When working on a paper on the signs and symptoms of dry eye for my final year of my Bachelor of Optometry degree, little did I suspect it would lead me to open Perth's first dedicated Dry Eye treatment centre. The pattern in 1982 of increased symptoms of dry eye being noticed in older and especially female patients was interesting, but all we could offer then was tear replacement eye drops.
Fast forward 10 or so years and we come to understand that the application of heat and massage does a great deal to reduce the irritation but this needs to be a daily routine and eye drops are still required. These have been developed in different thicknesses and tend to be longer lasting but not the complete answer.
2007 saw the release of the report of the International Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS), and some understanding of the cause of dry eyes.
At Dry Eye WA, we are dedicated to tackling the source of evaporative dry eye with the innovation of heat and nerve stimulation using IPL for long-lasting relief of the irritation of dry eye.
Marilyn Stern has been practicing as an optometrist since 1983. After graduating from UNSW with a Bachelor of Optometry, she came to Perth for one year and never went home. She has been employed full time in private practice, owned her own practice and worked around the state as a locum optometrist in both private and corporate settings. She was Newman WA's first regular FIFO optometrist for 5 years.
Active in Surf Lifesaving, she is competent in CPR and first aid, with certification in the use of medical oxygen and the AED.