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"Ask the Family Doctor"
AMERICA'S HEALTH NETWORK

On January 6, Dr. Barrie Soloway appeared on the national cable channel, America's Health Network, to discuss dry, winter eyes, with Dr. Walt Larimore, host of "Ask the Family Doctor."

Walt begins the segment by asking Dr. Soloway what is it about winter that causes so much itchiness and redness?

"Cold, dry air, and wind are all factors," Dr. Soloway responds. "There are three constituents to the tear film, and the most important one is a mucus layer which adheres to the eye.  Cold, dry air causes a lot of evaporation.  People may have the feeling of a foriegn body sensation of dry eye, or produce much more of the watery constituent," Dr. Soloway explains.

When asked, Dr. Soloway recommends a few common tips for people whose eyes become dry during winter.  "Artificial tear preparations are the main form of treatment for this.  Many of them are as individual as the people who use them.  There are those with preservatives, and those without preservatives. There are thinner and thicker drops. You wouldn't want to use a saline drop (used for contact lenses) to re-wet your tears. A tear drop, can, indeed, replace the missing tears."

If a patient is experiencing a lot of foriegn body sensation, asks Walt, should the solution be for the individual to try to treat him/herself for a day?  Two days?

"If the vision is not blurry, and there's some foriegn body sensation and a lot of tearing, you're going to need artificial tear drops," Dr. Soloway responds. "Don't buy allergy reliever eyedrops. When the problem continues and becomes much more uncomfortable, this is because the tears can't flow to the surface.  We can actually place a rubber stopper—called a punctal plug -- in the tear duct of the patient's eyes.  We've been doing this for a couple of years now, and the procedure is performed with local anesthesia."

Walt asks Dr. Soloway about the use of such tear drop products as Visine. 

"One of the problems associated with Visine is that it constricts the vessels, and then you get a re-bound dilation. The redness comes back in an hour and then you have to re-use the drops," says Dr. Soloway who adds that it is always best to look into why you have the redness in the first place. "It could be because salt got in there, or sand from snow removal. Using a saline solution with a cup for an "eye-wash" could be helpful, particularly at night."

Dr. Soloway recommends that people set the humidity levels in their rooms to about 35 to 40 percent.  Humidifiers and vaporizers are great solutions for dry eyes because they also tend to block out drafts which can make the room even drier.

The winter sun can also prove problematic for people.  It tends to sit lower in the sky. That's why a good pair of sunglasses are a must, says Dr.  Soloway. "Glass won't scratch as quickly as plastic lenses and double gradient is usually the best.  This means that it's darker at the top and you'll be able to block out glare from the sky or snow." Always make sure the sunglasses are ultra-violet.

Walt then takes some viewer call-in questions.

If you would like to see a copy of this and other television segments in which Dr. Soloway has appeared, please call toll-free 1-888-NYLASIK

If you don't want to be dependent on glasses or contact lenses call Vista Alliance Eye Care Associates, The New York LASIK doctors toll free at 1-888-NYLASIK (1-888-695-2745) for more information on any of our Vision Correction procedures (LASIK, INtacs, ICL or SRP), to schedule a personal evaluation to help you determine the right prodecure for you, or to register for one of our classes or  seminars