I venture that it is intuitively obvious that an ointment would be a better lubricant than a watery liquid, but perhaps it is not. Often, I tell my patients that the best thing that they can do if they have a tear film problem, which I argue that most patients do, is lubricate their eye…

In the December 2023 edition of the journal Ophthalmology, Dr. Joshua Ehrlich and colleagues published a study that showed that the prevalence of eye disease is increasing. They studied Medicare beneficiaries 68 years old and older. Among other findings, they found that the prevalence of macular degeneration increased from 6.8% in 2005 to 9.4% in…

In the November 2023 edition of the journal Cornea, Dr. Aina Malindri Dasrilsyah and colleagues published a study that showed that insulin eye drops are helpful for healing corneal scratches. They compared topical insulin with artificial tears in patients with diabetes. The scratches of the cornea were created during eye surgery (to help with retina…

In a recent post on an ophthalmology forum, one doctor made an important clarification about patients having eye surgery. The post had to with a type of bacteria–methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA). If a patient has an active infection, especially of the face, with MRSA, we may strongly consider cancelling cataract surgery. Usually, we can reschedule…

In the November 2023 edition of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, Lydia Lam and colleagues published a paper that shows that there is significant waste associated with betadine use in the ophthalmic operating room. Betadine is used as an antiseptic during many surgeries, including eye surgeries. The authors of this study found quite…

In the October 2023 edition of the Journal Ophthalmology, Dr. Ian Gaddie and colleagues published a study about lotilaner. Lotilaner is a medication that fights Demodex mites. Mites!?! Yes, some people can get mites that live in their eyelashes and cause inflammation. Lotilaner treatment for 6 weeks decreased a lot of the symptoms and killed…

In the October 2023 edition of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Dr. Youngsub Eom and colleagues showed that patients preferred illumination from the inside of the eye rather than the outside. Conventional eye surgery often relies on a microscope with bright lights shining down on the patient’s eyeball. These bright lights certainly can…

In the October 2023 edition of the journal Cornea, Dr. Daniela Nosch and colleagues published a study that showed that corneal sensitivity may decrease with increasing age. I think that this has long been suspected from a clinical perspective. However, the authors warn, and I agree, that this should not be taken to mean that…

In a word, I’d say ‘Yes.’ But they aren’t as safe as some people think they are. If I have a patient who is a contact lens user and they have any eye symptoms other than severe decreased vision, there is a very high likelihood that the reason behind the eye problems is contact lens…

In the October 2023 edition of JAMA Ophthalmology, Dr. Anne Nguyen and colleagues reported ocular symptoms in people aged 13-24 years who used electronic cigarettes, cigarettes, or both. They found that users of both e-cigarettes and cigarettes were more likely to experience the sort of symptoms we associate with tear film dysfunction and eye surface…