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Jordan Pysz / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Michael is more comfortable enjoying music – his “go-to passion” – after Dr. Roe diagnosed the reason for his dry eyes and treated it. The source of dryness: Michael slept with his eyes partially open while wearing a CPAP mask.
A native of the British Virgin Islands, Michael George moved to the United States in 1994 to attend Florida A&M University in Tallahassee and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computing information systems. He also met the woman he would later marry.
“I graduated in 1997, and in 1998, my wife and I moved to the Tampa Bay area,” Michael shares. “I started out working for a Tampa-based company called FairWarning, which was purchased by a health care security company out of Boston called Imprivata®. The purchase occurred in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve blossomed and grown a lot since then.
“I’m a software engineering manager for the company. Currently, I’m leading a team out of Ukraine that is working on health care security software. The software is for hospitals. It ensures data and all usage of that data is secure and within the realm of patient privacy laws.”
The 49-year-old is passionate about his job. He’s also passionate about the activities that fill his free time.
“Music is definitely my go-to passion,” Michael elaborates. “I love anything to do with music. I play keyboards and saxophone. I used to be in a band, but my life has become so busy lately that I had to give that up. I still love listening to music, going to concerts and just enjoying music.
“Beyond that, I like swimming, going to the beach and enjoying nature. Being from the Virgin Islands, anything to do with nature and anything to do with white sandy beaches are in my wheelhouse.”
This year, a health issue forced Michael to abandon many of those activities. The problem began in May, when Michael’s right eye turned red and a “large, fluid-filled, blister-like spot” appeared on his cornea, the transparent front of the eye.
“My eye was watering uncontrollably,” Michael notes. “The problem didn’t affect my vision, but it was irritating because of the constant weeping. And the bulbous spot on my eye was unattractive. It was difficult for me to open and close my eyes, as well. The condition was a nuisance more than anything else.
“While looking for a doctor who could treat my eye, I found The Eye Institute of West Florida and made an appointment. The optometrist I saw prescribed a steroid eyedrop. It provided some relief, but the fluid spot was still there, and it was still draining and making blinking difficult.”
After about a week on the eyedrops, Michael returned to The Eye Institute of West Florida and met with Joshua R. Roe, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained cornea specialist.
Dr. Roe also specializes in diagnosing and treating dry eye disease, a common ocular surface disorder characterized by an insufficient production or poor quality of tears. The condition leads to an inability to adequately lubricate the eyes, resulting in discomfort and potential corneal damage.
Air-Dried Eyes
“Mr. George was referred to me for a dry eye evaluation that was relatively urgent,” Dr. Roe recalls. “He was experiencing so much dryness that the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers the white surface in front of the eye, was swollen. The conjunctiva was actually hanging out between his eyelids because it was so dry.”
Michael presented with symptoms that strongly suggested dry eye disease, but Dr. Roe’s experience has taught him that the problem could be another disorder related to dry eye.
That was the case with Michael.
“There are many different causes for dry eyes,” Dr. Roe says. “If the eye doctor doesn’t ask the right questions, he or she will likely just prescribe the standard treatment and be done with it.
-Dr. Roe
“But that approach wouldn’t solve Mr. George’s issue. We had to go deeper to discover the real reasons his eyes were dry.”
Dr. Roe soon learned that Michael recently started using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for sleep apnea, which is a potentially serious disorder in which people repeatedly stop and start breathing during sleep. Users of a CPAP wear a mask over the mouth and/or nose to maintain mild air pressure that keeps breathing airways open.
Dr. Roe also discovered that Michael sleeps with his eyes partially open, a condition known as nocturnal lagophthalmos and with a ceiling fan circulating overhead.
The combination of those factors was determined to be the cause of Michael’s severe eye dryness.
“Most people do not have a perfect seal on their CPAP mask, so a little air leaks out beside the nose and blows upward toward the eyes,” Dr. Roe explains. “As a result, people whose eyes are open even a little tend to have much dryer eyes while using a CPAP.”
The standard treatment for dry eye symptoms includes using artificial tears and warm compresses, but that treatment alone would not work for Michael. He needed a more comprehensive and tailored plan.
“We recommended three things,” Dr. Roe reports. “Number one was artificial tears to use during the daytime. Number two was a special ointment to use at nighttime to lubricate his eyes while he sleeps. Number three was a silicone sleep mask to wear at night to keep the moving air out of his eyes, so they don’t get so dry.
“Sleep masks are typically recommended to people such as Mr. George, who are getting too much air movement in the eye at nighttime and do not experience daytime dryness.”
“100 Percent Normal”
Dr. Roe reports that Michael responded extremely well to the three-phase treatment.
“After a week and a half, he was almost completely recovered, and after eight weeks, he was back to normal,” the doctor states. “Now, he no longer needs to use the artificial tears and ointment. All he needs to do is wear the sleep mask at night to keep the air out of his eyes.”
Michael agrees with Dr. Roe’s assessment. The treatment he received from Dr. Roe has resulted in a complete remission of symptoms, he says.
“Dr. Roe recommended Systane® eyedrops, which are a very good brand, and every time I put those drops in my eyes, it felt like my eyes were drinking a cool glass of water,” Michael enthuses. “He also recommended something called Refresh PM®, which is a nightly ointment that you put in your eyes to keep them lubricated.
