showed that face cloths drop to less than a therapeutic level of heat within one minute of application (figure 1). This regime is obviously not practical and is not conducive to good compliance!īitton et al. The warm face cloths were heated to 40☌, and were replaced every 2 minutes for a duration of 30 minutes. However, you need to look at the methods closely to see how they achieved this result. found that warm face cloths were effective at improving lipid layer thickness and tear break up in, an impressive, five minutes after treatments. That said, It is important to remind patients not to overheat warm compresses as thermal skin injury begins to occur when the skin surface temperature is maintained 45☌ for 33.5 minutes.Ĭlinical summary: The optimal temperature for heat therapy for MGD to be between 40 and 41.5☌ Do warm face clothes work?Ī study by Olson et al. A recent study by Brochman found that the optimal temperature for heat therapy for MGD to be between 40 and 41.5☌. In MGD, this temperature is elevated as the composition of meibum is altered due to gland blockage which results in the stagnation of meibum in the meibomian glands. Meibum naturally melts at a temperature between 32☌ and 40☌. Technology can help improve compliance, and you can read more about this another article I wrote here How hot do warm compresses need to be? Patients have told me that this encourages them to continue with their treatment as they know it works and that they have not been wasting their time.Ĭlinical Summary: To improve compliance with warm compresses schedule patients for review appointments. This gives the patient a target to aim for and allows me to show them how much their eyes have improved. In my practice, I improve compliance by booking patients in for a review appointment. Many patients just do not comply with their eye care professional’s treatment plan. ComplianceĬompliance with warm compresses is one of the biggest problems with the treatment. Secondly, it reduces or eliminates meibomian gland obstruction and, lastly, it increases blood flow to tissues surrounding the meibomian glands. Firstly, it heats the meibomian gland lipids to improve their secretion into the tear film. Treatment with warm compresses achieves three things. They appear to be effective in various in varying severities of gland dropout, which adds to the importance of their use even in severe MGD. Warm compresses are indicated as a treatment for evaporative dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction. They most definitively do work, but they must be recommended in the right situation and for the right reasons. I will attempt to answer all these questions, based on scientific evidence, to give you some clarity and definitiveness in your recommendations and outcomes. Warm face cloths or wheat bags? For how many minutes and for how many days, weeks, or months? How much improvement can you expect? In fact, do warm compresses even work? However, it may not always be clear exactly what to recommend. ⦁ When using an eye mask, it may take at least 2 weeks to see an improvement in symptoms and 4 to 8 weeks to see improvements in clinical signs of dry eye.Įye care professionals are well-versed in prescribing warm compresses for dry eye treatment. ⦁ To massage the lids, instruct patient to press on the lid margin with their fingertips and to move along the lid margin until it has all been pressed. ⦁ Warm compress treatment is effective even without massaging the eyelids afterwards, but it is still recommended to instruct patients to massage their lids for an added benefit. ⦁ Face cloths are not effective as warm compresses unless applied using the bundle method. ⦁ The optimal temperature for heat therapy for MGD to be between 40 and 41.5☌. ⦁ To improve compliance with warm compresses, schedule patients for review appointments. ⦁ Warm compresses are an effective treatment for dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction.
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