Jessilin Quint, OD, MS, MBA, FAAO, sees dry eye every day, and she sees the problem growing. “Digital devices are not doing us any favors,” she says,
In her practice at Smart Eye Care, which has four locations in Maine, dry eye is no longer a side issue tucked into the margins of primary eyecare. It is a major part of how she practices, how she educates patients and how she thinks about treatment. And while prescription therapies and in-office procedures have expanded the dry eye toolbox, Dr. Quint says over-the-counter options still play an essential role.
“The statistics say that 18 million households use artificial tears,” she says. “I want to make sure they’re using the ones that will have a good impact.”
So she was intrigued by the introduction of Blink Triple Care Preservative Free, a new preservative-free option in a multi-dose bottle. “Every formulation for a drop is a little different,” she says. “It’s important for eyecare providers to know what over-the-counter options there are and how to position them so the patient has success.”
Dr. Quint says she always recommends a specific drop rather than sending patients to “the aisle of doom” to make a decision based on packaging or price alone. In her view, dry eye care works best when the recommendation is tailored to the patient in front of her.
MANY POSSIBLE CAUSES
That practical, patient-centered approach is important whether the patient has evaporative dry eye, screen-heavy workdays or other situations that pull moisture away from the eye surface. For those patients, she says, a lipid-based drop can make a real difference.
Keep the presentation simple and related to the patients’ complaints, Dr. Quint advises. “The specific drop is this. Here is the reason why I recommend it. For example, I might say, I want to add moisture and the lipid-based drop will keep it there. If they’re working on a screen, I’m going to recommend a lipid-based drop, unless they wear contact lenses.”
She points to the appeal of preservative-free formulations as well, particularly for patients with sensitivities or those who need to use drops frequently. A product that is both preservative-free and designed to help lock in moisture, she says, fits naturally into current dry eye care.
Convenience matters too. Dry eye is often chronic, and patients need options that fit into real life. Dr. Quint says OTC products can help bridge the gap between advanced treatments and day-to-day comfort.
FAST RELIEF
Her goal is to help patients find some immediate relief. She’ll go after root causes as well. “But these are fast. They bridge the gap so we can work on the other causes, and patients will immediately feel relief.”
In fact, they can amplify the good results she’s had with other treatments. For example, a patient whose symptoms have improved through intense pulsed light treatments or prescription medications may still need something to get them through long hours in front of a computer, time outdoors or windy conditions.
“Maybe they’re on adjunct therapy,” Dr. Quint says. “We’ve worked hard to get their dry eye in a better place, but there might be times when they need some relief.”
She says those conversations do not have to be lengthy to be effective. In a busy exam room, clarity matters more than a long explanation. “It’s taking seconds,” Dr. Quint says. “It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out recommendation. Patients are coming to us because we’re the experts.”
That is also why she believes dry eye education remains so important. Many patients still assume their symptoms are normal, caused by age, allergies or just too much computer work. Dr. Quint says there is still a large opportunity to correct those misconceptions.
To make care easier and more accessible, Smart Eye Care recently opened a dedicated dry eye center into a standalone space within one of their office locations. Dr. Quint says that change has helped streamline care for both internal and external referrals and made it easier to create a more specialized experience for patients.
But dry eye management can be a part of any primary eye care setting. What matters most is recognizing it, asking the right questions and offering a recommendation that feels both practical and personalized. Her goal is to help patients find relief and understand that dry eye does not have to be something they simply live with.
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