REVERSING DRY EYE SYNDROME: Practical Ways to Improve Your Comfort, Vision and Appearance
By Steven L. Maskin, MD
Yale (NYP)

Some 10 million Americans suffer from dry eye syndrome – about the same number afflicted by diabetes. Far from being the minor medical complaint it might sound like, dry eye syndrome is a severe, debilitating and chronic problem for many of its victims. Think about how distressing and even unnerving it is when you feel a tiny dust mote, hair or something else that’s become briefly lodged in your eye. Now imagine this sensation going on and on month after month, year after year causing increasing and unremitting pain, as well as blurred vision and painfully reddened eyes.

Glasses won’t help because the problem lies with the dryness. Contact lenses won’t help – in fact, they’ll make the situation worse, because contacts need the lubrication of tears to work well. Although virtually any adult (or child) can have chronically dry eyes, the risk increases for those who have had LASIK or cosmetic eye surgery, wear contacts, suffer from diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis or ocular rosacea, use hormone therapy or medications for allergies or depression, or are daily computer users, heavy readers, or watch a lot of TV. Although there’s no "quick fix" for most patients, REVERSING DRY EYE SYNDROME spells out exactly what actions patients can take, working with their doctors, to decrease pain, improve their eyesight and erase the unattractive redness from their eyes. There are no comparable books on the market offering. detailed and practical information for people suffering from dry eye syndrome.

Steven L. Maskin, M.D., a highly- respected ophthalmologist in Tampa, Florida, is a surgeon specializing in diagnosing and treating diseases of the cornea and the eye surface. Patients travel from all over the U.S. and the entire world to visit Dr. Maskin’s clinic seeking relief from their painful dry and irritated eyes. In addition to his extensive medical training, Dr. Maskin has received research grants and fellowships sponsored by NIH and Bausch & Lomb. Each year, from 1999 to 2003, Dr. Maskin has been selected by his peers as one of the "Best Doctors in America," a national listing of the most outstanding medical specialists in the U.S. He has coauthored numerous papers on important ophthalmology topics for major medical journals. Chris Adamec, a veteran health writer, will assist Dr. Maskin with the proposed book as a ghostwriter. She has coauthored more than a dozen books, most on health topics.