Warm compresses

[DarrenM343]

Hi,
How hot should the item used warm compresses be? For example, should the flannel be soaked in water as hot as I can stand or should the water only be warm to the touch? I`ve read somewhere about thermal cataracts, is this a risk if the compresses are too hot?

Thanks,

Darren

[chris321]

Hot / warm compress

Hi,
How hot should the item used warm compresses be? For example, should the flannel be soaked in water as hot as I can stand or should the water only be warm to the touch? I`ve read somewhere about thermal cataracts, is this a risk if the compresses are too hot?

Thanks,

Darren

An eye specialist told me to make it 'as hot as you can stand'. But, when I did this, my eyes felt really bad - all the time! After a week of that, I decided to make it 'warm' rather than 'hot', and it's been much better. I was concerned that 'warm' wouldn't do the trick of unblocking the glands but, when I went to the optometrist for a check, she said my tear film was now more even, so it must have worked.

Sorry, don't know about thermal contacts.


chris321

[Fred2]

There is a risk of changing the shape of the cornea if sufficient heat and pressure is applied. I've not been able to find an answer as to what is the safe range of temperatures for the cornea (or the eye in general), and at what temperature it is safe to start massaging (seeing how the massaging of a warmed up cornea can change its shape).

A study where they found change in corneal shape after using a warm compress with a hard-boiled egg: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum