Is it ok to use cold compresses after using hot compresses for your MGD?

[microgeL]

I was wondering if they would stop the process of liquidifing your oil glands. Like stopping the flow of the oil.

[IanJ]

I was wondering if they would stop the process of liquidifing your oil glands. Like stopping the flow of the oil.

My eye doc told me to rinse my eyes with cold water after the warm compress / massage.

Ian.

[microgeL]

Oh for real? Why he tell you to do that? Is it because your eyelids get easily irritated by the hot compresses?

[IanJ]

I think the explanation was that the warm compress will open up the oil gland openings and so the cold water will close them back up a bit thus back to normal.

Ian.

[microgeL]

so why did he want to close up your glands? So dirt other stuff get in your eyes wont effect you?

[microgeL]

I just discover something. My eye feels way better specially my MGD when I use cold compresses over warm. Maybe its because of the inflammation.

This is so crazy, i wonder if I should just stick with cold since its working.

[dianat]

I have this personal rule about putting drops in or doing any kind of rinsing of my eyes immediately following my warm compresses.

If I've just managed to unclogged my oil ducts and loosen up that oil a bit, why would I want to take something and rinse it all way?

[microgeL]

Oh so you like to put your drops in first then do your warm compresses? Hey do you find cold compresses to help you by the way?

[dianat]

When my eyes burned terribly and relentlessly, I did find cold to feel good on occasion. Strangely enough, when I would remove the cold I usually felt more miserable than before, so I didn't often do it. As I sit here today looking back on it, maybe I was using something too cold. I may have had ice in a washcloth or something, but can't remember.

Lucy is one dry eye patient that I know uses/used ice occasionally for relief. There's certainly nothing wrong with it. But, if meibomian gland/oil issues factor into your problem, I wouldn't expect cold compresses to really help that. The warmth is what melts the stagnant, hardened oils and opens up those ducts.

Bottom line: cold compresses fine for relief, but likely ineffective for overall treatment of MGD. I'm no doctor, just one who's in charge of her dry eye treatment.

D

[microgeL]

Okay well thanks.

[Rebecca Petris]

The warmth is what melts the stagnant, hardened oils and opens up those ducts.

Bottom line: cold compresses fine for relief, but likely ineffective for overall treatment of MGD.

I agree with this 100%.

Seems like most of the people I hear from who use cold compresses with any regularity either do it for pain relief or relief from symptoms related to eye allergies (lid inflammation etc).

[Lucy]

In addition to what Rebecca and Diana have said, the cold is also beneficial especially if your "pain" goes into the orbit/eyebrow/forehead area also. IF you have this kind of pain and it seems many do, the cold compress helps all of it feel better. This is only my opinion. It's probably not the trick for unclogging the MGD problem. But adding a cool compress IN ADDITION to doing all the nasty chores must can be very comforting.

If one has trigeminal neuralgia pain, ice is the very best thing in my opinion other than good pain pills. Actually, a combination will usually make it go away.

The BAGGIES FROM DEZ are still the greatest for hot compresses.
Lucy

[microgeL]

Yea I got the eye pad from DEZ, I probably should of gotten the rice baggie.

Anyways what do you do if you have inflammation on the eyelids and MGD. Use both warm and cold compresses?