MGD - expressing oil manually - question

[SallyP]

Hi, I'm so sorry to keep asking questions about this, but it's like 3 steps forward and 4 back at the moment. In the last couple of days, I have started to express the oil from the glands, following the hot compress.

There has been quite alot of oil coming out, which is apparently a good sign. Can only seem to get oil out in the morning? Also, since I've started to do it, my eyes have been much worse - is doing this something that makes them get worse before they get better, because they were so bad last night, I am considering not doing it ever again, but don't mind if it may be a means to an end???

[sandra lee]

Hi Sally,I'm not sure,but I had one doc told me to use tears after soak because of the oil coming out and I do believe it says the same in Dr.Latkany's book.I am not sure why but I am very confused about this whole thing myself.My question to you is how do you express your lids?I try but I don't seem to get oil out!When my doc does it I can see through the oil but he never rinses my eyes with tears.I hope someone can give you an answer.Sandra lee

[clairvoyant]

Best way I have found is using a wash cloth at the sink. It can be tedious though.

[rp123]

oil

When you have used the wash cloth what do you do to express the oil from the upper lids. Would love some help.
Thanks

[SallyP]

I don't use a wash cloth, I use the small cotton wool pads, and change them about 3 times when the heat wears off. I simply push up on to the lower lids, and down on the upper lids, with my fingers on the skin just below my eyes, and on my eyeballs for the upper lid, but I don't get much out of the upper lids, but alot out of the bottom ones. I can't imagine it's doing alot for the skin around my eyes though!

[Kassandra]

My doc told me to use my finger (after thoroughly cleaning them!) and sorta rolling my finger down the upper lid and up the lower lid. I heard of using q-tips for this, but I find sometimes the tip slips and pokes me in the eye.

Apparently, it takes alot of pressure because I don't see anything coming out of those oil glands . The warm cloth is very soothing tho.
I may try my finger next time. sure seems like a lot of trouble with little result

[sandra lee]

I don't use a wash cloth, I use the small cotton wool pads, and change them about 3 times when the heat wears off. I simply push up on to the lower lids, and down on the upper lids, with my fingers on the skin just below my eyes, and on my eyeballs for the upper lid, but I don't get much out of the upper lids, but alot out of the bottom ones. I can't imagine it's doing alot for the skin around my eyes though!

Hi Sally,I am still experimenting with the routine(soak,massage,express) but I also wonder what it's doing to the surrounding eye area.Seems I've aged 10 years in 8 months.I do the expressing with my eyes closed because I'm afraid I'll poke my eyes.I hope I get the hang of it soon.

[SallyP]

Sandra Lee

It's such a performance - almost comical. I tried the cotton buds (Qtips I think you call them in the US), and like somebody else, stopped, because it shot into my eye.

I will continue with the manual expressing, as I think there's some improvement, and there's alot of gunk coming out in the mornings, but it makes me feel slightly sick when the oil comes out, and I tend to speed everything up at that point, because I don't like it, and like to remove it ASAP.

Oh well..........could be worse I suppose.

[sandra lee]

Hi Sally,Well I am glad that at least you are getting oil.Today is the first day I have noticed any(as I can't see well without my glasses)I can tell because It is really blurry after I do it.I guess everyone has a different way.My doc uses his finger also.How long have you had this condition?Are the soaks something we have to do forever?Thanks for your reply,I have been looking for someone to talk to about this(my doc doesn't have any interest-just live with it)but I am going for a 2nd opinion in July.He says my cheeks turn red because of the inflammation,but I don't understand the warm soaks.Doesn't heat irritate inflammation?Sorry for all the questions.Nice to talk to you.Take Care

[SallyP]

It's a pleasure

Doctors!! I went back to my GP about somethng else yesterday, and when I said "and about my eyes...." he actually rolled his eyes, although somewhat jokingly, I wasn't impressed. I'd like to see him roll them if he had my eyes
in the evening!!!

