Is Blephasteam worth it?

[Alix]

I am thinking of buying Blephasteam as warm eye compress does not work for me whatever temperature/length of time I try, and the only relief I get is when I am in the shower and just after so I think steam helps, albeit just for a brief while.

Is anyone here finding good results using this machine?

[Guest]

Yes... I LOVE my Blephasteam.

1. My glands look noticeably better since I started using it - I use it twice a day (morning and evening) without fail.

2. My eyelids stick to my eyeballs with warm compresses, so that's not an option for me. I tried steaming my lids over a bowl of steaming water, but it's impossible to get the right temperature consistently (it's too hot, too cold, too hot again, just right, too cold, too hot... the steam drifts around too much... plus, even when the temperature feels "just right" it's only a guess since there's no way to measure it with precision). Blephasteam solves both of those problems for me.

3. It's soooooo easy to use.

[Alix]

Yes... I LOVE my Blephasteam.

1. My glands look noticeably better since I started using it - I use it twice a day (morning and evening) without fail.

2. My eyelids stick to my eyeballs with warm compresses, so that's not an option for me. I tried steaming my lids over a bowl of steaming water, but it's impossible to get the right temperature consistently (it's too hot, too cold, too hot again, just right, too cold, too hot... the steam drifts around too much... plus, even when the temperature feels "just right" it's only a guess since there's no way to measure it with precision). Blephasteam solves both of those problems for me.

3. It's soooooo easy to use.

Thank you for this, I am glad Blephasteam is working for you!
A couple more questions if you don't mind - how long have you been using it, and do your eyes themselves (not just the glands) look/feel noticeably better in between using the machine, not just a couple of minutes afterwards?

[Guest]

I have a blephasteam, i find it SO much easier than doing warm compresses. its just pop them on and then you can watch a movie be on your phone, read a book, its so simple. My eyes feel refreshed afterwards and white. Personally I'm not sure if it has helped my glands, but doing warm compresses for me didn't have the same positive effect as blephasteam. The rings that are used to create moisture can become costly, but that's because I'm from Australia. I think UK has them pretty cheap for people. However I found a way around this..... i cut a thin strip of paper towel and then i twist it until it's as thin as the rings and then when you wet it, you can mould its shape to the googles, works perfectly. I would highly recommend you try it out, warm compresses are effective however can be tricky, ineffective and dangerous if you don't have the know-how and discipline to use correctly.

[Guest]

Here is my initial review from shortly after I received it: http://forum.dryeyezone.com/forum/dr...review-for-mgd - I've been using Blephasteam twice daily since Dec. 1.

And here is a case study that included Blephasteam... evaluating the effectiveness of different lid warming methods for MGD: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5301113/

re: "do your eyes themselves (not just the glands) look/feel noticeably better in between using the machine, not just a couple of minutes afterwards?"

I'm using a lot of things right now, so can't pinpoint what degree of improvement is due to Blephasteam, improved sleep, better-fitting moisture chamber glasses, my Dolphin neurostim (to duplicate the effect of acupunture with microcurrent, but with no needles), the dextromethorphan for burning (neuropathic pain), the tylenol and advil for the aching eyeball I suffered for weeks (I am now down to only using Tylenol on an as needed basis rather than taking it scheduled 4 times a day religiously) and so on. My eyes have been pretty hellish for most of the last 2 months. Getting myself out of that kind of situation is a slow process, with lots of tiny improvements eventually snowballing over time.

I have some MGD (but docs have always told me that my MG's look pretty good or that they don't look that bad) ... I also have corneal nerve damage from LASIK... plus I have aqueous deficiency. For this reason, I don't believe ANY treatment for MGD is going to be a cure-all for me, or make a massive difference to my eyes on its own. My reasoning for using the Blephasteam was to more effectively improve the quality of my MG secretions and preserve the MG function I currently have, so that I minimize any negative impact they may have to my overall condition.

All I can really say is that my MG's look better... I look at them with a 15x magnifying mirror after each treatment, and note the general trend in appearance over time. Also, my impression after starting Blephasteam was that my MG's improved at a far more rapid pace than I'd ever had with warm compresses or holding my face over a steaming bowl of water (see my review that I linked to for details on that) - to be honest, I've never been super thrilled with the results from previous methods I've tried for melting the MG secretions. And unfortunately, I don't have any exact timelines for this time's improvement though... I've been a bit of a mess emotionally for majority of the past 2 months (plus on and off for months before that... ever since this flare up started) and it was all I could do to make it through each day... wasn't up to tracking things. Also, I guess because I've been dealing with this for so long, I feel like I know certain things help me now, so I no longer track stuff as meticulously as I might have in the past... instead, I just do it.

Sorry, I wish I had better info on that.

