how can I tell if warm compresses are working?

[blueberry]

Hi all,
I'm new here and I'm trying a variety of things for my eyes which I believe are dry from hormone deficiency/fluctuation, since it started along with other perimenopausal symptoms.
I definitely have aqueous deficiency, I assume oil deficiency too but my lids look and feel ok (no blepharitis), and I think mucin problems that fluctuate since some days are more comfortable in spite of the same tear deficit. I think hormones can affect all kinds of moisture like this.
How can I tell if compresses are working? I made my own little rice baggies but it's hard to get the heat right....Sometimes I feel a little moisture of some kind from it but not consistently, and I don't know if it's oil or tear. Is it visible if it's coming out?
I wish I knew what to look for when my eyes were normal so I could compare.

[abbygirl]

Hi blueberry,
I have a similar problem with hormone deficiency/fluctuation causing alot of my dryness issues. Have you tried or are you on any kind of HRT??? Did you see any difference?? I am wondering if this IS predominantly hormone related...will we ever get better?? After the hormone mess is over with?? My eye doctor says he sees up to 6 women a day in their early 50's who can't wear contacts anymore due to dry eye.
As far as the warm compresses I was told not to use hot compresses but WARM ones and moist heat helps me more than the rice baggies. I do cold (with a frozen bag of peas) in the AM because my eye lids are swollen, and warm washcloths in the PM after a gentle lid scrub. I was told I did not have blepharitis too but this makes me feel better and I occassionally get a "clogged" gland.
Hope all this makes sense!!
abbygirl

[blueberry]

Thanks for your input! I've been on bioidentical estradiol for a few months and DHEA for about a week, for a while it seemed to help and then it was hard to tell. I'm not getting enough relief for some of my other problems (brain function/ weird emotional flatness is the big one, and my mouth is still quite dry in the morning) so I figure it's going to take time and perseverance but I'm not giving up. I've heard hrt can make things worse too (scary) but you're right, it's about balance...androgens have a role in dry eye too, and there are different types of hormone therapy. Hormones influence inflammation and immunity too...so complicated. If I have success with hormones or anything else I will definitely report back.
I've heard that if warm compresses are working you can feel the oil coming out-- true? I saw a youtube video of someone expressing oil from their glands and you could see it...I don't think mine look like that. I will continue to experiment, maybe a moist cloth beneath my baggies. I think I'm also going to get some moisture goggles.

[Eyewarmers]

The best way to know if the warm compresses are helping is to have you eye doctor check your tear breakup time in the slit lamp. Also visual inspection under the slit lamp will reveal the absence of capped meibomian glands on your lid margin if your warm compresses are helping.