Dr Michael Lange uses 5 simple steps that he has developed and used clinically for many years to help his patients with dry eyes. He has helped 1000s of patients naturally with these proven steps. Dr Lange sees patients from all over the country at The Lange Eye Institute in The Villages Florida for a natural approach to their eye conditions. Dry eye syndrome is one of the eye conditions that responds quickly to a natural dry eye approach. Dr Michael Lange also preaches these natural approaches to eye disease on his syndicated talk show that can be heard world-wide called “ask the dr”.
Dr Michael Lange is an Optometric Physician and a Certified Nutrition Specialist that is involved in the research and development of nutritional supplements and Paleo food products. He also sees patients on a daily basis at The Lange Eye Institute.
Dr Lange’s 5 step natural dry eye protocol if followed will decrease dry eye symptomatology in a large percentage of patients. The 5 steps are 1. Nutrify 2. Heat 3. Lubricate 4. clean 5. Hydrate
Nutrify: Adjusting the diet and adding some specific supplements will help to decrease oxidation and inflammation in the body and in the eyes and help increase the production of good quality tears. The typical American diet is calorie dense and nutrient deficient. The American diet is also pro inflammatory. Dr Michael Lange recommends following a modified gluten-free Paleo diet. He has developed a diet called ” The Lange Diet” that enables people to get down to their ideal body weight very quickly and improve digestion at the same time. Dr Lange adds 1600mg of Omega 3 (Fortifeye Super Omega) for anyone under 250 lbs, if over 250 lbs then 4 of these omega 3 are needed. Omega 3 will help to allow the meibomian glands to secrete a healthier tear film. 6-12 mg of Astaxanthin is also added to the supplement regiment depending on the weight of the patients. anyone under 250 lbs takes 6mg and above that weight will take 12mg of astaxanthin. Dr Lange developed a unique fish gel cap that has 10mg of lutein, 2 mg of zeaxanthin and 6mg of astaxanthin called Fortifeye Focus. This is the supplement he combines with Fortifeye Super omega to get the astaxanthin and the additional health benefits of Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Numerous blood tests have revealed that as we age and our eyes become very dry, Glutathione deficiencies are quite common. Dr Lange started using whey protein concentrates years ago to help stimulate glutathione in his dry eye patients with positive results. A whey protein concentrate from grass fed cows is the best way to stimulate glutathione. This type of protein is very high in Lactoferrin, CLA and covalent bonded cystein. These 3 nutrients are often times quite deficient in the aging population and when they are sufficient in the body the immune system is much stronger. Dr Lange recommends drinking one to two smoothies a day using a good New Zealand Whey Protein Concentrate from grass fed cows. Dr Lange has developed Fortifeye Super Protein so his patients have access to this super high quality protein at an affordable price. It is very difficult to find a high quality whey protein concentrate from New Zealand at the local vitamin shop. In summary eating a Paleo diet and taking a good Omega 3 ( Fortifeye Super Omega), Astaxanthin (Fortifeye Focus) and a Whey protein concentrate (Fortifeye Super Protein) is a step down the right path of nutrition to help dry eyes.
Heat: Heating the meibomian glands is crucial to keep these glands open and flowing freely. The meibomian glands become clogged with a waxy material and that blocks the outflow of the outer layer of the tear film. There are many expensive procedures available like lipi flow, meibomian gland probing and laser that can give relief but may not be necessary if you follow Dr Lange’s 5 step protocol for dry eye. A warm wash cloth to the lids works fine however it is a bit cumbersome and time-consuming to constantly keep warm compresses on the eyes. The Bruder Mask is Dr Lange’s number 1 choice for applying heat to the lid margins. He recommends using the Bruder Mask 2-4 times a day for 10 minutes depending on the severity of the condition.
Lubricate: As we age there are many reasons for the decrease in natural tear production so patients with dry eyes must use artificial tears frequently to help alleviate their symptoms. Dr Lange has concluded that the 2 best lubricating eye drops are Oasis Tears Plus and Blink Preservative Free tears. Both of these tears have a unique natural anti inflammatory component called hyaluronic acid in the tear make up. Dr Lange gets great results when patients will use these drops 2-6 times per day depending on the severity of the dry eye. If not responding well to one of these drops then the addition of a drop called Retaine is recommended to use alternating with Oasis or Blink drops.
Clean: The eye lids are home to many types of pathogens like bacteria, virus, antigens and mites. The meibomian glands on the lid margins are a dark moist environment perfect for breeding of these pathogens. Blocked meibomian glands are a result of the overflow of this type of flora on our eye lids. Cleaning the eye lids with a good lid cleanser will eliminate this type of flora and improve the tear quality. Dr Michael Lange recommends using Cliradex Pads or Cliradex lite foam 1-2 times a day for the first month. After the first month you can continue to use Cliradex 3 times a week or go to a less expensive foam cleaner called occusoft.
Hydrate: Dr Lange early in practice realized most of his patients were not drinking enough good quality water and this was one of the reasons for many of their health problems and dry eyes. Many patients will drink 3-4 cups of coffee or more daily along with a few alcoholic beverages in the evening, these may cause a dehydrated state in many. Most experts recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces of good quality water daily. If consuming a lot of coffee or alcohol then extra water will need to be consumed to off set the diaeresis effects. Dr Lange recommends drinking bottled spring water for maximum hydration since it is alkaline and contains natural minerals. He says to avoid purified bottled water since these are mineral free and very acidic. 1-2 cups of coffee a day is fine and some studies indicate may help dry eye symptoms in small quantities. Dr Lange also says 1-2 cups of coconut water daily helps with hydration . So drink to your health and drink away your dry eyes.
You can learn more about and order the Fortifeye supplements developed by Dr Lange at www.fortifeye.com you can learn more about Dr Lange and link up to him on social media at www.drmichaellange.com
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