Considering lid warming+expression

[justbob]

I'm considering trying lid warming+expression, what heatable masks etc do you guys recommend?

[m4shore]

I use the "Thermalon" Dry Eye Compress.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermalon-2434...y+eye+compress

It's a little wide, so you might want to fold and sew it in the middle.
Otherwise it's great!

[justbob]

Thanks, also how do I know if I'm doing the expression correctly, are you supposed to feel something come out? Is it supposed to feel sticky? Does it make your eyes appear more inflammed? I'm rather in the dark here as my doctor didn't take my meibomian gland concerns seriously (how can anyone not take a sudden change seriously!).

[m4shore]

I do the "Home Eye Spa" from Dr Latkany's book, "The Dry Eye Remedy" (which I highly recommend):

Step 1. Heat first. The point is to loosen the gunk that may be plugged up in the meibomian glands and to open the clogged ducts. Sometimes, in fact , the heat alone can unclog the glands and restore function. Heat up the Eye Spa Pad (or a moistened towel), check with your fingers that it’s not too hot, lie down on your bed or on a sofa, apply the pad to your eyes, and just relax for three minutes. While you’re relaxing, the heat from the pad is working to open the ducts of the meibomian glands and loosen the contents, and to open the pores of your skin and loosen any debris there.

Step 2. Next comes massage. Gently pull your eyelid slightly to the side. Then take a cotton swab dipped in hot water, and, starting at the nose-end of your eye, gently push at the lower eyelid margin just below the eyelash. Basically, you’re pressing the eyelid ever so delicately against the eyeball, and this serves to push the contents of the meibomian glands up and out of the ducts. Do this very softly all along the bottom eyelid margin. Then, again starting at the nose, do the same thing on the top eyelid margin, pressing right above the eyelash line to express the contents of the upper eyelid glands down and out. This is all very gentle and very quick; it shouldn’t take more than 10 seconds or so.

Step 3. Now we cleanse the eyelid. Simply take the cotton swab and with one stroke, gently wipe the eyelid below the eyelash line for the upper eyelid, above it for the lower eyelid. You’re simply wiping away the gunk you’ve squeezed out of the eyelid margins, just as you once scrubbed off the pus from a popped pimple. Do NOT wipe inside your eyelid!

Step 4. For the final clean-up, take those preservative-free or disappearing-preservative eye drops out of the refrigerator and apply about five drops per eye— that’s typically one vial of the preservative-free drops. You want to rinse out of your eye everything you may have stirred up with the heat and/ or the massage; indeed, it’s important to wash all that residual debris out of there. And it will also feel nice and soothing.

Latkany Md, Robert (2014-02-04). The Dry Eye Remedy: The Complete Guide to Restoring the Health and Beauty of Your Eyes (Kindle Locations 1508-1512). Hatherleigh Press. Kindle Edition.

[JJdryeye]

I use the "Thermalon" Dry Eye Compress.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermalon-2434...y+eye+compress

It's a little wide, so you might want to fold and sew it in the middle.
Otherwise it's great!

I bought one of these at Walgreens a couple of weeks ago (before I saw your post) and I've been really pleased with it. It uses smalls pearls which continually absorb moisture from the air and release that moisture when heated. Prior to this I'd been using a sock filled with rice, but I have to say I was surprised at how well the thermalon works, and it was only about 10 bucks. I had been told by a doctor that moist heat works better and never took it seriously as I don't understand how moist heat would be any more effective, but after using this compress I'm becoming a believer.

[pat-eye]

I too bought one of these at Walgreens and find it to be very soothing . I try to use it at least twice a day and bought a second one as when you wash it it takes about 24 hours to try.