Dry Eye, Occupational Health, Truck Driving, Motorcycles

August 18, 2008

New Education about Occupational Health and Menopausal Dry Eye on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water

Laurie Barber, MD, University of Arkansas Ophthalmologist, talks about Dry Eye, Occupational Health, Truck Driving, Motorcycles, Computers and Menopause

Hear Sharon Kleyne's interview with Laurie Barber, MD on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes

The same steps that prevent or minimize hot flashes will also prevent or minimize menopausal dry eye.

Sharon Kleyne, host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water syndicated radio talk show, recently interviewed Laurie Barber, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Arkansas and a leading authority on dry eye syndrome and menopause. The discussion focused on occupational health, truck driving, motorcycles, computers and, of course, prevention of menopausal dry eye.

The interview may be heard on-demand on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes.

An important Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water objective is education regarding the growing worldwide crisis in dry eye disease. Untreated dry eye, according to Sharon Kleyne, can lead to corneal ulceration, visual impairment and blindness. In the United States, dry eye symptoms are the number one complaint that ophthalmologists hear from patients,

Sharon Kleyne asked Dr. Barber about eye care and occupational health, noting that employers are usually unaware of the impact on tear film and vision of forced-air heating and cooling, office computers, etc. Dr. Barber observed that this is an area where education could be very helpful. She noted that human nature to take one's vision for granted - until something bad happens.

In response to Sharon Kleyne's question about the importance of sleep and rest in preventing or minimizing dry eye, Dr. Barber noted that sleep and rest are essential to eye health. It is important, she stated, to truly rest your eyes at night, and allow them to recover, which means (among other things) not wearing contact lenses to bed. The tear film restores itself while you sleep - the glands recharge, the pH drops, etc.

Sharon asked about patients with eye-stressing occupations or lifestyles, such as truck drivers or motorcycle riders. According to Dr. Barber, those occupations all involve intense concentration or staring and as a result, the person often forgets to blink often enough, which increases the rate of tear film moisture (water) evaporation. The best way to prevent or minimize occupational dry eye is to use eye protection such as goggles or a face shield. Pre-treatment with a product such as eye drops or Nature's Tears EyeMist before motorcycling, can also be helpful.

Regarding computers, they also involve staring that decreases the blink rate. Dr. Barber suggests frequent breaks to rest your eyes, making sure there isn't a vent blowing on you, and positioning yourself to look slightly down on the computer screen.

The interview concluded with a lengthy discussion of menopausal dry eye. Dr. Barber recommended treating menopausal dry eye as you would hot flashes: Get sufficient exercise, drink lots of water, and try to stay in a cool place and wear layered clothing so you can cool yourself off.

Sharon noted that exercise reduces stress and promotes better functioning of all body systems. However, exercise can be dehydrating. Dr. Barber agreed and observed that for some women approaching menopause, moderate daily exercise would probably suffice. She stressed that anyone training for a marathon, no matter what their age or gender, should be extremely meticulous about hydration and water intake. Swimmers should be careful of chlorine exposure.

Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua Research, whose Nature's Tears® EyeMist®, a breakthrough hand-held personal all-natural water humidifying device for occupational and menopausal dry eye. Nature's Tears® EyeMist® is available at www.BioLogicAqua.com, Amazon.com, drugstore.com and selected drugstores nationwide.

Listen to the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water Mondays, 10 a.m., PST/PDT. The syndicated radio talk show is heard on Voice America/World Talk Radio, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes. Go to www.SharonKleyneHour.com for written summaries and on-demand replays. Also visit www.naturestears.com, whatistheeye.wordpress.com, "Nature's Tears EyeMist" on Facebook and "Bio-Logic Aqua" on Twitter.

© 2012 Bio-Logic Aqua Research (102)