If you have Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) you will have to treat it both at home and possibly with the help of an eye doctor to have a healthy tear film and enough tears to maintain your eyes hydrated and comfortable, with clear vision.
Did you know that the tear film is the most important part of the eye’s surface, responsible for clear vision and ocular surface health? When there is meibomian gland dysfunction, the tear film stability is compromised because there is reduced oil production and the tears evaporate, giving dry eyes.
Without a healthy tear film, you can experience dry eye symptoms:
Meibomian gland dysfunction, or meibomian gland disease, is a genetic condition. It is increasingly common for children, adolescents and adults to develop meibomian gland dysfunction, where the meibomian glands develop thick meibum instead of a clear fluidy oil.
The meibomian glands open at the lid margins all along the upper and lower eyelid. It is estimated that each eyelid margin has about 25 to 30 meibomian gland openings. Each meibomian gland secretes oil, in the same way the sebaceous glands in your skin secrete oil to keep the skin protected and comfortable.
The meibum or meibomian oil prevents the evaporation of the eye´s tear film. In Meibomian Gland Dysfunction the meibomian glands become sluggish, the protective oily film over the water component of the tear film diminishes causing the eyes to become dry from tears evaporation.
When the meibomian glands are clogged they risk becoming blocked. A blocked gland can form a stye of chalazion.
Once the meibomian glands are blocked, dry eye symptoms become prominent and the ocular surface becomes inflamed, giving ever increasing symptoms of discomfort and redness. Untreated, this leads to a viscious circle of dry eye, eye irritation, and eventually the chonic dry eye disease. It is best to seek professional medical advice and the assistance of the eye doctor before the meibomian glands become completely blocked.
Meibomian gland dysfunction requires a combination of the patient´s home treatment and eyelid hygiene, as well as clinic treatments such as intense pulsed light treatments (IPL) and lid margin micro-exfoliation. Hence it is well worth looking at what you can do at home on a daily basis to unblock your eye oily glands.
It is very easy for you to keep meibomian gland dysfunction at bay, but it is difficult to get rid of it entirely as it will keep coming back. You should avoid “triggers” that exacerbate meibomian gland dysfunction and increase eyelid inflammation.
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction is made worse or “triggered” by aggressors such as:
You will notice you are getting Meibomian Gland Dysfunction as the eyelid margins become red and sometimes itchy, and you will develop a low-grade inflammation and infection on your eyelid margins, called blepharitis when there are crusts or microscopic collarettes around the eyelash roots.
Some patients get episopdes of blepharo-conjunctivitis where your eyes feel sticky, discharging or watery from the meibomian gland secretions and low grade infection in the meibomian glands.
There are treatment options to be done at home and in the clinic with the assistance of the healthcare professional or eye doctor.
At home, you can help your meibomian gland dysfunction by heating the eyelids with warm compresses, massaging the eyelids to unclog the meibomian glands and cleaning the eyelids and eyelashes twice a day. This helps unclog the meibomian glands and enables the oily glands to function, thus improving tear film stability.
Although this blog title refers to “little-known ways”, some of these methods are becoming more popular.
“Eyes and teeth twice a day” is the Clinica London Dry Eye Clinic´s mantra.
Everybody cleans their teeth twice a day, being taught to from early childhood in order to prevent gum disease. Similarly, cleaning your eyelids and lashes twice a day can help prevent progression of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, dry eyes, styes and chalazion. We have to all start learning now, and teach our children.
The warm wet compress is combined with cleaning, with make up removal pads or a warm flannel in the shower.
You do not need to use baby shampoo or sodium bicarbonate, although both of those are effective in helping to lift off the eye crusts. There is a risk that the baby shampoo can change the biome on your eyelid margin, so this is less used.
Proprietary wipes and solutions are available in chemists, in the same way we buy toothpaste for our teeth cleaning, we can now buy gentle micellar solutions for cleaning eyes. Do clean with the eyelids shut, and do not try to clean along the lid margin with a cotton ear bud.
Consistency and regularity of cleaning is essential to keep the meibomian glands healthy.
Although lubricant eye drops help dry eyes by improving the tear film stability, directly targeting the meibomian glands is the best treatment.
There are prescription eye drops and in clinic dry eye treatments, including intense pulsed light and lid margin light curettage of blocked meibomian gland openings (also known as lid margin exfoliation), which removes the troublesome lid margin inflammatory biofilm and help you treat your meibomian Gland Dysfunction and maintain comfortable well-lubricated eyes that you are not aware of or troubled by.
Book your appointment with one of our consultant specialists on the number 020 7935 7990.
Telephone: 020 7935 7990
International Callers : +44 20 7935 7990
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