Recurring Blepharitis/Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and Chronic Dry Eyes.

Blepharitis typically is described as inflammation of the eye lids, this could be due to eye infections, sticky crusty build up on your eye lid resulting in puffy red eye lids.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction which is abnormal or inability to secrete lubricants that are used to thicken tears.  These meibomian glands are located on the inner side of the eye lids.

Therefore, when one gets eye lid inflammation, and since the meibomian glands are also located on the eye lids, the inflammation shuts down the meibomian glands as well creating this duo malfunction.

Blepharitis/Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in chronic dry eye syndrome.  It is one of the most difficult dry eye conditions to treat.

Common symptoms of this condition include dry, red, and crusty build up (Blepharitis) on your eye lids.  You use eye drops, hot compress,  eye lid cleanser, and your eyes are still red, dry, crusty, and irritable.

Why Blepharitis and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction concur?


Blepharitis is a recurring condition caused by inflammation of your eye lids.  Meibomian glands produce tear thickening agents so it does not evaporate quickly.   Meibomian gland clogging can cause eye  inflammation which exacerbates the dry eye symptoms.

Common causes of Blepharitis include:

• Allergy
• Age
• Immune system problems -e.g. Sjogrens
• Hormone changes
• Bacteria- eye infections resulting in inflammation, this condition is often treated with anti-biotics.
• Dermatitis (especially rosacea, dandruff,) sometimes allergies.  Using dandruff shampoo helps a lot.

Typical Treatments  for Blepharitis and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction are:
1. Eye lid cleaning
2. Wet hot compress (twice daily, 10 minutes each time) to melt away meibomian gland clogging,  followed by gentle massage of both upper and lower eye lids.
3. Prescription antibiotic eye drop.
4. Steroid eye drops- when inflammation is out of control.

How is Blepharitis and Meibomian Gland Dusfunction related to Dry Eye?
Symptoms of Blepharitis are very similar to chronic dry eye syndrome.  The symptoms are  blurry vision, red, dry, watery, tired, light sensitivity and often wake up with a crusty build up on your eyelashes.  Night time dry eye is common.

The most common cause of Blepharitis is Meibomian Gland Dysfuncton (MGD)- is where the meibomian gland has an abnormal or absent lipid composition. The abnormality destabilizes the tear film and leadingad to evaporative dry eye –which is the root cause of Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome.

What doesHow doe you know if you have MGD?
During and exam, the eye specialist usually looks a the patient’s eyes through a slit lamp, to view the eye in more detail. In people with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction( MGD), the doctor will see plugged glands and thickened secretions. The doctor also will see very rapid tear film breakup (Tear Breakup Test of 5 seconds or less), a sign of MGD.

The eye doctor  will often try to press on the eyelid to “express” the secretions to see if the glands are producing lipids, and see what it looks like. The doctor notes how easily the secretion comes out, and if the secretion is cloudy, with debris, and is thick, like toothpaste, in advanced cases.

Blepharitis tends to recur, treating this condition can be very frustrating.  diligence in ocular hygiene is a must to keep the condition under control. 

How can TheraLife Eye Help?
TheraLife Eye targets to reduce inflammation and stimulates tear flow. High percentage of people with chronic dry eyes also have Blepharitis/MGD. Treating chronic dry eyes reduces the inflammation, and also helps to reduce the recurrence of blepharitis. It is highly recommended that those who have Blepharitis stay on TheraLife Eye long term to increase the rate of success.

To learn more about
Blepharitis click here: 
Meibomian gland dysfunction click here
Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome: click here.
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Chronic Dry Eyes & Light Sensitivity

Chronic dry eyes and light sensitivity seem to concur.  This is particularly bothersome for driving during the day or go outdoors.

Light sensitivity is also the first sign of recovery while taking TheraLife Eye during dry eye recovery. 

Normal eyes are sensitive to the sudden changes of bright light, but it goes away within a few minutes.

In addition to chronic dry eyes, light sensitivity could also mean other eye and central nervous system disorders such as uveitis (inflammation of the uvea) or meningitis ( infection of the brain).  However, light sensitivity is an integral part of chronic dry eye syndrome.

Light sensitivity is an abnormal sensitivity to either artificial or natural light.

The severity of photophobia  are defined as:
1. Mild- which means wearing sunglasses in certain lighting helps your eyes feel better., and that is all you need.
2. Severe – where  you avoid light as much as possible, including keeping your eyes covered in any lighted situations, very common in chronic dry eyes. This makes driving or going outdoors very difficult.  Eye pain is often involved.

Common Causes of Photophobia.

• chronic dry eyes.

• inflammation of the iris, the cornea, or the conjunctiva (conjunctivitis, or pinkeye),

Sudden sensitivity to light that is painful and causes you to close your eyes or needing sunglasses when you are indoors may be a sign of uveitis or meningitis.  Fever, stiff neck, and vomiting may indicate a more serious infection in the central nervous system – e.g. meningitis.  See your health professionals right away. 

