Steven I. Rosenfeld,
MD, FACS
January 22, 2015
“Search for the Magic
Bullet”
One of the most common ocular complaints I hear from my
patients is of ocular irritation and burning.
Quite frequently, blepharitis is the cause of these symptoms, and often
this condition has been undiagnosed or under-treated. I have recently come across a new product
called Avenova that seems to be an extremely effective and well tolerated treatment
for these conditions.
Blepharitis is one of the most common conditions prompting a
visit to an ophthalmologist’s or optometrist’s office, and it is estimated to
affect up to 23 million people in our country and be present in up to 30% of
the patients seen by eye care practitioners. As a Cornea and External Disease specialist, I
am constantly referred patients with longstanding and severe dry eye disease,
blepharitis, and ocular surface disease.
Blepharitis is an inflammatory disease of the eyelids, and
associated with redness, itching, burning, tearing, and crusting of the
lids. The eyelids may be sensitive to
the touch. It may be caused by the
bacteria living on our skin, underlying skin conditions like seborrhea and
rosacea, and dysfunction of the meibomian oil glands of the eyelid. In many patients, any combination of these
three factors may coexist and contribute to blepharitis.
Blepharitis is often undiagnosed and untreated. Since some of the symptoms of blepharitis
such as dryness, irritation, and tearing, are similar to dry eye syndrome,
patients are often mistakenly treated with artificial tears and lubricants,
which won’t treat the underlying causes of blepharitis. A thorough examination of the eyelids and
lashes is critical for arriving at the correct diagnosis and treatment plan for
blepharitis. In addition, it is a well-known phenomenon
that blepharitis can exacerbate dry eye syndrome.
For decades, the traditional approach to treating
blepharitis has been warm compresses, and lid scrubs with dilute baby
shampoo. This regimen is frequently not
effective and at times the baby shampoo can be irritating to the eyelid skin
and ocular surface and actually make
patients feel worse.
I have developed a new approach to blepharitis treatment
utilizing Avenova, a commercially available solution that is quick and easy to
use. Avenova utilizes Neutrox, a pure
0.01% concentration of hypochlorous acid in saline. While acid on your eyes may sound
frightening, the Neutrox acid is completely safe, and is the same
bacteria-killing component found in the white blood cells in our own immune
system. When the body’s own defenses are
overwhelmed and the eye lid infection and irritation persist, the
scientifically engineered formulation found in Avenova is an effective solution
to cleanse, remove, and protect against the bacteria that are often a major
cause of the symptoms of blepharitis.
Packaged in a glass bottle with a spray top and dispensed
onto a cotton pad or cotton ball, the solution actually cleans the lashes and
eyelid skin. It is non-toxic to human tissues and non-irritating. Avenova may be used twice a day, in the
morning and at bedtime. Baby shampoo lid
scrubs involve preparation of a dilute solution of baby shampoo, and the
skillful use of a Q-tip or cotton applicator near the eye. Other commercially available eyelid scrub
pads are conveniently packaged and ready to use, but their therapeutic
solutions can be irritating to the eyelid and ocular surface.
I have recently treated a 65 year old retired physician who
was referred to me after failing two years of treatment for dry eye syndrome
and blepharitis. His constant and
chronic complaints of dry eye, irritation, burning, pain from bright lights,
and blurry vision had significantly curtailed his professional and personal
life. He had been tried on a variety of
regimens, including topical artificial tears, antibiotics, steroids, and cyclosporine
A drops, along with antibiotic and steroid ointments, oral doxycycline pills,
tea tree oil ointment, warm compresses and lid scrubs with baby shampoo and
commercially available lid scrub pads. I
started the patient on Avenova lid scrubs once a day, along with warm
compresses, oral doxycycline, and artificial tears. Within one month there was dramatic
improvement in the patient’s eyelid condition and symptoms. His eyes actually felt comfortable and
“refreshed.” He has made a dramatic
turnaround in his life and is now much more socially active, participating
again in outdoor sports, and returned to his favorite pastime of reading.
There is no magic bullet for blepharitis and there is no one
therapy that works on every patient every time.
However, I am very pleased and enthusiastic about Avenova with its
Neutrox system in treating the eyelids and improving the nagging symptoms of
blepharitis in a reliable and comfortable fashion, in a majority of
patients.
delrayeye.com
Steven I. Rosenfeld, MD, FACS is a fellowship trained Cornea and External Disease specialist practicing with the Delray Eye Associates, PA, and is a Voluntary Professor at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Steven I. Rosenfeld, MD, FACS is a fellowship trained Cornea and External Disease specialist practicing with the Delray Eye Associates, PA, and is a Voluntary Professor at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Both cases, nonetheless, can be viably treated at home with the Blepharitis Natural Treatment. Here are probably the most popular home remedies for blepharitis in people.
ReplyDeleteThe Blepharitis Treatment begins with thorough eye examination to determine the exact cause of the eyelid inflammation.
ReplyDeleteBlepharitis is normally a chronic condition connecting the inflammation of the edges of the eyelids. Coconut Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Chamomile, Honey, Aloe Vera and Potato Slices are the most useful component for Blepharitis Natural Treatment .
ReplyDelete