Compresses for meibomian glands?

[TimSTL]

My eye dr. says I should be using warm compresses on my eyes at night, followed by massaging to try and clear them up.

I just started trying this, but I have no idea if I'm doing this right.

• Are you massaging right on your eyeball (eyes closed obviously)? Or above/below, where your eyes meet your eye sockets?
• Is there any visible sign it's working? I haven't had any visible gunk come out, or some obvious sign I'm doing it right.

What do you guys do?

[savino]

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[OompaLoompa]

Please don't listen to savino.

There is a reason why your doctor told you to use warm compresses. And if you're in doubt somehow because of one random person on the internet giving irresponsible advice I would suggest that you visit other doctors, visit university hospitals etc. ---> They will all tell you to use warm compresses if the diagnose of your first doctor was right.

Warm compresses helped me and they helped many other people.


Now, about doing the massage.
I would suggest that you look into BlephaSteam by TheaPharma. It made the whole eye massage thing a lot easier for me. You have a constant temperature everywhere around your eyes with a good degree of moisture. So, if you can afford it, I'd say go for BlephaSteam.

About the massage: Well, some doctors have the idea that the massage itself simply is meant to stimulate the meibomian gland production. Others, the majority it seems to me, believe that ideally you want to "push" out the secretion of your meibomian glands. So, I'd say put your fingers a bit under (respectively over) your eye lid and then move it in the direction of your eye lid. That way you will be able to push out hardened meibomian gland secretion and depending on your condition bacteria etc.
That's pretty much how I do it. However, I too read much about how to do it right and it took me some time to figure out the best way for me.


About the "signs": No, generally you won't be able to see it. There can be some exceptions though with people who have extreme seborrhoic meibomian gland dysfunction and haven't been doing eyelid massage on a regular basis.

[savino]

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[lizlou29]

TimSTL, please ignore the infighting between two members who should perhaps take their personal insults to private messages.

I was instructed to do the expression just under the lid margin for lower lid and just above lid margin on upper lid. I do not do this every day, usually three times a week but that is my personal preference. You should definitely ask your eye doctor to demonstrate how to do it. If they are instructing you to do this they need to know how it should be done.

On a bad day I will see thicker, slightly yellow oil when using a magnifying mirror.

[OompaLoompa]

You are the biggest joke on this forum.

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You disqualified yourself for any further discussion with that disrespectful way of addressing me.

However, for the sake of the thread opener I will comment on this one last time.

1. About the sources you posted: Two of them basically are the same reffering to work of Dr.McMonnies. Didn't you read them?
Also there are no real studies with relevant numbers of test subjects included. It's all just speculation and platitudes that excessive, strong "rubbing" etc. can cause damage to the eye. Well, obviously it can - that's common sense. If I punch my eye it also will lead to damage.

2. There are far more studies (real studies with test subjetcs) that not only prove the positive effects of warm compresses and lid massage on dry eye conditions but also the safety of it.
(From your own link: "There is little question that warm compresses can have a positive impact on conditions like MGD and evaporative dry eye." http://www.reviewofoptometry.com/content/c/43097/dnnprintmode/true/?skinsrc=%5Bl%5Dskins/ro2009/pageprint&containersrc=%5Bl%5Dcontainers/ro2009/simple )

2.1. This of course is also proved by the fact that basically every doctor, including those at top-notch facilities, will advise patients to do warm compresses and lid massage if the diagnose indicates that it could be of help.

3. Additionally it's self-understanding that any treatment (including pills etc.) relies on personal responsibility of the patients. If lid massage is done with common sense there is very little to no scientific evidence that it can cause any permanent damage. However, if some patients jsut do it plain wrong and use way too much force - well, that's a shame but it happens. There are also many people who damaged their bodies by doing fitness-training (for example weightlifiting) in a wrong way. That does not mean that it is dangerous.
And really it is the same for any medication. If the doctor prescribes a patient a certain medication all that can be done is give advice on how to use it correctly. If the patient does it wrong and takes more pills (for example) per day than the doctor suggested it is neither the doctor's nor the medication's fault.

4. Even if there was a risk when done correctly, treatments always are weighing of interests and risks. For many dry erye sufferes lid massage and warm compresses are essential. My eyes feel much worse if I don't do it on a regular basis. Therefore I'm sure most responsible doctors would advise me to do it even if there were any scientifically proven risks (which is not the case) - literally every medication has a list of possible side-effects.
And additionally for many dry eye sufferes not doing lid massage and warm compresses is not only a matter of "comfort" but also a matter of risking permanent damage. Meibomian glands and the eyes can also take permanent damage because no lid massage is done.


But at the end of the day this discussion is absurd since all you need to do is have some basic trust in the medical system and the people in it (which does not mean being uncritical or naive). Again, there is a reason why nearly every doctor will advise most dry eye sufferes to do lid massage and warm compresses.

[savino]

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