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In clinic, I routinely recommend 1000-2000mg of Omega 3 (EPA + DHA) for dry eye management. See the Blog about Confusing Omega 3 labels for full information.
Here is a convenient table that contrasts various mEYEspa Omega 3 options to get to our minimum therapeutic recommendation of 1000mg/day (EPA + DHA rTG form)
Min. daily dose to achieve 1000mg | ~ Daily cost* with no bulk discount | Actual daily EPA + DHA mg delivered in dose | Brand/Link (#softgels or bottle size) |
2 Softgels | ~89 cents/day | 1824mg | i-VU PLUS (120) ** |
2 Softgels | ~$1.21/day | 1493mg | PRN De3 (270) |
3 Softgels | ~$1.27/day | 1125mg | NutraSea Dry Eye (120) |
1 teaspoon (5ml) | ~$1.37/day | 2240mg | PRN Oe Liquid (200ml) |
1 teaspoon (5ml) | ~$1.36/day | 1500mg | Nutrasea Liquid (200ml) |
** Best Value Award (EPA+DHA mg / $) goes to i-VU Omega3 PLUS
* Order more than one bottle for mEYEspa bulk discount to lower your daily cost
Most important TIP... Take with food! Without food, even the best Omega 3 will not absorb properly and not deliver the desired result!
Dr Morris
PS Looking for eye drop product recommendations? Try the mEYEspa product guidance quiz
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I believe in this product and routinely recommend in clinic. I feel our clinic price encourages appropriate and continued daily use.
The maximum discount that we can advertise through the website is 10% for a multi-bottle purchase. However we can offer our lower clinic price for those who email or call for pricing. We are restricted from providing promo discount codes.
Option #1
1] Click > help@meyespa.com to open an addressed inquiry email. (purchase not required)
2] Complete the email with your name and email address (add shipping address if a new customer)
3] You will be sent a link that works with your 'Clinic Club' registered email address to buy Vision Essence at our low in-Clinic Price.
OR Option #2
You can also call our clinic at 519-681-3670 (Business Hours Eastern Time Zone) to register for 'In-Clinic' Pricing
OR Option #3
Order Vision Essence with a discount code. Important! This code only works if you are a registered customer of mEYEspa that previously purchased Vision Essence. Registered customers can enter this discount code for use on checkout page: InClinicPrice
OR Option #4
Order Vision Essence at the website price and you will be credited back the difference between the advertised online price and our in-clinic price.
Vision Essence is the only product on mEYEspa that is restricted in this way.
Thank you for your continued support of our small independent business.
Group 1 - NO CONCERNS Vision Essence ( Early Defence ) THEA ( Thealoz DUO drops/gel, Hyabak, Blephaclean ) Candor Vision I ( HYLO, HYLO Gel, HYLO Dual HYLO Dual Intense ) PRN Omega3 - Note that capsules may split/damage but contents are unharmed (PRN Omega 3) |
Group 2 - REPLACE PRODUCT as unsure of stability or bottle damage Candor Vision 2 - ( Ocunox, Calmo Spray ) |
Please understand that mEYEspa is not responsible for product frozen on end delivery. If you are concerned about your order freezing select the option in the shopping cart "Request a signature on delivery". This will hold your order at post office unless it is handed to you directly.
mEYEspa
Unlisted companies - we are waiting for response
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The fluid on the surface of our eyes is complex. There are hundreds of proteins, mucin, oils and water that all have to be mixed in the right recipe to deliver comfort and stable vision. If that recipe gets out of whack from humidity, computer use, medications, diet, general health issues and countless other factors... the many symptoms of 'dry eye' arise.
Dry Eyes? But my eyes water constantly! Tearing, burning, transient blurred vision, chronic redness are all signs of our newly named condition - Tear Chemistry Imbalance. Extra tearing is your body's attempt to reset the tear film but just like when your hands are dry... running them under a tap makes them wet... but not moist. If you are reading this, you well know that Eye Drops, Omega3's and Heat are the first-line ways to influence tear film chemistry and create moisture/balance..
