can the lacrimal glands(openings) get blocked?

[ugly-eyes]

I didnt have dry eye before starting with hot compress. My eye doctor said that my meibomian gland arė ok its my lacrimal gland dont produce enough tears. So i was just wondering if the lacrimal glands can get blocked? If so how can i open them?

[spmcc]

Here's a link to read from DEZ encyclopedia: http://www.dryeyezone.com/encycloped...eficiency.html

Also here: http://www.dryeyezone.com/encycloped...eouslayer.html

I don't know if there is a way to "unblock" the lacrimal gland openings. I don't think the mechanism works that way. I think the glands just stop or reduce production of tears.

[ugly-eyes]

Thnx spmcc.

[spmcc]

Do you have access to topical (eyedrop) cyclosporine A (aka Restasis or Optimmune)? Clinical trials and research have shown this to be the drop to use to increase aqueous production.

Good luck.

[ugly-eyes]

Iam waiting on it. I have to try these other stupid drops first just. Tera. Tears and visine. They help but it os boring to put them in eye evry hour.

[DCRdryeye]

ugly-eyes - I'm sure your eyes aren't ugly I'm just wondering why you used hot compresses for if you didn't have dry eyes? (you stated you did not have dry eyes 'before' starting hot compresses)? Hot compresses, in the context we use them hear on this site is not so much for a lack of tear production, but rather to melt the meibum in meibomian glands. The meibum is the 'lipid' layer that prevents evaporation of aquous tears from the tear glands. Who told you your meibomian glands are working? I've had a top oculuplastic surgeon tell me mine were working okay too, but I know they are not at all. I have MGD and extreme evaporative dry eye caused by both MGD and Aquous deficiency. Usually aquous deficiency goes hand in hand with MGD. The lacrimal system is a complex intricate web, when something goes wrong in one area, the whole establishment tends to fall apart.

spmcc is correct in saying the lacrimal system does not work in 'that' way by needing to unblock the tear producing glands. By suggesting the glands are 'blocked', it's stating that the tear production is normal, but it can't get out. The real issue is that the tear production within the gland itself has diminished, and most likely, the glands are not blocked (tears can get out), but there is nothing to release.

[spmcc]

Iam waiting on it. I have to try these other stupid drops first just. Tera. Tears and visine. They help but it os boring to put them in eye evry hour.

I hope you don't mean visine "get the red out" eye drops! Those are very bad for dry eyes!

[ugly-eyes]

I jused hot compress becuse my lower lid margin was red and irriteted this one doc said it was the meibomian glands. My upper glands were fine the same with the lacrimal gland. So after doing hot compress for a while evrything stopped. My left eye is worse then the right right was 14 and left 7. I went to a specialist in dry eyes hė said that my glands arė just fine it is my lacrimal gland dont produce enoguh tears. Iam waiting on resistanse. The reason why i ask if the laē glands can get blocked. When i stopped to use hot compress for 5 days my eyes got dry as shara then the 6 day i appleyd hot compress and my laē gland were working again. I trayed this again but now it does not work still dry eyes.

[ugly-eyes]

No hehe i meant viscotears eye gel.

[LaDiva]

Just saw this. I have a friend whose elderly father had his lacrimal glands cleaned out because they were blocked. Perhaps she is mistaken, but this is exactly what she told me. She said he did not have enough tears (dry eye), and after the glands were cleaned, he was fine. I don't know if this is right or wrong, just passing it along.

[ugly-eyes]

Just saw this. I have a friend whose elderly father had his lacrimal glands cleaned out because they were blocked. Perhaps she is mistaken, but this is exactly what she told me. She said he did not have enough tears (dry eye), and after the glands were cleaned, he was fine. I don't know if this is right or wrong, just passing it along.

I dont know if it is poseble but this dry eye thing came after hot compress. When i look at my lacrimal gland now i see some white stuff looks like toothpaste. Looks just like when the meibomianglands are blocked.

Also when i started to do hot compress i stopped for maby 4 days,on day 3 my eyes got super dry. So i did the hotcompress again and my eyes or my lacrimal gland started again. When i do this now nothing heppens. So i think the hot compress did something to mye lacrimal glands i dont know what.

[spmcc]

Hi ugly eyes,

Do you mean to say that you see the openings of your lacrimal glands or do you mean your puncta? (see diagram: http://www.dryeyezone.com/encycloped...malglands.html)

If you mean your puncta, then I've had a similar experience when I got intracanalicular plugs. I could "milk" my puncta due to infection. You should show your doctor this problem as soon as possible.

Good luck.

[ugly-eyes]

Hi ugly eyes,

Do you mean to say that you see the openings of your lacrimal glands or do you mean your puncta? (see diagram: http://www.dryeyezone.com/encycloped...malglands.html)

If you mean your puncta, then I've had a similar experience when I got intracanalicular plugs. I could "milk" my puncta due to infection. You should show your doctor this problem as soon as possible.

Good luck.

No i mean the lacrimal gland there is something white on the edges. That is why i think it may be blocked or something. Iam probeblly wrong becuse you guys say it is not posible. Maby the lac gland looks that way idont now. iam going to the doc next week i will ask him. Dp\o you know are we able to see the lacrimal glans openings?

I want to try hot compress for a few days to see,but iam afraid becuse hot compress started this hell of dry eye,as you know i had only problem with my lowe lid being red now this. Hot compress did something to my lacrimal gland.

[spmcc]

I don't believe you can see the lacrimal gland openings... they are under your upper lids. This is where your tears (aqueous layer) comes from.

I do believe that if you don't produce enough tears (aqueous layer), then your oil/lipid and mucus layers touch and can look like white discharge. Perhaps that is what's happening?

I hope you get answers from your doctor.

[MeibomianGlandman]

Well if you don't produce enough tears it might be sjogren's syndrome, Check for auto immune problems, oh and yes the Lacrimal glands Can become Blocked due to salt deposits. Best thing I can suggest, Add non preserved saline washes to the mix, find something to get rid of the inflammation like restasis.

From my experience my lacrimal glands actually can be expressed sometimes. Look up eyelid anatomy where the lacrimal glands are at and just roll the pad of your index finger over the top of your top eyelid from nose to ear direction. Make sure while you do that to place another finger on the side to stretch the skin out sideways, Kind of like your making your eyes oriental looking.

Thats the best thing I can suggest at the moment