Michael Lange OD, CNS discusses  Natural Dry eye treatment and meibomian gland dysfunction.  I have  seen what  the power of proper nutrition , heat with gentle massage, proper lid hygiene and a good lubricating eye drops can do for my dry eye  patients.  In clinical practice for over 20 years I have helped dry eye  patients from all over the world .  The goal is to eliminate the microbial flora that blocks the meibomian glands, cut inflammation in the glands and  unclog the meibomian glands so they secrete a healthy tear film.   If the steps are followed religiously then a very high percent of patients will improve.

1.  lid scrubs with a good lid  foam similar to occusoft foam or cliradex,  If lids are quite inflamed and red and crusty the combination of both work quite well. Scrub lashes first with occusoft then rub the Cliradex onto lashes and lids before bed. This combination will rid the eyes of blepharitis. This gets rid of the microbes like demodex, staph and seboreha  that clog the meibomian glands, An inexpensive option is using baby shampoo to gently scrub the lashes then rinse with warm water.

2.  Take omega 3 fish in the triglyceride form  with a minimum of 1600 mg of combined EPA and DHA. When reading the label make sure it says triglyceride form or TG form, if it doesn’t state this then it is ethyl ester form of omega 3 and contains ethanol.  I recommend staying away from this form of oil due to its unstable molecule and can go rancid quickly plus not as bio available as TG form.   2 Fortifeye Super Omega gives you the ratio or omega 3 necessary to help dry eyes if you weigh less than 240 lbs. If over 240 lbs I recommend taking 3-4 Fortifeye Super Omega.  For really dry eyes I also recommend taking 6 mg of astaxanthin ( fortifeye focus) and  Black Currant Seed oil with 140-160 mg of GLA. GLA for dry eyes in the right combination  to omega 3 fish oil is beneficial. Astaxanthin is a super potent antioxidant and anti inflammatory and is my favorite single nutrient.  If you are not taking  a good multi vitamin that has no beta carotene then I recommend taking Fortifeye Once Daily to ensure there are no nutrition deficiencies aggravating a dry eye condition.

3.  Massaging and heating the  lid margins is crucial to unclog the meibomian glands so the glands can secrete the important  outer lipid layer of tear film.   10-15 minutes 2 times a day.  The use of a warm wash cloth is an inexpensive way to do this but I have found that the Brueder Mask is the best way to continuously treat this condition.  This is a mask that you put in microwave for 20 seconds and then Velcro around your face for 10-15 minutes two times a day. The heat and massage will open up the glands and release the toxins and microbial flora that has been chronically blocking the meibomian glands and causing a dry eye condition. The use of the brueder mask will also minimize circles and bags under the eyes.  This mask can be purchased from www.fortifeye.com

4.  a good unpreserved lubricating eye drop  that has hyluranic acid in it tends to last much longer and be more effective and helping reduce dry eye symptomatology than the typical otc eye drops. . I recommend either Oasis tears plus or Blink. For the extreme dry eyes and meibomian gland dysfunction  I like to use either oasis tears or blinks as well as the addition of a relatively new  unpreserved artificial tear called Retain MGD. This combination helps to replenish all layers of the tear film and reduce dry eye symptoms dramatically.

Following  these four steps will help  improve  your dry eye however it will take up to four months of  faithfully following these directions to get significant improvements in this condition. I have 1000s of patients through out the world that  have been helped with these steps.    I recommend all readers of this blog  see their local optometrist or ophthalmologist if they have any problems with their eyes.  This blog is for educational purposes only.  If you are in the Florida area come by one of the nine Lange Eye Care locations.  www.langeeyecare.com , www.drmichaellange.com

Everything discussed in this article can be purchased at www.fortifeye.com or u can call 866 503 9746

Michael Lange OD, CNS  (Board Certified Optometric Physician and Certified Nutrition Specialist)  9/28/2013