Let's start a Tear Chemistry Imbalance renaming movement lol! ... At least I will know what you talking about. ;)
Looking for product recommendations? Try the mEYEspa product guidance quiz
Dr Morris
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Our clinic is close to the US border. Before its recent Health Canada approval, we had patients crossing into Michigan to buy Lumify because of its unmatched effectiveness.
Lumify is the first and only over-the-counter eye drop developed from popular glaucoma medication. This extremely safe medication (low % brimonidine tartrate) is indicated for ocular redness due to minor eye irritations.
Lumify does not have the risks of traditional eye whiteners such as rebound redness with continued use and eye pressure increase.
The most important thing to understand PRIOR to your use of any eye whitener is that you need to treat any underlying reasons for chronic red eyes and not use Lumify to mask symptoms. Dry eyes, lid issues, infections are all possible reasons for red eye that Lumify is contraindicated and should not be used!
See your eye care professional for guidance.
If you are currently using standard glaucoma medications then there is a very good chance that you also have dry eye symptoms of irritated, red scratchy eyes that may tear a lot and feel like something is always in them.
The medications used to treat glaucoma are commonly implemented as a toxic cause mild-to-moderate even severe dry eyes.
The main culprit for this is the preservatives often used in pressure lowering medications. The greatest ocular surface insult is from the preservative BAK (benzalkonium chloride). There is a ongoing debate whether BAK increases or decreases effectiveness of pressure lowering agents but is does indeed cause toxic dry eye in many people.
It is not generally the active glaucoma medication that causes dry eyes so what can you do to minimize dry eyes when needing glaucoma medications?
Speak to your eye care professional about:
1] Combination Drops
If you have multiple drops to control your eye pressure, each of these drops may contain a preservative. You may be able to half the preservative load by using a 2-in-1 combination eye drop that mixes two medications in the same bottle.
2] Preservative Free / Lower Preservative Drops
Many older pressure lowering drops have preservative free or low-preservative versions. Note that the prices of these drops are generally more expensive.
3] SLT Laser Treatment
SLT is a laser treatment used to lower intra-ocular pressure. It is not often used as first line therapy in North America but can significantly delay or reduce the need for pressure control drops. Our clinic will often recommend SLT for new, younger glaucoma patients due to the many years that they made need to be on pressure lowering therapy.
4] Topical Lubrication
At mEYEspa we are all about providing great clinic-tested lubrication drops. There are many options to help limit dry eye symptoms. Remember separate prescription drops from lubrication drops by 20 minutes to not dilute the medication. Try the mEYEspa product guidance for suggestions.
5] Omega 3's and Warm Compresses
You can effectively help your own body produce better tears with Omega 3 supplementation or Bruder Mask use.
6] IPL/Lipoflow and Rx Immune System Modulating Rx Drops
These are other methods of helping your body create better tears to discuss with your eye doctor.
Why would glaucoma cause my eyes to be Dry?
** nothing in this blog should be interpreted as medical advice. this is general information only and speak to your eye care provider for advice on your unique situation
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Imitation product creeps into the market though three channels.
[1] Duplication of the look and feel of the bottle and contents (no active/useful medication and potentially harmful fillers). These are sold by individuals typically via marketplaces and are indistinguishable alongside authentic products.
[2] Drop-shipped product or indirectly distributed product (meaning that the seller may not actually have possession of the actually product sold). Drop-shipping pharma products poses a massive risk because some distribution centers pool like-products. e.g. Think about a bank.... If you take $100 bill cash to a bank and make a deposit today. Then, tomorrow you go back and withdrawal a $100 bill... It is very unlikely that you would receive the same $100 bill that you originally deposited. This is the most concerning distribution model as like-product is pooled/banked and then when sold by any connected seller... products is 'withdrawn' from the common pool and shipped to the end user. Some of the product in the pool could be authentic.... some not. Distribution centres would have to be extremely diligent about inspecting and checking every incoming product to prevent this. A reputable seller contributing real product to the pool may actually end up unknowingly sell fake product.
[3] The third channel is less counterfeit but still can lead to potentially dangerous or ineffective products. There are many listing for foreign versions of branded product. These products are not always identical as products recommended by your eye care professional.