[Alix]

@SAAG Thank you for your comprehensive answer, it has given me alot to think about and I am sorry to read what you have been going through. I can relate to the part about tiny improvements, personally this is all I hope for right now.....realistically I will only be able to use Blephasteam once a day in the evening at most (don't have time in the mornings) so I am not sure whether this is enough to help improve the condition of my eyes but if I look at it as something that is going to provide relief from the pain, even temporary it might be worth it, after all it costs "only" the same as one IPL session (which didn't work!).

[Topher3]

realistically I will only be able to use Blephasteam once a day in the evening at most (don't have time in the mornings)

I have left a comment as a guest by accident and hasn’t been pushed through yet but in regards to this quote can you not wake up a little earlier ? Blephasteam really is helpful for two times a day :-)

[Guest]

if I look at it as something that is going to provide relief from the pain, even temporary it might be worth it...

The only things I'd add to this...

1. I'd caution you to not give up if you don't notice relief in the beginning. When I first started, I was unable to keep my eyes open with it on since even the heat felt too intense on my eyeballs. But after using it regularly, it began to feel comfortable and soothing (I'm going to guess this took 1-2 weeks, although of course, your eyes may take more or less time than mine did). So I think if your eyes are super irritated in the beginning, you may have to keep your eyes shut with it on... but as things improve, you can get to the comfortable, soothing sensation that I now feel from it.

2. Keep in mind that once daily may not be enough... it's only a 10 minute treatment, so as Topher said, can you get up just 15 minutes earlier in the morning? ex. Wake up, plug in Blephasteam... while it's heating up (takes maybe 15 minutes?), brush your teeth, start breakfast, start making your bagged lunch you'll be bringing to work or whatever... when Blephasteam is ready to use, sit for 10 minutes to do the treatment (do some blinking exercises with it on, if you can)... then carry on with the rest of your morning routine. It is literally only a 15 minute delay you'd be adding to your morning.

3. If you can, get a 15x magnifying mirror so you can inspect the openings of your MG's every day - preferably with a light on the mirror... if not, make sure you're in a well-lit room so you can see what you're looking at in that mirror. This is important because it allows you to see for yourself if any changes are occurring. It puts an end to guessing if something is helping your glands or not. And if you can SEE that it's working, that makes it easier to keep on with the treatment because you won't be wondering if it's a waste of time or not. Sometimes visual improvements to the glands comes before you can actually FEEL any improvement in your ocular comfort. So if you can SEE this visual improvement, at least you know you're heading in the right direction.

And to clarify my comment about "I'm using a lot of things right now, so can't pinpoint what degree of improvement is due to Blephasteam" - mainly what I was referring to is the overall improvement in my eyes in the entire past 2 months... but visually, there was no doubt in my mind that my MG's started looking better fairly soon after starting Blephasteam treatments, so I think it's highly likely that based on other things I was doing at that time, Blephasteam gets the credit for that. While I don't know what percentage of my improvement in eye comfort was due to Blephasteam, I do feel that there was objective improvement in the appearance of my glands within days, so assume it contributed to the overall improvements in comfort I've noticed.

...after all it costs "only" the same as one IPL session (which didn't work!).

Well, this is exactly right. And better still, the Blephasteam is guaranteed for 1 YEAR with the manufacturer's warranty, and the manual says it's expected to last 7 years. Honeslty, I think it's an excellent investment and when mine eventually wears out of whatever, I plan to replace it asap. I feel it is superior and easier to use than all other home-treatment alternatives. And it makes scientific sense as a maintenance treatment for MG's prone to inflammation and dysfunction.

[Alix]

Thank you both @SAAG @Topher3

The heating up time was really off putting, especially as I already have to get up at an insane hour for work, but as you said I can leave it to heat up and do other stuff, and then it's only an additional 15 mins to my morning routine.

@SAAG Based on reviews and results of clinical trials I've read, it looks like the machine helps to improve symptoms more than signs, but this is good enough for me, and I'm never going tor really know if it's going to work or not unless I use it myself so......

I have bitten the bullet and bought one today! I should receive it in the next coming days, will post feedback once I've used it for a while.

[Guest]

Deleted this post so no-one has to waste their time reading it haha The problem of our shady link-dropping online pharmacy person was taken care of :-D

[Alix]

@SAAG Thank you for flagging this, I tried to as well, but it didn't work.

I agree Fairpricerx looks shady, he asked me about getting hold of Ikervis in the UK, to which I replied, but I checked his profile afterwards and he is based in California?! And Blephasteam isn't even a medicine. Total timewaster. Really annoyed!

[Rebecca Petris]

SAAG Ew! Thank you SO much for the heads up. Deleted and banned.

[rockomon]

How do you buy blephasteam, if you live in the US?

[woodart]

I just looked on Amazon US and they are $600. Not in my budget right now. Unless a good one is made by another company. Or buy from England get an adapter? £200.00 which is almost $230 which is half.

[Meibum Ian]

My understanding is that it is not approved as a medical device in the US, therefore possible legal issues around shipping it there.

If you did get one, you would only need a plug adapter - not a transformer. The device accepts input voltage 100V-240V.