A Home Remedy that works!
TOPICS COVERED: Why should warm compresses be part of dry eye therapy, What warm compress options are available, How long is eye lid heat required for benefit
 When I am face-to-face with a patient discussing options for their dry eyes or chalazions, there is almost always a inevitable eye roll when the importance of warm compresses is discussed. It seems like such a simple concept and and a home remedy and certainly on of the first things that will come up when you google or ChatGPT for dry eye treatments. Why are proper warm compress treatments so effective and commonly part of my dry eye management recommendations?
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When properly done - Warm compresses help alleviate dry eye symptoms by increasing the flow of oils from the eye lid (meibomian) glands. These glands
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Note that I have used the 'proper' above because most folks that have tried face cloth warm compresses fail because the cloth does not stay warm enough, long enough. In my opinion, we require at least 4 solid minutes of good warmth twice per day to have any positive clinical effect on these glands for dry eye therapy and more for chalazions. A face cloth might stay warm enough for 30 seconds. Old school tea bags are longer but you risk getting concentrated tea leaf acid into the eye causing more issues.
How proper warm eye lid compresses help:
Soften Blockages: As seen in the image above, these eye lid glands are long and thin and are vulnerable to be blocked. Think about Butter vs. Oil. You want oil to flow out these glands, but if they are clogged with butter... they do not work. The heat from the compress can soften any hardened oils or blockages in the meibomian glands, helping to unblock them and improve oil flow.
Increase Blood Flow: Warmth any where to the skin increases blood flow to the area, promoting better gland function and providing relief from inflammation.
Perhaps Stimulate Production: It is thought that using warm compresses can help stimulate the actual production of the natural oils and increase volume.
What about the lumps in my lids? Do warm compresses help chalazions?
A chalazion is a large, angry blocked meibomian eye lid gland with no infection. Warm compresses are effective in treating chalazions. A chalazion is not a sty. A sty is an infection of the gland and often required antibiotic treatment. See your eye care professional if you have discharge or a completely swollen eye lid.
Regular use of proper warm compresses is easier said than done but it does help prevent chalazion recurrence. Regular use of proper warm compresses can keep-things-moving and reduce the likelihood of future blockages and the recurrence of chalazions. Clinically, we try and increase therapy success for prevention by also starting oral Omega 3's
Applying a warm compress for about 10 minutes, several times a day, is often recommended to effectively treat and prevent chalazions. This is longer that dry eye recommendations.
What is the best way to do a warm moist eye lid compress?
It is very hard to do a proper compress without a mask. These masks generally are put in the microwave to warm and sterilize them. They provide consistent heat for generally about 5 minutes. In clinic, I much prefer the re-usable type both for environmental but also the cheap gel masks do not provide a critical hydration part of the the therapy.
Clinic tested and approved warm moist heat masks are the perennial favorite Bruder Mask and the EyeBag from Thea.
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 I did have a patient who did not have a microwave request we source a non-microwave option... |
When to seek care?
There are many treatments for chalazion. In-Clinic and/or oral medication or even surgery may be necessary if the lumps do not clear. Speak to your eye care provider if you are not seeing resolution within 90 days or if there is discharge into the eye.
RELATED TOPICS: The Basics of Dry Eye, How to read an Omega 3 Label, Eye Lid Care / Blepharitis, What is the most potent Omega 3 we have found
