Dry Eyes (keratitis sicca)
How Can You Find a Good Eye Drop?
Dry eyes can make people miserable. You might feel as though you have sand in your eyes all the time. Your eyes may itch or sting. The first line treatment is to replace the tears your own eyes aren't…
Eye Drop Warning! FDA Lists 27 Worrisome Product…
Here we go again! Last summer dozens of Americans developed eye infections that were traced to contaminated eye drops. Some people suffered permanent loss of vision because of the infections. The FDA …
Show 1337: Pros and Cons of LASIK Eye Surgery
In this episode, four guests share their diverse perspectives on LASIK eye surgery. This procedure surgically changes the shape of the cornea with the goal of helping people see better, ideally withou…
Lasik Surgery and Dry Eyes: An FDA OOOPS?
LASIK surgery stands for Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. In this procedure, eye surgeons use a laser beam to change the shape of the cornea. The goal of this intervention is to eliminate the ne…
Show 1309: Coping With Dry Eyes and Tear Problem…
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, learn how to cope with tear problems. This is an extremely common eye disease, but that doesn’t mean it is trivial. An estimated 16 million adults …
Show 1154: How to Take Good Care of Your Eyesigh…
A national survey just a few years ago showed that Americans fear losing their vision more than they fear losing a limb, their hearing, their ability to speak or even their memory (Scott et al, JAMA O…
Will Taking Krill Oil Help Your Dry Eyes?
Is there any value in taking supplements? Doctors have been debating this question for years. While many specialties have been extremely skeptical about the value of dietary supplements, ophthalmologi…
Anticholinergic Drugs | Dry Mouth and Alzheimer …
Anticholinergic drugs are generally bad for the brain. They affect the crucial neurochemical acetylcholine. One worry about anticholinergic drugs is a link to memory problems or Alzheimer's disease (J…
Is Fish Oil Really Useless for Dry Eyes?
Fish oil has a reputation for helping ease the symptoms of dry eye, but a recent study found it was no more helpful than the olive oil placebo the scientists used. (Both groups–those taking fish oil…
No Study Support for Fish Oil Soothing Dry Eyes
Fish oil is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds have anti-inflammatory activity, and doctors have hoped that fish oil supplements would prove useful against a wide range of…
Is Fish Oil Helpful or Useless for Dry Eye Disea…
Dry eye disease affects roughly 14 percent of American adults. Older women are especially susceptible to this chronic and hard-to-treat condition. Fish Oil Put to the Test for Dry Eye Disease: Many he…
Do You Need More Vitamin D for Your Eyes ?
Eyes need to maintain their moisture. That's why they make tears. If they don't make enough tears, or if the tears are of poor quality, the eyes become dry. They may feel as though they have grit in t…
Soothing Dry Eyes with Warm Compresses
Dry eyes are an extremely common condition, and they can also be quite distressing. The eyes may feel constantly irritated, as though they had something in them. People with dry eyes don't seem to mak…
Is the New Drug Xiidra Good for Dry Eye Relief?
Dry eyes can make life miserable. The eyes feel as though there were sand in them, and they tire easily. People may complain of blurred vision. Until recently, the first-line treatment for dry eyes w…
Can Frequent Blinking Overcome Dry Eyes?
Dry eyes are a serious concern because they can cause pain and affect a person's quality of life (Benitez-Del-Castillo et al, The Ocular Surface, April 2017). There are artificial tears and other eye …
Can You Trust Your Electronic Medical Record?
There was a time when doctors had lots of time to listen. They weren't as rushed as they are today. They asked lots of questions, wrote notes in your paper chart and then took time after the interacti…
How Good Is Restasis for Dry Eyes If It Causes B…
If you watch television chances are pretty good that you have seen commercials for Restasis for Dry Eyes. In one you are asked: "Do you use artificial tears often?" In another you are told by the beau…
What Can You Do to Relieve Dry Eyes?
Peter J. McDonnell, MD, is the director of the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. He is professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In this bonus interview, he explains what we ca…
Drug for Overactive Bladder Linked to Dry Eyes
Patients often feel privileged to get a prescription for a brand new drug, especially if the doctor is enthusiastic about its promise. Too often, though, new drugs have downsides that are not yet well…
Spiriva (Tiotropium) Side Effects & Memory …
You may have seen commercials of a person with an elephant sitting on her chest. Here's a link in case you may have missed them. It's a clever marketing strategy to reinforce the idea that a serious b…
Losartan Side Effects & Unbearable Dry Eyes
Half of all American adults (103 million people) are now labeled hypertensive. That's according to the American Heart Association (2018 update). For most, that will mean blood pressure medications. O…
Dry Eye Victims Need to Blink
Blinking is like breathing. You do both without thinking thousands of times each day. As long as everything is going well you won't even notice when you blink. You also won't be aware if you forget to…
Drugs That Can Cause Dry Eyes
It may seem like a minor annoyance to someone who doesn't experience this symptom. But just ask anyone who suffers from dry eyes what it feels like and you will hear some serious woe and misery. Imagi…