Few would put a price on the sense of sight, but patients paying for dry eye therapy often fork over exorbitant amounts. Without full insurance coverage, today’s popular eye drops cost upwards of $500 per month. Under medical guidance, eye drops can be worth the cost, but a new technology presents an attractive option for many.
Dr. Holly Fisher Britt, founder of Eyecare Rockwall, shared her wisdom as an optometrist with over three decades of experience in the field. Her informative perspective may change the way you think about eye care.
Drops of Relief
First discovered in use as anti-rejection drugs to help with corneal transplants, said Dr. Holly, eye drops have become the standard of care for their helpful effects in patients with painful dry eyes. While they make an excellent treatment for some Dr. Holly told us that by turning to your professional eye doctor for guidance on the safest prescription drops, rather than attempting every over-the-counter medication on a trial-and-error basis, you put yourself in better hands. You may even find yourself on the receiving end of free samples of the latest formulations, allowing you to save on
out-of-pocket costs.
When used under a doctor’s care, FDA-approved drops do maintain the best overall patient satisfaction and reduction of symptoms. That’s because there are new advancements that have less side effects and more overall long-term benefits. However, for those looking to try an alternative to doctor-selected eye drops, Dr. Holly has a suggestion.
“What we need to do is get to the purpose of how we can functionally get rid of dry eyes and treat the cause of dry eyes,” said the doctor. “The only way that you cannot just treat but literally get rid of dry eye is to make sure those little meibomian glands are cleared.”
Meibomian and Makeup
It’s the area your eyelashes grow out of. Every time the oily, waxy makeup particles clog the sensitive meibomian glands around the eye, the glands weaken. “Women show more prevalence for having dry eyes, and imagine why,” said the doctor. “Everybody loves to put that eyeliner on that ridge and it’s like, the glands just envelop that. Over time it kills off the meibomian glands. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.” Additionally, aging, hormones, reduced blinking, medications, and infections affect the glands. Healthy glands add an oily and mucous layer to tears, but if any of those components are altered, the result is dry eyes. Dr. Holly helps express that clogged eye area to provide relief. Eyecare Rockwall is the only optometry office in the city to offer a treatment Dr. Holly called “revolutionary.”
With the new InMode technology, radiofrequency gently heats the glands, allowing them to be expressed of thick, accumulated lipid concretions. “The wax from makeup gets into those glands and stops them up,” said Dr. Holly. “You can follow that up with IPL,” she said, referring to intense pulsed light laser treatments, to treat rosacea and inflammation around the eyes too.
For those suffering from dry eyes, relief could arrive after four treatments, each spaced about a month apart. Better still, both RF and IPL laser add an aesthetic aspect to treatment that helps patients look better every time. “We are one of the first optometry clinics to envelop this new technology to not just treat but give long-term answers for dry eye,” she said. In the evolving world of medicine, it’s one of a few breakthroughs promising real relief for previously crippling eye problems.
Migraines and Myopia
Migraines can be postural, due to the way we sit. They may also arise due to micro misalignments between the eyes. Neurolens steps in to correct for that. “It’s a brain lens. It’s life-changing. I wear it,” said Dr. Holly. “I’m a migraine patient and have been since I was 13 years of age.” A precise, curved Neurolens prism is built into glasses. “People tilt their heads to get their eyes to line up … When we get those misalignments right where they should be, guess what doesn’t struggle anymore? Those muscles.” The doctor stands behind the product. “If it’s not , it has a 100% money-back guarantee, and I don’t know anything else that is anymore.”
Another ground-breaking change in optometry is the ability to help children with nearsightedness. Using an FDA-approved soft contact lens, children between 8 and 12 years of age experience, on average, a 59% reduction in myopia progression over three years. Since genetic predisposition plays a significant role in myopia, medical intervention is a huge step forward.
Doctor’s Orders
When Dr. Holly graduated from optometry school, there were five women in her class of over 20 people. “I was entering a male profession, but I wasn’t afraid of that back then. I just felt that I would lead the way,” she said. Today, her Eyecare Rockwall office includes a staff of amazing board certified male and female associate doctors and a diverse staff providing expert care. While the doctors are pleased to offer valuable guidance you might never have learned without an expert – like why certain eye drops can cause major health problems down the line – some of their tips come straight from your textbooks.
Eating a balanced, nutritious diet, for example, has big effects on the eyes. “People over 50 should be supplementing with an eye vitamin,” said Dr. Holly. “And not just an over-the-counter one, but a recommended brand.” With many patients over 50 who have aged with her, Dr. Holly says the results bear out in the eye exam room. Great eyesight, it turns out, can be achieved with proactive behaviors and informed actions. When your doctors are credentialed, experienced, and current on what separates true medical advancements from flimflam, better vision might only be one eye exam away.
“I was entering a male profession, but I wasn’t afraid of that back then. I just felt that I would lead the way.”