I too have questioned the merits of putting heat on an inflammation, but as far as I can gather, it's just to open up the blocked glands, but I do find the final splash of cold water after the oil expressing and before drops, the most comforting.

Regarding how long we'll have to do it, I think possibly always, think it's a case of keeping on top of it, but I'm not sure on that one. IN Dr Latkany's book, it says it can take up to 6 months to see an improvement, by which time we'll both have aged 10 years around the eyes!

I know I make jokes about it. I have to, or I get very down about it, as I did the other week, and I think that serves no purpose (for me anyway), and in fact can make things worse, so I try and stay positive.

Nice to talk to you.

[SallyP]

Sandra Lee

Also, there's a post just been put on by ALK-o'd, all about manually expressing oil etc, which is very interesting, give it a read, if you haven't already.

Sally

[sandra lee]

Hi Sally,Oh,I am so glad to have someone to talk to.Thanks.Yes,my doc acts like he's doing me a favor when he has to see me and is actually a very uncompassionate professional(unlike what Dr. Latkavy appears to be).He suggested I just go on with my life and accept this condition which I am trying to do but if he had my eyes he would be talking a different tune.I wonder if some of these Dr's had loved ones going through what a lot of people on this site are,if they would want them to be treated as a lot of us are.I am seeing my old Dr. in July(had to stop going to him as he dropped my insurance 2 years ago)and am hoping he may be of some help!!!!!!Sometime the soaks seem to relieve for awhile but sometimes it seems hopeless.I will look up the post you suggested and will keep researching and trying to get relief.Hope to keep in touch!Take Care

[odydnas]

Sandra Lee - if your cheeks turn red...you might have rosacea and/or ocular rosacea. Have you gotten checked for that?

SallyP - I'm sorry that you feel worse after the lid massagess. Oil coming out is a very good sign! Are the warm compresses too hot? Make sure they are warm, not hot. It should not turn your skin red. Are you doing the massages too hard? Dr. L says its important to be gentle and to not do them too hard. Also, if you have a lot of inflammation, Dr. L says to do cool compresses after your morning warm compress + massage, and do cool compresses throughout the day as needed. Those are the only things I can think of so far. I will post back if I can think of any more reasons. Let me know if it gets better or worse.

[sandra lee]

Hi,I have asked my doc if he thinks it is rosacea but he says it is just the inflammation.Which makes me wonder if that is true or not.I tend to think yes because sometimes when I wear the wraparound glasses they flare up badly and calm down after the glasses are off,so I wonder if the glasses hold in the heat and aggravate the inflammation.The redness will come(especially in heat and wind) and disappear just as fast.My blurriness used to get better at times but now it just is very blurry.One doc says it is because I am looking through the oils,but if my glands are supposedly like cement,that doesn't make sense either.Some people say the blurriness is from my eyes being dry.I am finding out that this condition is very complex and docs don't know much about it and don't seem to take it seriously because they don't realize the extreme discomfort people experience.I am grateful to have found this site to compare stories and it breaks my heart to read some of the posts by people on here who are so young and so much worse off than me.I wish you all find improvement and someday be healed.As my doc says he can do no more for me I am trying to target the inflammation myself.Best to All!!!

[irish eyes]

Regarding pressure on the lids -

I can only ever get anywhere with this if I press very hard although my lids do get very inflamed afterwards. My eyelids are quite swollen most of the time anyway so this is an added irritation - but `gentle massage' has never worked.

I remember when a hospital consultant expressed the glands for the first time; he warned me that it might hurt - and it did. He said I would need to exert a fair bit of pressure if I was to have any success with this.

Sandra - I agree with your point that doctors tend to be dismissive of this condition. At several stages along my journey, doctors have described my main problem as being an emotional one ie as I couldn't cope with the discomfort, then I should get some anti-depressants. It was even suggested that things might not be `right' between me & `hubby' and that perhaps this might be the source of the problem. That indeed was the word that was used. I wonder what he said to the men?