Rosacea is a skin disorder characterized by redness on the cheeks, nose, forehead and/or chin.

There is a well known and established connection between Dry Eye Disease and facial rosacea. This is due to the development of ocular rosacea which only your eye care provider is equipped properly to diagnose under a microscope.

The exact cause of rosacea is unknown, but we do know that it is correlated with a dysfunctional immune response, demodex infestation of the skin and/or gut biome dysregulation.

Many patients with seemingly mild facial rosacea actually also have moderate-severe ocular rosacea that is contributing to their Dry Eye Disease and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Patients with rosacea of their facial skin are at a higher risk for developing rosacea in the skin of their eyelids- it’s the same skin, so it makes sense, right? Up to 20% patients develop ocular rosacea as an early sign of facial rosacea.

And up to 50% of patients with facial rosacea have symptoms in their eyes which include:

Burning
Tearing
Sandy sensation
Itching (yes, itching is not always allergies!)
Red eyes
Contact lens intolerance
Blurred/fluctuating vision

Identifying triggers for rosacea can be vital in controlling this skin disorder. Common triggers are:

Dairy
Alcohol
Spicy foods
Heat (does your skin become very pink, angry or red after a workout?)
Emotional and physical stress

Treatments for facial and/or ocular rosacea offered at Avant Eyes:

Intense Pulsed Light- FDA Approved IPL for Dry Eye Disease and Rosacea
AlumierMD SkinCare- medical grade skincare with a focus on building skin collagen and reducing the appearance of redness
Oh, and this skincare line is safe to use around the eyes, unlike many others!
High quality re-esterified omega 3 supplements
Eyelid cleansers such as hypochlorous and/or Zocufoam
Topical/oral antibiotics
Dietary modification and restoration of gut biome

Your treatment plan is carefully custom-tailored to your specific condition and severity of disease state and likely requires a combination of the treatments above.