Warm Compresses

[odydnas]

Hey everyone,

For those of you that do warm compresses, when do you start feeling relief? I've been using Rebecca's rice baggy (I love it by the way, thanks Rebecca!) twice a day for 10 minutes for MGD for about 2 weeks. I feel some relief and I'm wondering if it will get even better over time, or is that the best I will get out of it....

thanks!

[TRiBaL]

Well that and man seems like what works best for me is using warm compress with the lid scrubs. Man I was doing massages as well but now my eye hurts from doing them which was bad move on my part. But ya lid scrubs seem key after warm compresses. I use think ph balance you know would be a factor on always using lid scrubs on my eyes, that it would cause my eyes to dry more. I guess I was wrong. Just be carefully if you ever decide to do lid massages not to put barely any pressure on your eyelid. Trust me.

[TRiBaL]

Oh ya also good to have your warm compresses moist. loosens up the oil in your glands better.

[Terri]

Immediate results

I don't have blepharitis or any visible signs of MGD (like swollen eyelides), so I tried the rice baggy just to see if anything would happen. I was surprised. After using it, I felt and saw what look like better quality tears as a result of more oil on the surface. I use it every night now, and it's a great relief at the end of the day when my eyes are tired. I think in my case my oil is slightly thick (or my eyelids are not warm enough), so the rice baggy encourages everything to loosen up and function. I haven't noticed any cumulative increase in function; the baggy works equally well every day I use it.

[Rebecca Petris]

I suspect that like so much of the dry eye battle, this is a very individual matter.... boiling down to how much meibum is produced and of what consistency (and why and whether that reason is being addressed if possible).

Actually, I think there's maybe 2 separate issues here: (a) what it takes to get "unplugged" i.e. get past any acute blockage, and (b) what it takes to maintain things long term.

I know doctors who have many of their MGD patients using rice baggies. Some could not possibly get cleared up with just heat and have to be manually expressed either once, or many times, while also going on a course of Doxy or something and Omega 3s for good measure. Others clear up nicely within weeks of starting heat.

Then in terms of long-term maintenance... again a wide variety. Some can keep them clear if they'll just eat right, or eliminate whatever is determined to have caused the dysfunction if that's determined and is possible. Some need occasional heat, some (like me) daily heat. Some have to go back on Doxy at intervals. Some simply cannot keep them clear without professional help expressing them regularly.

Of course, then there's all the other factors in dry eye including the ones that no one can really put their finger on But we do what we can!