How can TheraLife Help?

TheraLife Eye addresses the issue of photophobia from the root cause- chronic dry eye syndrome.  It  is formulated to relief dry eyes by restoring normal cell functions to tear secretion glands intra-cellularly. Improvement in light sensitivity is the first sign of recovery.

Learn more about chronic dry eyes
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References
http://www.ranker.com/list/photophobia-diseases-with-this-symptom/reference
Fauci, Anthony S., et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008.
Godfrey WA. Acute anterior uveitis. In: Tasman W, Jaeger EA, eds. Duane's Clinical Ophthalmology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009:chap 40.
Troost BT. Migraine and other headaches. In: Tasman W, Jaeger EA, eds. Duane's Clinical Ophthalmology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009:chap 16.
Steinemann TL, Ehlers W, Suchecki J. Contact lens-related complications. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby Elsevier; 2008:chap 4.24.
Sharma R, Brunette DD. Ophthalmology. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 69.

Dry Eye Syndrome Related to Sleep Apnea- TheraLife Can Help.

Obstructive sleep apnea” (OSH) also called "Sleep Apnea" can cause heart diseases as well as a variety of  eye problems including dry eyes- see below.  OSH left untreated can lead to significant eye problems that you may already be experiencing.

Common treatments for sleep apnea include:

1. Mouth guard to stop snoring.  Available on line or at your dental offices.
2. CPAP – Contineous positive airway passage –see photo above.

Incidence rate is 9% among the female Caucasian population in the United States, and 24% in the male Caucasian population.  More than 80% of those affected are undiagnosed, or untreated even if they are diagnosed.

Sleep apnea is when the soft tissue of the palate collapses during sleep and partially obstructing the airway, causing a decreased oxygen saturation in the blood. The body senses the need to take a breath, and the person bring in more oxygen by gasping. Stopping breathing for long periods of time is a common symptom of OSH.

OSA can cause both anterior and posterior eye conditions.  It can become very difficult to manage when OSA goes undiagnosed or untreated.  OSA can cause eye conditions to name a few:

1. dry Eyes- insufficient blood and nutrient delivery to the eyes, especially at night.
2. floppy eyelid syndrome (FES)
3.  optic neuropathy,
4. glaucoma,
5.  retinal vein occlusion, are found more often in patients with OSA.
6. In diabetic patients with sleep apnea and retinopathy,
   1. macular edema
   2. iris neovascularization
      
   TheraLife Can Help!
   TheraLife Eye can help you deliver more blood and nutrients to your eyes, therefore, improve your vision and relief dry eye symptoms.
   
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High Cholesterol Linked To Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

It has been long suspected that high cholesterol levels maybe associated with a chronic blepharitis condition called meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).  A new  clinical research study shows  there is a positive correlation between high cholesterol levels and meibomian gland dysfunction.  

High cholesterol levels have long been suspected to be  associated with all kinds of heart diseases such as stroke, and heart attack.   Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) can be used as an early indicator for cardiovascular disease and severe chronic dry eye disease in middle aged and younger people.  

The researchers in this study are eye doctors.  They chose only people from 18-54 years old with appropriate controls.  They concluded that total cholesterol levels of in people with meibomian gland dysfucntion was significantly linked to higher blood levels of total cholesterol greater than 210 mg/dl.  Likewise, MGD was found to be significantly associated with increased blood levels of LDL (Low Density Cholesterol) and HDL (High Density Cholesterol)

Ideal Goals for Cholesterol Levels:

Total cholesterol <than 200 mg/dl

HDL- good cholesterol  >60mg/dl .

LDL- bad cholesterol –<100 mg/dl.

TheraLife can help:

TheraLife Eye can help you recover from meibomian gland dysfunction by restoring normal functions to your tear secretion glands while you try to get your cholesterol levels into normal levels.  

Read more about how to lower your cholesterol levels in the next blog posting.  

Abstract from a Scientific Poster at: the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (PO 330), October 16–19, 2010, Chicago, Illinois.

Learn more about Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. 

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Steroids for Blepharitis-Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Treatments

 

 People with Blepharitis/MGD are prescribed topical steroids to reduce inflammation in the short term.  This new research study looks at  the side of steroid usage and the increase of intra-ocular pressure, which can be dangerous and leading to blindness.  To avoid this unfortunate side effects, use TheraLife Eye which is an all natural formula to fight inflammation, restore tear secretions to relief dry eye and stay healthy

Topical corticosteroids are frequently used in the treatment of inflammation in the eye, particularly for chronic blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction.  One of the serious side effect is  its is a potential IOP increase. loteprednol etabonate or loteprednol etabonate/tobramycin is a topical ocular anti-inflammatory corticosteroid that has a reduced incidence of increased IOP as compared to dexamethasone (very strong steroid) .