“I’ve been following Dr. Roe’s advice and keeping my eyes moisturized, as well as sleeping with a mask on to make sure no CPAP or fan air gets into my eyes. That was really the solution, and at this point in time, I have absolutely no problems with my right eye. It’s 100 percent normal.
“Thankfully, I never lost any eye function in that eye; the condition was more of an irritation than anything; but today, all that irritation has vanished. There’s no dry eye issue, and the blistering is totally gone.”
Michael is thoroughly pleased with the results of his treatment and credits Dr. Roe for identifying his condition and developing a successful treatment plan.
“Dr. Roe is an amazing human being and an even better doctor,” Michael raves. “He is very, very knowledgeable and skilled when it comes to treating the eyes.
“That’s my number one recommendation for anyone who has any eye issues: find a doctor who is knowledgeable.
“And I absolutely recommend The Eye Institute of West Florida, but specifically, I recommend Dr. Roe. He’s an excellent, intelligent doctor.”
Courtesy Photo Gloria Reed
Gloria is grateful Dr. Roe performed conjunctivoplasty, which eliminated the redness and pain in her eyes.
Frustrating Journey
Another patient who benefited from Dr. Roe’s experience with dry eye diagnoses is Gloria Reed, a retired mother of three.
In 1975, Gloria emigrated from her native Peru to New York. Eventually, she moved to New Jersey and lived there for 13 years before relocating to St. Louis, where she and her husband started a family and raised their three children.
In 2006, Gloria’s husband, an aircraft mechanic with a major airline, took a job with another carrier that required the couple move again, this time to the Sunshine State.
“I love being in Florida,” the 73-year-old says. “I love the ocean.”
Gloria also enjoys spending time with others and helping people in any way she can. That altruism served her well during a career that focused on customer service, first with the collections department of a bank for 10 years, then with an airline.
“After a while, I got promoted to the airport counter and assisted passengers with their flights, much like a ticket agent,” Gloria adds. “It was a good opportunity for me to help a lot of people who speak Spanish because I’m Latina and bilingual.”
Gloria retired six years ago. All her time and effort is now focused “100 percent” on caring for her husband, who became disabled in an accident.
“He’s doing great,” Gloria reports. “Thank the Lord we’re here together and getting better and better all the time.”
In February 2022, Gloria underwent treatment for thyroiditis, which is swelling and inflammation of the thyroid. The gland, which sits at the base of the throat, helps regulate metabolism by releasing certain hormones into the bloodstream.
Shortly after, she began to experience some uncomfortable issues with her eyes. She doesn’t know whether the thyroid condition or treatment was responsible.
“I had surgery on my upper eyelids that was related to my thyroid problem,” she describes. “After that, my eyes were constantly red and dry, and there was pain and a pinching sensation whenever I opened and closed my eyes. The symptoms were worse when my allergies acted up – my eyes would also burn and itch. Fortunately, the condition didn’t affect my vision.
“My eyes bothered me for more than a year. I was very frustrated because I was constantly using medications, but nobody could tell me what was wrong – until I met Dr. Roe.”
Another Related Condition
Dr. Roe began his care for Gloria by performing a comprehensive evaluation of her eyes. He also asked for a detailed history of her symptoms and previous treatments.
“That’s when I learned that Gloria had tried just about every type of over-the-counter artificial tears available,” Dr. Roe reports. “She’d tried short courses of steroid drops, medicated drops such as Xiidra® and RESTASIS® that help the eyes make more tears, and ointments at nighttime.
“One doctor even implanted punctal plugs in her drainage channel to keep the tears on the surface of her eyes, but none of those treatments worked, and she kept complaining that her eyes were dry and irritated.”
Dr. Roe next performed a more detailed examination using a microscope. That’s when he discovered she had a condition related to dry eye disease called superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK).
“Patients with superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis experience dryness due to swelling of the part of the conjunctiva that is under the eyelids,” Dr. Roe educates. “Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis is a mechanical cause of irritation and other dry eye symptoms, such as burning and a foreign body sensation. It is not typically resolved by using an eye-lubricating regimen. For most patients, this requires surgery to correct.”
The procedure, called conjunctivoplasty, repairs the defect on the conjunctiva.
“The Best Decision”
Dr. Roe performed successful conjunctivoplasty on both of Gloria’s eyes.
“He finally found out what was wrong with my eyes, and I said, Hallelujah!” Gloria enthuses. “I underwent surgery on one eye on August 10, and that was wonderful.
“Dr. Roe told me most people wait a few months before doing the second eye, but I said, No, I’m ready to have the second surgery. It was performed on August 24.
“During the surgery, Dr. Roe removed a membrane that was causing the irritation, pain and pinching when I opened and closed my eyes. Now, everything with my eyes is good. Everything is wonderful. I feel much better – 100 percent better. It’s incredible.
“The redness has gone away, and my eyes are now clear. Sometimes, my eyes get dry and itchy from my allergies, but I just use my eyedrops and I’m fine. “Having the surgery was the best decision I’ve made in my life. I’m very happy with the outcome. I feel blessed.” Like Michael, Gloria is highly impressed by Dr. Roe and his diagnostic prowess.
“Dr. Roe is great,” Gloria raves. “He’s a very good doctor, very patient. He knows what he’s doing, and he knows how to talk to me.
“I’m very happy to have found Dr. Roe. It’s the best thing that’s happened in my life. I highly recommend him.”
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