ice compress&massage after pluggin

[Mika]

1st of all thx4ur info guys bout the topic "eye wash"...
ice compress is known to be beneficial for some treatment&injuries and i have also found that applying it 2closed eye, it makes my eyes become less red for a while BUT... i wonder, is it beneficial4longterm-has anyone tried it?
bcoz its effect is that it reduces vasco constrictors such that the eyes appear less red....but we don't have2apply anthing IN the eye so i wonder.......ok we can't use product that "take out" red of the eyes bcoz of bouce-back effect, but can we use ice compress instead or is it bad4continuous usage?

and also my doc told me i don't have MGD but sometimes (once in a while) i get small swollen eyelid...so2preven it from appearing i massage my eyelid (wit closed eye) under warm shower (when im bathing :P) for 20seconds and indeed this swolling hasn't appear4ages now...BUT...i have lower plug so i also wonder if this massage is dangerous, for fear of making the plug migrate with the massage movement...( i massage the eyelid, not below..)

[Guest]

Mikastef

I am a fan of warm and cold compress. I don't have MGD/Blepharitis either but I occasionally get a blocked gland.

I have found that since doing the warm compresses, I no longer get them, I have not been doing warm compress as regularly as I find I get a bit of discharge the next day - could be coincidential.

I use cold compresses very regularly (usually most mornings to get my eyes looking OK).

I NEVER use "Get the red out drops" as I get a serious rebound with them. The cold compress takes the redness away and whilst it is temporary, I don't see how you could get a rebound effect - I am not a DR and they certainly work for me. A cold compress is generally the only thing that settles my eyes when they are quite bad.

I am quadra-plugged and don't have any issue with warm compresses and lid massage, I just stay away from the plug, my plugs are 90 day dissolvable ones.

I actually massage the bottom lid more so than the top but they both get a good workover.

I generally do a cold compress after the wam compress as it helps with the inflammation.

Best of luck wit it.

Ian

[Mika]

hey i would like 2know
wen do ur red ness appears MOST ("most" , bcoz it appears isn't it!!!)?
bcoz4it it MOST appear wen i 1st wake up. ..waking up in the morning or anytime of the day (if i have taken a small nap)...it appear!
then after10min approx it fade away a LITTLE to become more acceptable...
i wonder if this appearance in the morning is normal bcoz wen i sleep i put ointmnet which contain no medication...i put a lot bcoz the night is long ..but not too much!
normally wen u sleep, ur eyes is supposed to be resting n healin n how could it become red wen u wake up!...

and it appear more -like everybody else- in difficult condition



n discharge appear most in difficult condition and wen i didn't put any ointment in my eye for small hours approx4 hrs!....but sometimes in dificult condition, it shows itself for less than30minute of ointment(ing) !

[Guest]

Mikastef

Like you, my eyes look pretty red of a morning or anytime after I have a nap, I just think that it is because they get really dry during the night or when you are not blinking, even though I wake every 4 hours or so to put some gel in.

I find that not long after I wake up my eyes start to produce tears (lots of them) and generally take about 30 - 60 minutes to clear to a "normal" level.

I personally don't like the ointments, I feel it really made things worse for me, I switched over to a gel and use it frequently of a night only. Some of your redness may be attributable to the ointment, but I think that a lot of us with DES probably have red eyes first up of a morning regardless of what we use.

I generally get a small amount of discharge of a morning, I wonder if it is the normal "sleep" that most "normal" people get but mine hasn't gone crusty because I am wearing a mask - just a thought (a horrible one at that). It isn't stringy or anything like that, just a clump of whitish/yellow gunk, I haven't been too concerned about it of late - a quick saline rinse gets rid of it.

I find the ice pack is the only thing that gives me relief on those really bad days. I also tend to use an ice pack first up of a morning after i have had a shower just to settle the inflammation down again.

I always use an Ice pack after I have done a warm compress and lid massage as my eyes look like street maps otherwise.

Take care

Ian

[cherrybrandy]

Hi Ian I have read many of your threads on dry eye zone.I too am from the uk...

Hi I was wondering if you have any thoughts on the reflex blinking problem I have developed since getting dry eye earlier this year.I am desperately worried about this .My eyes are blinking every second and they keep screwing themselves up.My gp says its to do with my des.Am still waiting to see eye doctor but have been told itl be weeks...Do your eyes blink more than normal.I am finding this v.embarrasing its like a tic at times...What caused your des...I think mine was triggered by high doses of codeine am taking for my slipped disc...I would be pleased to get a reply....Keep up the good tips.

[Guest]

Cherrybrandy

Any of the tips that I post on this board are simply based on my experiences in dealing with DES and largely based on trial and error.

Fortunately, reflex blinking is not one of the symptoms I have (maybe that is something I should be thankful for) - always said there were others worse off than me. If anything I don't blink enough.

I "acquired" DES after a regretful decision 12 months ago to have refractive eye surgery (epi-lasek) - see my post in welcome centre if you are interested in my post surgery challenges.

I have found this board a fantastic support mechanism. It makes me appreciate that my challenges whilst appearing insurmountable at times can be rather trivial when compared to what others are dealing with.

I can certainly say I have had some gradual improvement over the past 12 months, I still feel like i have a long way to go and I just want my "old" life back.

I got into an NHS eye doctor because I pestered my GP to make the appointment for me as this is affecting my life so much, they got me into the local hospital Opthamologist. I didn't really get far, this "specialist" told me that at the very worst I had borderline DES. I left bewildered thinking what symptoms do you have to present with to get a confirmed DES diagnosis from this "specialist".

I wish you well with your endeavours and hope that you get a suitable resolution very soon.

Regards

Ian

[cherrybrandy]

Hi Ian thank you for your reply.

Hello Ian thank you for replying.I have noted down your tips on warm compresses and lid scrubs etc..and for the past couple of days have been doing them..I put some rice in two socks then zap them in microwave till hot then apply...Im pleased that you dont have abnormal reflex blinking as Ive got .I would love to hear if anyone else on this site has it as ive found it a very embarrassing state..regards cherrybrandy...

[Mika]

hi cherry...
well i have abnormal blinking in some difficult condition (strong winds)....
before, i have it frequently, even after having plugged my lower duct but when came time4the checkup of the plugging, i told the doc 'bout the abnormal blinking (which occur every2secs)...and u know wat he told me?...."has it become an habit for u?"........and thereafter i have tried to blink less often than 2sec...and i have reached an average of 4,5seconds!....try it..mayB it have become an habit 4u..