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(I-MED Pharma)
Dry eye is a growing concern. With an estimated 30% of the Canadian population suffering from this disease, it’s important to remember that it can affect anyone, of any age. Booking regular screenings with an eye care professional, taking preventative measures such as limiting screen-time, and incorporating proper dry eye management solutions is key to reducing disease progression as well as relieving discomforting symptoms.
In the paragraphs below, you’ll find an imaginative story involving the dangers of dry eye. We invite you to take this journey to the end and find out the moral of this little fairy tale.
“Once upon a time there was a healthy, hydrated kingdom, and all who lived there thrived, united in their desire to experience complete comfort and relief. Near the kingdom there lurked a dangerous evil, Dry Eye, also known by his other names Dry Eye Syndrome and Dry Eye Disease, who disliked hydration and was jealous of the inhabitants’ continuous comfort. He hatched a devious plan to chronically sap away all the moisture and stability from their hard-working lands. Worse still, the terrible Dry Eye was only one member of a whole force of Ocular Surface Diseases (OSD), which included the well-known Blepharitis and MGD.
Once Dry Eye took hold, the unsuspecting inhabitants of this once thriving land were dismayed, for their quality of life had greatly diminished under Dry Eye’s new rule due to discomforting symptoms. They knew they must act against this chronic threat, and so found a nearby Healer to ask for advice, since this Healer had the wisdom and knowledge of how to rid Dry Eye from their once stable lands.
The Healer prescribed a management plan to get Dry Eye under control, suggesting the inhabitants hire three powerful knights, I-VU®, I-LID ’N LASH®, and I-DROP®, who had all fought many battles and were trained in only the most up-to-date ways. These knights answered the inhabitants’ pleas and worked together to provide a solution to clear away Dry Eye’s hold on their kingdom.
First to attack was I-VU®, a knight pure and potent, formulated meticulously from essential stock, who attacked Dry Eye systemically with his rTG form. This concentrated assault weakened Dry Eye.
Next in the plan came I-LID ’N LASH®, a powerful knight possessing both cleansing and hydrating properties, who wiped away the debris and bioburden that fueled Dry Eye.
Finally, it was time for I-DROP® to act, an adaptable knight known for his loyalty. He covered the entire kingdom with his viscoadaptive properties to fully coat and protect against Dry Eye’s influence. He gave to the kingdom what it needed most, hydration and stability.
Unable to stay in this now protected land, the weakened Dry Eye was forced to retreat. The inhabitants rejoiced!
The three knights, seeing the havoc that Dry Eye could cause and worried about future OSD threats, vowed to fight day and night to tirelessly protect the now thriving kingdom, because the inhabitants deserved only the very best so they could live their lives in complete comfort and relief.
So ends the reign of evil Dry Eye, while the kingdom lived on, hydrated ever after.”
While this may be a made-up story, we hope it conveys the importance of regular daily ocular hygiene and dry eye management regimens. Whether you are experiencing symptoms of dry eye or not, scheduling regular eye exams with an eye care professional and taking proactive steps to maintain your ocular health – such as limiting screen time and having a healthy diet – is important to prevent and reduce the progression of dry eye disease and ocular surface disorders. For a complete dry eye assessment, look for a dry eye clinic that focuses on diagnosis, management, and treatment near you.
The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) Dry Eye WorkShop II (DEWS II) initiative, which involved 150 clinical and basic research experts from around the world, includes in their report recommendations for the staged management and treatment of dry eye disease. The first step lists disease education, oral essential fatty acid supplementation, ocular lubricants, lid hygiene, and warm compresses, among others, in that category.[1]
Following these guidelines, a good, at-home management plan can incorporate products such as the I-VU® line of nutritional supplements for dry eyes, the I-LID ’N LASH® line of ocular hygiene cleansers, the I-DROP® line of preservative-free, viscoadaptive artificial tears, and dry eye accessories such as our therapeutic hot & cold eye mask for dry eyes. You can also find fun recipes that incorporate omega-3 fatty acids, essential for ocular health in our CHEF Recipes section.
We make eye health a priority and we hope you do too. Reach out to your eye care professional to make yearly appointments and keep dry eye at bay!
[1] Craig, Jennifer P, J. Daniel Nelson, Dimitri T Azar, Carlos Belmonte, Anthony J Bron, Sunil K Chauhan, Cintia S de Paiva, et al. 2017. “TFOS DEWS II Report Executive Summary.” The Ocular Surface 15 (4): 802–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2017.08.003.