebook and twitter. Also, look to our directory for product updates! 

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Understanding Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and What to do about Dry Eye

What is MDG?

A major cause of dry eye is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD). Essentially, the edges of our eyelids are covered in small glands called meibomian glands, which contain lipids. These glands are important in smoothing the tear surface to slow down evaporation of eye moisture. Hence, when these glands fail to produce enough oil, the moist layer of our eyes evaporates too quickly leading to dry eye symptoms. Often when these glands struggle to produce adequate oil it is because they are clogged. In addition, the edges of the eyelids where the glands sit may be inflamed, which is characteristic of a common condition called blepharitis.

How Should It Be Treated?

According to the International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, one suggested treatment from MDG is to use lid scrubs to engage in proper eyelid hygiene. Lid scrubs are essential to cleaning external meibomian gland blockages caused by epithelial overgrowth. They are used on the lid margin, just over the gland orifices to halt this overgrowth and to prevent other external substances from clogging the glands. Overtime, lid scrubs have been proven to improve tear-film break up time, and have also been shown to relieve blepharitis.

There are many lid scrubs on the market, but Ocusoft brand offers some of the best. Ocusoft lid scrub plus has a unique leave-on formula which prolongs contact maximizing the bacterial time kill eradicating seven different strains of bacteria common to the eyelids. They have also demonstrated lower eye irritation scores than their competitors.

In addition, the International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction suggests the use of liposome sprays. The study tested multiple treatments and phospholipid liposomal sprays achieved the greatest reduction of lid margin inflammation and improvement in tear film break-up time when compared with hyaluronate eye drops and triglyceride gels.

One of the leading lipsome sprays on the market is offered by Ocusoft brand. Their Advanced Liposome Spray formula is recommended for patients with eyelid irritation and mild dry eye. The product also includes vital nutrients and antioxidants to promote general eye health. Both the Ocusoft lid scrubs and liposome sprays are available in most markets.

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Ocusoft Launches New Zoria Eye Enhancement Cosmetic Lines

No More Glasses? Look Even Better By Naturally Enhancing Your Eyelashes

ZORIA™ Boost Lash Intensifying Serum utilizes patented technology to naturally stimulate, strengthen and condition eyelashes creating a dramatically longer, fuller, darker look. Ideal for individuals with sensitive eyes. ZORIA™ Boost Lash Intensifying Serum utilizes patented polypeptide technology to naturally enhance and support each of the three phases of the eyelash growth cycle.

These three phases are known as: Anagen (active growth), Catagen (transition) and Telogen (resting). Each individual eyelash undergoes each phase at different times. On average, complete replacement of an eyelash occurs between 4-8 weeks. ZORIA™ Boost not only nourishes and conditions eyelashes to prepare for the next growth cycle, it also prolongs the Telogen phase creating the appearance of longer, fuller lashes.

Zytaze Enhances Botox Treatment

If you have gone through Botox treatment, and are looking to prolong its effects, learn more about Ocusoft ZYTAZE. ZYTAZE is a patent-pending nutritional supplement that enhances the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in the treatment of blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm or cosmetic procedures. To learn more about these conditions, click here. Formulated with a unique blend of organic zinc and phytase to increase zinc absorption, ZYTAZE has been found to extend the duration of botulinum toxin injections by almost 30%¹.

¹Koshy JC, Sharabi SE, Feldman EM, Hollier LH, Patrinely JR, Soparkar CNS.

New Eyelash Enhancing Serum Available!

Bimatoprost is marketed in the U.S., Canada and Europe by Allergan  under the trade name Lumigan, and is a Prostaglandin analog/prodrug used topically as eye drops to control the progression of Glaucoma and in the management of ocular hypertension.  It reduces intraocular pressure (IOP) by increasing the outflow of aqueous fluid from the eyes.  In December 2008, the indication to lengthen eyelashes was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The cosmetic formulation of bimatoprost is sold as Latisse. 

While Latisse has been shown to lengthen eyelashes in some patients, there are numerous negative side effects that have been identified with regular use.  These include the reduction of orbital fat which can have the effect of creating a sunken eye look. 

Other possible side effects of this medication are

• May cause blurred vision.
• May cause eyelid redness.
• May permanently darken eyelashes.
• May cause eye discomfort.
• May eventually cause permanent darkening of the iris to brown.
• May cause a temporary burning sensation during use.
• May cause thickening of the eyelashes.
• It may cause unexpected growth of hair if applied inappropriately, on the cheek, for example.
• It may cause infection if the one-time applicators which come with the genuine product are reused.
• Lashes may grow so long that they become ingrown and scratch the cornea.
• May cause darkening of the eyelid or of the area beneath the eye.

Because of these often permanent negative side effects, Ocusoft, Inc., based in Richmond, Texas has developed a new product called ZORIA™ BOOST, a lash intensifying serum that doesn't require a prescription.  The results are dramatically longer, fuller and darker looking lashes without the negative side effects!   
 


ZORIA™ BOOST Utilizes patented polypeptide technology to naturally enhance and support the three phases of eyelash growth cycle.  It is also safe for contact lenses, irritation-free, and results in iris or skin discoloration.

*Results may vary

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Global Marketing Associates (GMA) is the exclusive international marketing partner of OCuSOFT in selected markets worldwide. Contact us for more distribution details.