Rosacea – Facial Redness, Acne & Dry Eyes
Rosacea is a common condition, presenting with facial redness, flushing, cheek acne, broken blood vessels and dry eyes. It is most common in Caucasians and triggered by various factors, including heat, sun, certain foods, hormonal changes – basically, life.
Many people don’t realize they have rosacea and don’t associate their acne or eye irritation with this condition. Since there is no cure for rosacea and it can get worse without treatment, control and management are important. Sunscreen is step one because rosacea is always provoked by ultraviolet light. Medications such as doxycycline, ivermectin, metronidazole can all help to suppress rosacea. Finding skincare products that are gentle, yet effective is also important.
Dry Eye Syndrome can present in different ways – itchy, burning, tearing, blurry, crusty, red eyes are all symptoms. The eyelids can be puffy, swollen, tender and with prominent vessels. As this condition worsens, lashes fall out or grow in the wrong direction, poking the eye and causing a stabbing pain. Worse yet, a stye can develop. Ophthalmologists call these love hordeolum or chalazion. They are blocked glands in the lid margin, some external and some internal.
The tear film consists of three layers. The outermost layer is the fatty layer and prevents excessive evaporation of the tear film. It is made by the glands in the eyelids, called meibomian glands. They need to work well to maintain surface integrity.
The cornea and front surface of the eye is coated and protected. The first layer that light hits is the tear film. If the surface is nice and smooth, this improves our visual quality. When the tears evaporate too quickly, the surface is uneven and we get eye fatigue and blurry vision, especially towards the end of the day.
Rosacea, fake lashes, contact lens wear, LASIK, menopause, autoimmune disease like Sjogren’s, RA, lupus, many different medications, thyroid issues, smoking, excessive screen time and other factors all contribute to dry eye.
As we are using our eyes more than ever, with smartphones and computers, eye strain is becoming more common and creating a good eye care routine becomes necessary. Just like we brush our teeth and go to the dentist for professional cleaning, an eye health routine is key for good quality vision.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) has been used for many years to treat skin redness from sun damage and rosacea. More recently, IPL has been FDA approved to treat Evaporative Dry Eye Syndrome, meaning the tears evaporate too quickly and the surface is left unprotected. Inflammation develops and bacteria, as well as mites called Demodex, overgrow. This results in a cycle of discomfort, blurry vision, puffiness, crusting and so on.
A series of 3-5 IPL, depending on the severity of the presenting symptoms, and maintaining a good at-home eye care routine can be a significant life quality game changer. By treating the face and eyelids, patients can get the cosmetic benefits of less red and brown spots on their skin, better quality of life and improved vision.
At Inner Glow AestheticsMD Dry Eye Clinic, Dr. Shternfeld is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist, with over 20 years’ experience managing Dry Eye Syndrome. We offer comprehensive treatment – from recommending a good skincare and at-home eye care routine, incision/drainage of styes, professional grade eyelid margin cleansing with a specialized device to IPL and meibomian gland expression.
Please call 860-999-4865 to schedule an appointment. Insurance is accepted for eye exams. IPL and eyelid margin cleansing treatments are not covered by insurance.
