Resolve Dry Eye: An Interview with Dr. Phil Elston

Interview with Dr. Phil Elston of Clarity Advanced Eyecare and Michigan Dry Eye Center

I would like you to meet a doctor who created Michigan’s premier dry eye center, Dr. Phil Elston. We met in a business group a few years ago. His thoroughness, excellent care, and cutting-edge technology are just some of the reasons I send all of my patients to him for eye care. Plus, he is a really nice guy. His practice is on Old Woodward in Birmingham. I wanted to introduce you to him for all of your eye care needs but especially for conditions of dry eye.

Welcome, Dr. Phil.

What interested you in becoming an optometrist?

I learned early on in life the importance of healthy eyes and vision. My father lost most of his vision from diabetic eye disease. Seeing him struggle to adapt and just live life every day with this debilitating eye condition instilled a drive in me to try and prevent this from happening to others. This ultimately led me into the field of Optometry.

What are the top three things we need to do to protect our eyesight?

1. Have a comprehensive eye exam annually. With the technological advancements in eye care, often your eye doctor can detect potential eye issues long before you would notice them yourself. In addition, thorough eye health exams can lead to the detection of systemic health problems such as diabetes and hypertension.
2. Wear appropriate eyewear. Each patient has unique eyewear needs and utilizing the correction that is prescribed for you can improve and maintain visual function while also protecting the eyes from a variety of environments. Whether it be a pair of computer glasses or sport-specific performance glasses, your vision and eye health is protected with the appropriate eyewear in place.
3. Perform eyelid and eyelash hygiene regularly. We all brush our teeth and go to the dentist for cleanings, but most patients aren’t doing anything to keep their lids and lashes clean. Bacteria love the lids and lashes and, without proper hygiene, the bacteria can build up and lead to dryness, irritation, inflammation, and infection.

What is unique about your clinic?

We have the clinical acumen and technology to diagnose and treat your ocular health and vision conditions, but we also put an onus on education and involve the patient in their management and care plan. We focus on urgent eye care, dry eye, and specialty contact lenses, with each specialty referring to the others as needed. This takes comprehensive care to the next level.

What is Dry Eye and how does someone know they have it? What are some treatments for Dry Eye?

Dry Eye is a chronic disease of the eye surface that most typically results when there is an instability or inflammation of the tear film. In short, either there aren’t enough tears being produced or the quality of the tears is poor. Common symptoms of dry eye include redness, itch, irritation, burning, blur, tearing, or a sandy, gritty, foreign body sensation. The treatment spectrum for dry eye is broad and ranges from lid and lash hygiene to medications to special lenses or devices.

How do clients reach you if they are interested in working with you?

The best way to reach us is to find us online and reach out through our website. For comprehensive eye care needs, we can be reached at ClarityAdvancedEyecare.com. For dry eye-specific issues, please find us at DryEyeMichigan.com. We can be reached directly through the website via contact form submissions. We can also be reached via phone at 248-369-3300.

Thank you, Dr. Phil. It was a pleasure introducing you and sharing this important information.

Thanks for reading!

Dr. Stacey