Warm Compresses for the Eye

Warm compresses for the eyes

The treatment of eyelid inflammation and meibomian gland dysfunction includes eyelid hygiene, systemic antibiotics, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops and treatment of accompanying conditions.

The mainstay of the treatment is eyelid hygiene, including compresses of the eye. Since this is a chronic condition of abnormal functioning of the glands, eyelid hygiene should become part of the daily routine of patients who suffer from it.

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Eyelid hygiene consists of the following three steps:

1) Warm compresses: can be done in two different ways.

a. Eye compress mask: an external preparation such as a mask can be used to treat a dry eye. These masks are put in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, one makes sure they are not too boiling, and they are placed on closed eyes for about 10 minutes. These masks usually maintain a temperature of 40 degrees for about 10 minutes (the recommended temperature for softening the oils in the glands and secreting them out into the tears). Such a mask can be reused (contact us for pricing details).

b.

How to prepare compresses for the eye? An alternative option is to use a warm cloth (a cloth is placed in warm water) and then the warm, damp cloth is placed on the closed eyelids. When the cloth cools, it needs to be reheated in warm water. In this method there is a need to repeat this action every 2-3 minutes for 10 minutes because the cloth cools quickly.

2) 

Eyelid massage: this step consists of stabilizing the eyelid by pulling the eyelid to the side with one hand and massaging the eyelid margin with the fingertip of the other hand, starting from the middle and pressing toward the eyelid-margin side (it is advisable to get visual guidance from an ophthalmologist on how to do it correctly, and of course to do it with clean hands).

3) Scrubbing the eyelid margin: if anterior eyelid inflammation is also present, eyelid wipes can be used along the eyelid margin in order to remove deposits and oily secretions from the lashes. Commercial eye wipes are better tolerated than a diluted solution of baby shampoo.

Ideally it is advisable to perform warm compresses both in the morning and in the evening; however, performing eyelid hygiene in the morning may be more effective because of the accumulation of secretions that occurs over the night. Manual expression of the meibomian glands increases the thickness of the oily layer in the tears with an improvement in symptoms.

Innovative treatment with gland expression – Contact a specialist

Call 058-644-5151 at any hour

Advanced technologies for warm compresses for the eye

The Lipiflow system: the Lipiflow system was developed in order to provide controlled compresses at a fixed rate on the eyelids in order to express the meibomian glands in an ideal way. Early clinical trials indicate that the treatment is effective in reducing the symptoms of dry eye secondary to meibomian gland dysfunction. There are studies that showed that one such treatment is equivalent to 6 months of manual warm compresses in terms of treatment effectiveness. The price of one such treatment (contact us for pricing details). This system already exists in Israel.

The TearCare system: does not yet exist in Israel. It provides heat automatically to the eyelids, but there is a need to perform manual expression of the glands.

The iLux system: this is a portable device that the practitioner holds and aims toward the patient's eyelids in order to heat the eyelid. The operator applies pressure on the glands with the device in order to express them. This system does not yet exist in Israel.

The Mibo system: this is a portable device that the practitioner holds and aims toward the patient's eyelids in order to heat the eyelid. The operator applies pressure on the glands with the device in order to express them. This system does not yet exist in Israel.