How can you protect yourself? Buy product only from your own eye care professional or from established and reputable sources. Avoid marketplace purchases! Look to sellers that have real addresses and real contact information.
Every mEYEspa product is directly purchased from our manufacturer partners. We control all distribution - start to finish. We are a real eye care clinic and the products available through our online store are exactly the same as the ones sold to clinic patients.
Protect your eyes - Buy only from an authorized retailer.
The real - Dr J Morris. www.studioeyecare.com London Ontario Canada
Dangerous Fake Medication. Are my Eye Drops Authentic?
]]>The complacency that builds when you are feeling better is the challenge. My best advice that if you are on a regime that works for you... do not stop. Dry eye is a chronic condition and the factors that created the need for your intervention do not go away 99% of the time.
From personal clinical experience, careful case histories and asking detailed questions will often elucidate that a controlled dry eye... became uncontrolled... when a modification was made to treatment plan.
[1] Work with your Optometrist to develop a plan and [1] Stick with the drops or compresses or Omega3's or Rx meds... even when you are felling better... Your eyes will thank you!
Number 1 Reason Why Dry Eye Treatments Fail
]]>What did she mean and what causes this?
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Both gritty and itchy are symptoms of ocular issues but when combined on the lids then cause is almost always Blepharitis. There are many types of blepharitis but the hallmarks or all are:
If you have this collection of even mild symptoms/signs, speak to your eye care professional and learn more about blepharitis from mEYEspa blepharitis eye guide
Looking for product recommendations? Try the mEYEspa product guidance quiz
]]>Although eye drops are all stamped with expiration dates, this date is irrelevant once the bottle is open! How long the drop is actually effective and safe after opening is dependent on the bottle and it’s contents.
Most standard bottles with preserved drops will have a 30 day shelf life once opened. This means that contents should be used or disposed within one month of opening… independent of the date on the bottle.
Special eye drop bottle designs can extend this open-bottle shelf life up to 3 or 6 or even 12 months.
These advanced bottle designs also have the added benefit of no-preservation chemicals.
Single use drops are also great for providing clean, no-preservative options. Once a single use vial is opened… it should be used withing 24 hours.
My clinical recommendation for patients wanting to use drops ‘as needed’ e.g. for computer dry eye.. would be to use a drop with a bottle providing anti-evaporative ingredients, non preserved and have a very long shelf life like I-drop MGD. 12 months open shelf life once opened!
All mEYEspa drops are checked regularly to ensure that you are no receiving short expiration dated product. See the bottom of our product listings to see live expiration dated on current inventory.
Looking for product recommendations? Try the mEYEspa product guidance quiz
]]>Most commonly you will see reference to chronic eye irritation and this logical considering the "dry eye" label.
However, I suggest that clinically I see more patients mis-attributing transient screen blur to their glasses than reporting eye irritation. It is a hard connection to attempt to communicate! When there is no irritation and only blur, counseling on drop use is usually met with some skepticism. Your optometrist will check for signs of an unstable tear film but if you are noting that you need deep blinks to clear intermittent blur... You likely could benefit from the proactive use of an anti-evaporative drop such as I-drop MGD or Thealoz DUO.
I will often recommend using one of these products before computer use and again at a break. Getting ahead of the problem is paramount.
Bottom line is that you do not need irritation to have the early vision-blurring effects of dry eye.
Looking for product recommendations? Try the mEYEspa product guidance quiz
Dr. Morris
]]>How much Omega 3 should I take for dry eye?
Simple question but the answer is a bit complex. Omega 3 supplements vary widely in their potency.
Find out how much DHA + EPA that you need for Dry Eye treatment...
]]>How much Omega 3 should I take for dry eye?
Simple question but the answer is a bit complex. Omega 3 supplements vary widely in their potency.
The following information is what I recommend in clinic. It is not applicable to everyone and talk to your eye care provider for more individualized information.
STEP 1 - Look at the label of your Omega 3 supplement and find these numbers:
Serving Size: e.g. 1,2,4 capsules
Capsule Size: e.g. 500mg to 1200mg
EPA content and DHA content in mg.
