Blepharitis Management in the Viscous Cycle of Dry Eye

February 14, 2020
Raymond Brill
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Dr James Rynerson talks about the cause, prevention, and treatment for Blepharitis. Dry eye is oversimplified today. It’s a complex and vicious cycle that needs immediate and aggressive treatment. Dentists have done very well over the years preaching preventative maintenance. Listen to hear how eye doctors can adopt this same mentality.

This episode is filled with really technical details about Demodex, lid hygiene, and dry eye. If you want to be an authority on dry eye, this is a must-listen episode.

In This Episode:

[4:07] Guest introduction.
[7:42] The goal of his company
[8:30] What is Blepharitis?
[17:52] The effect of obliterating the biofilm
[20:47] Examination
[23:07] Recommendations
[29:30] How do blepharitis and Demodex affect daily activities
[36:40] Blephex
[40:09] Process
[44:54] Recurrence
[48:27] Thoughts on the use of intense pulse light

About The Guest:

Dr James Rynerson received his medical degree from University of Louisville in 1990 and went on to complete an ophthalmology residency at LSU in Shreveport. After being in private practice for 17 years with an emphasis on LASIK and cataract surgery, Dr Rynerson became convinced that eye doctors could much more effectively treat blepharitis and dry eye, if they only had a tool that allowed for a complete exfoliation of the inflammatory biofilm on the lid margins of these patients.

In 2011, Dr Rynerson began to devote his full attention to bringing just such a device to the market, for the benefit of the millions of patients worldwide who suffer from these conditions. BlephEx was introduced to the market in 2013, as the first and only doctor treatment for blepharitis and dry eye. In just over a year, BlephEx was in over 1,000 offices worldwide, and in nearly every optometric teaching institution and numerous ophthalmology programs throughout the US and Canada.

Dr Rynerson became a pioneer in the understanding and treatment of lid margins disease, and was the first to propose the etiology of biofilms and exotoxins along the lid margin as the source of low-grade inflammatory damage to the tear glands. He was also first to recognize the similarities between the benefits of dental hygiene in keeping our own teeth, and lid hygiene in keeping our own tears. With this recognition, he developed the “dental model” in eye care when he first established training seminars for “Certified Lid Hygienists.”

Under the guidance of Dr James Rynerson as President and CEO, BlephEx has achieved unparalleled success due to intuitive nature and ease of use in removing the inflammatory biofilm that is causing so much lid margin disease. Patients feel near-immediate relief from their irritating symptoms and save hundreds of dollars a year on the cost of artificial tears and prescription medications that have been so ineffective for so many years.

BlephEx is now in 15 countries around the world and is quickly being adopted as the new standard of care in blepharitis, MGD and dry eye treatment. BlephEx has been featured on NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates around the country as a breakthrough in the treatment of these chronic diseases.

Dr Rynerson continues to develop new technologies and innovations in the treatment of eye disease, and in his spare time enjoys classical music and spending time with his wife, 5-year-old son, and dogs.