Whether it’s acting, guitar playing, or flying, Phyllis Spielman is always up for a new challenge, but battling dry eye was not a challenge she was expecting.
“The worst thing you can have is itchy and burning eyes because it is a distraction. You could cause an accident,” Spielman explained. When over-the-counter drops and compressions didn’t work as Spielman hoped they would, she turned to her doctor for help. Rolando Toyos, MD, the founder and CEO of Toyos Clinic, said, “You give somebody some artificial tears and say, ‘just lubricate your eye and you’ll be fine’, but this is an inflammatory disease.”The inflammation in the meibomian eye glands is what causes insufficient tears to be produced. Doctor Toyos suggested the OptiLight treatment, which is a light-based treatment given in four sessions at two to four weeks apart.“It was really painless. It was quick. There wasn’t any downtime.
Dr. Toyos said that this is the first and only FDA-approved light treatment for managing dry eye disease. After the initial four sessions, someone with severe dry eye disease may need additional treatments. Dr. Toyos also said that right after a session, patients should avoid sun exposure as the skin around their eyes will be more susceptible to sunburns.