Ignore the serving size initially and find the EPA + DHA total
For dry eye, this total (EPA+DHA) needs to be 1000mg per day. Then figure out how many servings that you need to get ~1000mg/day of EPA + DHA
I often recommended up to 2000mg/day (EPA+DHA). The take away here is that the capsule size is irrelevant.
The form of the Omega 3 is important for bio-availability and triglyceride form is preferred.
See example below
On the above Krill Omega 3 label... one capsule (serving) has 75mg (EPA) + 45mg (DHA) = 120mg. For dry eye therapy I recommend >1000mg/day so... you would need 1000/120 = 8.33 ~ 8 capsules a day. (That's a lot!)
On this PRN De Omega 3 label ...
...one serving is 4 capsules which delivers 920 mg (EPA) + 920 mg (DHA) = 1840mg.
I would recommend 2-3 capsules of the PRN high potency product.
You can buy PRN and other Omega 3 product from mEYEspa.
What is the most potent Omega 3 that we have found?
Liquid Omega 3's generally have high potency and usually 1 teaspoon/day will exceed daily guideline but check the label.
Most important TIP... Take with food! Without food, even the best Omega 3 will not absorb properly and not deliver the desired result!
Dr. Morris
PS Looking for eye drop product recommendations? Try the mEYEspa product guidance quiz
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As an Optometrist, this is our domain. Please speak your Optometrist for all your options however…
There are definite camps and opinions on the blue light question. It is less universally accepted than all of the other reasons for digital eye strain.
In theory, higher-energy, shorter-wavelength blue light emitted from screens is thought to adversely effect the visual system by overloading it with extra energy - like headphones turned up too loud.
The controversy arises because you get far more blue light by being outdoors on a sunny day that you could ever get from a digital device. So why some folks respond well to blue-blocking lenses at the computer but never previously had issues with sunlight is a part of the confusion.
Lens marketing folks have also twisted the blue-light issue by claiming damage to the inner eye that simply is not true - You are not going to get eye cancer from your screen!
Another confusing lens issue is that most "blue blocking" lenses only actually block ~15% of blue light! So is 15% reduction actually enough to have an effect? - unknown. Some blue-blocking lenses block up to 80% but these lenses are typically a yellow hue and cosmetically not acceptable for most people.
It is true that high energy blue light can disrupt your sleep. So using low blue screens or blue-blocking lenses may be useful for folks that use a screen right up to the moment they go to bed.
So - blue light coatings and filters certainly will not hurt you but it is not something that I recommend clinically as I do not feel the evidence is strong enough.
Looking for eye drop product recommendations? Try the mEYEspa product guidance quiz
]]>If you use a CPAP machine then you likely have experienced 'CPAP dry eye'. The common symptomology is patients with scratchy, irritated eyes on waking if mask fit is not perfect or a nighttime shift occurs.
CPAP dry eye is not a real 'diagnosis'... but certainly is a common clinical observation. Find out more...
]]>CPAP dry eye is not a real 'diagnosis'... but certainly is a common clinical observation.
Beyond ensuring that mask fit is optimal, for CPAP dry eye, I recommend that patients use either:
Ocunox night-time ointment with Vitamin A or I-Defence gel.
Both are non-preserved and when used just before bed, prevent much of the overnight evaporation that causes the morning discomfort and redness.
Both gels (I-Defence less) cause some blurred vision so only evening use is recommended.
Learn more about these products...
Can CPAP use cause day and nighttime Dry Eyes?
]]>As a 26 year primary care optometry veteran, my vote for the Swiss Army knife of eye lid care is the Bruder mask.
Computer fatigue? - 5 minutes at the end of a long day - Spa-like heaven
Dry eyes? - Melt those needed lid oils to refresh zoomed-out eyeballs
Lid soreness and irritation? - Help break-up the goop in clogged lid glands and at lash margin
The 5 minute sustained moist heat of this mask is the key. So much better than gel-based eye packs and the mess and ineffectiveness of a face-cloth!
You're Welcome!
Dr. J