A retrospective research study indicated that increased IOP ( range from 9.2mm to 15.3mm Hg)  was detected in 55 days ( 1.8 months) after steroid use.  If this is the subsequent steroid usage, for those who responded before, the IOP increase is higher.  A small number of patients required glaucoma surgery,including shunt, SLT and cyclodestructive prodcedures.   Normal eye pressure ranges from 10-21 mm Hg

In conclusion, this research study indicates the risk of IOP elevations is lower with loteprednol etabonate than with older ketone based corticosteroid products; however, even the newer, ester-based corticosteroid products can induce IOP elevations within a short time frame and require IOP monitoring.   Use of steroids for 2 weeks to one month is safe.  

Get out of this viscous cyclical dry eyes and inflammation with TheraLife Eye.  Chose the all natural,  alternative to steroids and stay healthy.  

TheraLife Eye is strongly anti-inflammatory, and will restore your tear secretion glands to relief dry eye symptoms - the root cause of ocular inflammation.  

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Intense Pulsed Light- New Treatament for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction - clogging of the meibum one of the more difficult dry eye conditions to treat.   Now we have a new method of unclogging the meibomian glands using repeated treatment of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL).  We will be discussing some of the clinical results here.

Intense pulsed light IPL)  uses a xenon flashlight stabilized at 500nm wavelength that pulses on and off.
This instrument is originally designed to for dematological use such as varicose veins and skin blemishes.  At this wavelength it also generates heat which serves to melt the clogged secretions and dilate the meibomian glands.  Upon repeated use, it has found to be effective in treating meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
In a single-center prospective study of 30 patients with dry eye symptoms, a single IPL treatment was applied. A clinically significant decrease from abnormal to normal tear osmolarity was reported.

Another study looked retrospectively at the effects of repeated gland expression in 91 patients over 3 years.
"Over 90% of patients had improvement in their meibum and lid margin, and 93% of the patients reported satisfaction with improvement in dry eye symptoms,"  said Dr. Toyo- consultant to DermaMed

Complications such as temporary redness of the skin, conjunctival irritation, foreign body sensation, pain and light sensitivity for a few days were reported by 10 patients.

During the MGD phase, a lot of inflammation has been generated which shuts down the tear secretion glands.  Here is why you should use TheraLife Eye to get your tear secretion glands to normal using intra-cellular restoration mechanisms.

TheraLife Eye Can Help
TheraLife Eye is a proprietary formula that targets to restore normal cellular functions to tear secretion intra-cellularly resulting in balanced, sustainable tear all day long.

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New Recommendations for Dry Eye Syndrome Management

Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome, also called "Keratoconjunctivitis sicca"

This is a major portion of the eye doctor's practice, especially optometrists because they fit contact lenses, and contact lenses tend to cause dry eyes.  The most common method to relief dry eyes is using eye drops.  Without proper management and prevention, this condition can worsen and significantly impact people's quality of life.

The risk factors for Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome are:
1. Age
2. Female
3. Medications - especially anti-histamines, birth control pills, anti-depressants and systemic medications for diabetes, inflammatory conditions and rosacea (red patches of skin which shows blood vessels on the surface of the skin).

Other factors include:
1. Computer use- it is common to find people using the computers 10-12 hours a day.
2. Environment - dry climates,winter dry eyes, or high altitudes due to lower humidity
3. Contact Lenses.- which can cause inflammation and damage ocular surfaces.

The International Task Force (ITF)for dry eyes recommend primary focus on clinical symptoms, but diagnostic tests can help assess which tear secretion maybe deficient- e.g. lacrimal glands that secrete tear volume, or lack of lubricants from meibomian glands.   Treatment modalities for them are totally different.

There is a new test for dry eyes - osmolarity tester and an as-yet-to-be-approved device that detects elevated levels of MMP-9, an enzyme which has been observed in the tear fluid of dry eye patients.  Since Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) occurs in a large number of dry eye people, eye doctors should also conduct a thorough evaluation of the eye lids.

The ITF guidelines are designed as a planned treatment that starts with artificial tears. A large portion of our patients are already on a drop (albeit the wrong drop and often times to reduce the redness), and this treatment is palliative at best. In a recent survey, almost 50% of all adults said they felt they had dry eyes, and 50% of these adults said they are treating it with artificial tears.

So why haven't these treatment modalities been working?  We get people coming to use who have tried everything, punctal plugs, prescription eye drops, gel drops, non-preservative eye drops, pulse heat treatment for MGD and more.

A major issue resides on the way the eye doctors are trained, use eye drops and treat it from the surface.  The fact is, more drops make your eyes drier- washing away the natural lubricants your eyes produce.  You probably have already experienced this, the more drops you use, the more you want to put more in.

TheraLife Can Help
TheraLife designed a capsule that addresses the basic reason why you have dry eyes.  It targets to normalize your tear secretion glands and revitalize them to secrete tears again, and reduce inflammation at the same time.  It is all natural and 100% guaranteed.  No expensive drugs that may have significant side effects.

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This is a brief summary from: Optometric Management, Volume: 47 , Issue: May 2012, page(s): 24 - 30 72