New - "Steam Goggles" (??)

[neil0502]

Saw this on the Sjogren's Syndrome Eyes forum:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6908195.pdf

The original post to the Sjogren's forum came from a UK citizen and read:

Robert was inspired whilst sitting in the sauna.He realised his eyes felt and looked great. Tears are made up of three layers, one of which is oily. When tears are heated up , they run easily over the dry surface of the eye,which provides lubrication and prevents dry eyes.. Rob realized if he could harness the power of steam and concentrate it on the eye for short periods, this could help eradicate dry eye problems..The usual treatmentfor this is eye drops, however the eye is sensitive and drops contain chemicals which may cause reactions and are awkward to administer.. Rob felt that the 21st century needed something more advanced and user friendly.. These new Steam Goggles invention look like swimming goggles except for when you switch them on they fill with steam, which comes from moistened, single use cloth strips that is placed in a cavity in the side of the goggles, and then heated up.The glass goggles are kept at a slightly higher temperature to stop them misting up. This means that the user can read or walk about wearing them. The optimum time you would need to wear them is between 5 & 10 mins a day.....
PS, I have no further info as to where or when these goggles will be on sale,as they were shown on a TV proramme as new medical aids.. I will try to find out further...

Interesting ... in part because it's just interesting, but in part because I thought the sauna would decimate my eyes, but ... it doesn't seem to. I thought it might just be the salinity of my perspiration bathing my eyes, but maybe it's more. Maybe it's the same thing that warm compresses do for MGD ... or ... ??

I may reach out to this inventor, if possible, and see what's up.

Would those be some rock-and-roll goggles, or what?

[Lucy]

Neil, thanks for the info on that. If you find out more, please post about it. I'd like to comment on your use of the sauna. Do you mean a hot, dry room? Or do you mean a steam-room? I realize you can create steam in a sauna by throwing water on the heated rocks. I've never liked saunas, but love steam rooms. I've never been to a sauna since my lasik, but would go to a steam room and think that would be great. Are you using dry heat or steam heat in your term-sauna?

Would those be some rock-and-roll goggles, or what?

You betcha.

[Rebecca Petris]

((shudder))

Guess I'm an oddball, steam bothers my eyes. I have to do a saline rinse or put in Dakrina before getting in the shower in the morning, otherwise my eyes smart like the dickens while I'm showering.

[neil0502]

I'd like to comment on your use of the sauna. Do you mean a hot, dry room? Or do you mean a steam-room? I realize you can create steam in a sauna by throwing water on the heated rocks. I've never liked saunas, but love steam rooms. I've never been to a sauna since my lasik, but would go to a steam room and think that would be great. Are you using dry heat or steam heat in your term-sauna?

When my wife and I go, we tend to use both a dry heat sauna and a steam room. The dry heat sauna specifically cautions not to put water on the rocks. In our experience, nobody has--at least while we are in there.

We've sort of varied the routine over time: sauna, no steam; steam, no sauna; sauna first, then steam; steam first, then sauna.

Bottom line for me is that the dry sauna feels pretty darned good on my eyes. I take Rebecca's point about the steam: intuitively, it would seem to thin the precious tear supply. Again, though: I find that both feel awfully good while I'm there ... and maybe for an hour afterward.

Best,
Neil

[Lucy]

Isn't it great to be able to find out what helps others? I do love my water aerobics class and my eyes feel great for that hour. The pool water is kept at 90 degrees, so its very warm. While not steaming, it is very warm, moist air. Of course, my eyes are just a few inches above the waterline. I think my eyes would just go sizzle in a sauna. Maybe I can check that out in a couple of weeks . I'm sure the spa has a sauna.

[Rebecca Petris]

Maybe I can check that out in a couple of weeks . I'm sure the spa has a sauna.

Steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, pools, you name it. And they use the water from the springs that the spa was built on in all of them. You will all have strict instructions to pamper yourselves as much as possible.

[jcorbett]

Perhaps the sauna works like a warm compress on your eyes and makes the oils glands secrete more oil.
Rebecca - I noticed that sometimes a shower bothers my eyes also. I believe it is the water itself getting in my eyes, even though I keep them shut. I remember before Lasik I never liked opening my eyes in water as that irritated them.

[shells]

trouble in shower

It is interesting to hear that the shower sometimes bothers others eyes as well. Many people say that the shower brings great relief to them, but I do find that my eyes always feel a bit worse when I'm in there and right after I get out. Like jcorbett said, I think it is because I get water in them even though I am careful not to. Could it be that the water gets in our eyes and then messes with our tear film maybe?