Dry Eye

Clark Chang, OD, MSA, MSc, FAAO, recently shared what he considers to be the top-five innovations in eye care during a session at SECO 2016.

Anyone who treats ocular surface disease (OSD) recognizes the important role oral antibiotics play in therapy, especially in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Yet the existing evidence is insufficient to conclude the effectiveness of oral antibiotic therapy, according to a report published in Ophthalmology.

Dr. Scott Schachter discusses using dry eye testing in your practice to identify dry eye patients.

Dry eye disease (DED) has long been thought to be a progressive condition, but a study published in Ophthalmology found that most of its participants who were diagnosed with DED reported no change or some level of improvement.

Nowadays, you are unlikely to read a journal or go to a meeting without hearing the importance of dry eye disease in our practices and for our surgical patients. This was not always the case. I want to introduce you to the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) and the brains behind it: David Sullivan, PhD, and his family- Rose, Ben, and Amy-who dedicate their lives to help us better understand dry eye disease.

my fellow shared with me that after I left the room, the patient complained about me being a “salesman.” Awestruck, I came away realizing that my best intents and clinical knowledge had been taken the wrong way and that the cost of the best treatment for this patient were overshadowed by the fact that she was going to have an out-of-pocket cost.

A common barrier to many practitioners is the concern that their practice does not have the patient foundation to make investment in the services economically profitable. I assure you that OSD management will profit the patient in many ways that includes clearer, more comfortable vision, enhancing their productivity and overall wellbeing.

Scott Schachter, OD, says there have been a lot of advancements in technology that helps diagnose and treat dry eye, but he says there's still more optometrists can do.

Several weeks ago, I learned of a more recent, somewhat concerning trend. Since the Allergan and Actavis merger, sales reps are now promoting Restasis to primary care doctors, internist and allergists.

I think that most of us would agree that new technologies generally mean better patient outcomes. But those outcomes always come with an added cost.

Leaders in their respective specialties came together at the American Academy of Optometry 2015 meeting in New Orleans to share their latest research in dry eye and glaucoma.

Over the last few years, there have been several advancements in ocular surface disease diagnostic and treatment technology. Not sure which ones are right for your practice? Milton Hom, OD, FAAO, and Ben Gaddie, OD, FAAO, share their advice.

While there are a myriad of associated concerns due to ocular surface inflammation, a few eyelash-related complications of note are trichiasis, acquired distachiasis, local madarosis, and poliosis. Each of these is in some way connected to dry eye.

Check out our interview with Dr. Leslie O'Dell.

The lipid layer prevents evaporation of aqueous tears and prevents drying. Lipid deficiency due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the most common cause of symptoms associated with dry eye disease.

Focusing on dry eye management is a great practice builder, but is not without challenges. These challenges lie in making the proper diagnosis, implementing new technology, properly training staff, developing an effective treatment plan and the time it takes to properly educate patients.

Warm compresses (WCs) are commonly recommended as supplementary therapy for MGD as well as a number of other conditions of the eyelid. While the core therapy for MGD is to remove obstruction, which requires an in-office procedure, the therapeutic goal of adjunctive WC use is to heat the eyelids to help soften and partially melt any remaining material obstructing the glands.

How often are you using punctal plugs in your practice? If your answer is similar to mine, it’s “not as often as I used to.” Classically, punctal plugs were a go-to treatment for dry eye patients. If artificial tears failed to yield relief, plugs were a logical next choice.

When it comes to optometry, innovation, and pushing for better care for your patients, where are you? We have met practitioners on all sides of the spectrum in many areas of optometry.

You diagnosed a patient and developed a treatment plan to improve the ocular surface. This is only the first (and often the easiest) step. The more challenging aspect is assuring that the patient follows through with the plan.

Liverpool, UK-The British Contact Lens Association meeting features several panel discussion on a theme. Topics included a look into the future for managing myopia and contact lens discomfort. In addition, improve the success of your multifocal contact lens fits with expert suggestions.

If patients are coming to us for a comprehensive examination, and vision begins at the tear film, why aren’t we routinely and objectively evaluating this critical layer?

Recently, I was stopped in my tracks when I overheard a colleague comment that she was unaware that topically administered cyclosporine (Restasis, Allergan) increases goblet cell density.

Months after being cleared, the Ebola virus was found in the ocular fluid of a survivor, according to a recent report from The New England Journal of Medicine.

I can assure you that as consumers, we are all looking for the first-class treatment. When it comes to recommendations for your patients, do you offer them best-in-class treatments, or do you hold back?