Doctors Embrace Avenova™ for Common Eye Conditions

The Eye Institute, located in Marin County, California, announced today that an informal survey of eye doctors shows a major surge in the use of Avenova, a lid & lash hygiene product that was developed by the Eye Institute and NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (NYSE MKT:NBY) for eye conditions that affect millions of Americans. In addition, an increasing number of those doctors are writing articles describing why Avenova has been so beneficial to patients.

“When we began using Avenova in our practice, patients told us that the product had brought them the first relief they’ve experienced in years from these often chronic conditions,” said Kathryn Najafi-Tagol, MD, Founder and Medical Director of the Eye Institute. “Now, we’re very gratified that so many other doctors and patients are seeing the benefits—and that more and more doctors are writing articles or explaining why the product represents a major advance in eye care.”

Dr. Najafi-Tagol pioneered the use of Avenova for chronic conditions like blepharitis, where bacteria often grow on the lids and cause inflammation, irritation, and a crusty build-up. She was looking for something better than traditional treatments, which include antibiotics and detergent scrubs or baby shampoo. Antibiotic use promotes bacteria that are resistant to the drugs, while the detergent scrubs or shampoo can be irritating and ineffective and even drying to the eyelids.

Dr. Najafi-Tagol realized that Avenova offered an advantage because it is the only lid and lash hygiene product to contain stable, pure hypochlorous acid (which NovaBay calls Neutrox™), a naturally occurring substance produced by white blood cells to fight microbial invaders. “We were able to show that using it to wipe the eye lids safely removes the bacteria and the crusty material, providing a major improvement in care,” she said.

Now, as the new survey shows, not only are ophthalmologists and optometrists rapidly expanding their use of Avenova, they also are writing articles and giving interviews about its benefits. Here are brief excerpts from the articles:

-- “Avenova is an extremely effective way to treat [blepharitis], and an excellent addition to traditional treatments,” wrote Ivan Mac, MD, MBA, founder of Metrolina Eye Associates in Monroe and Matthews, North Carolina, and Indian Land, South Carolina.
http://doctors.avenova.com/content/newsletter_avenova_IvanMac_v1.pdf

-- Avenova “is a game-changer…. Using it for blepharitis or meibomian gland dysfunction [a cause of dry eye] is only the tip of the iceberg of what it is capable of,” said Dr. Lisa Brothers Arbisser, co-founder of Eye Surgeons Associates in the Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois.
http://doctors.avenova.com/content/Lisa-Arbisser-QA-v1-040315.pdf

-- “The scientifically engineered formulation found in Avenova is an effective solution to cleanse, remove, and protect against the bacteria that are often a major cause of the symptoms of blepharitis,” wrote Steven I. Rosenfeld, MD, FACS, a Cornea and External Disease specialist at Delray Eye Associates, in Delray Beach, Florida.
http://doctors.avenova.com/content/newsletter_avenova_stevenrosenfeld_v1.pdf

-- “A major breakthrough in the prevention and part of the treatment of blepharitis and dry eye…, Avenova will benefit patients for many generations to come,” wrote Stephen Wilmarth, MD, founder of Wilmarth Eye in Roseville, California.
http://doctors.avenova.com/content/newsletter_avenova_wilmarth_v1.pdf

-- Avenova “is non-sensitizing and oxidizes quickly after application, so it is ideal for de-bulking microbial load and the associated biofilms from the eyelash base and lid margins,” said Katherine Mastrota, MS, OD, FAAO, Center Director of Omni Eye Surgery in New York City, in an article in Primary Care Optometry News.

-- “All of my patients have come back and said that they have found [Avenova] to be very effective in making their eyes more comfortable and increasing their contact lens wear time,” said Christine Sindt, OD, FAAO, Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, in an article in Optometry Times.

-- “I have not yet seen any child whose blepharitis has recurred after the successful use of this regimen incorporating the [Avenova] lid cleanser,” said Steven J. Lichtenstein, MD, associate professor of clinical surgery and pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and Chicago, and medical director of pediatric ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Illinois, Peoria, in an article in Ophthalmology Times.

-- “One of my patients reported a significant resolution in her symptoms after using Avenova for 10 days as directed,” wrote Dr. Jamel Vaughn, OD, from Mansfield Vision Center in Mansfield, Texas.
http://mansfieldvision.net/preventative-eye-care-should-involve-lid-and-lash-hygiene/

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