Therapearl Cold Eye Mask

Product Information

Doan, S., Chiambaretta, F., Baudouin, C. & Group Es. Evaluation of an eyelid warming device (Blephasteam) for the management of ocular surface diseases in France: The ESPOIR study. J. Fr. Ophtalmol. 37(10), 763–772 (2014). Nagymihalyi, A., Dikstein, S. & Tiffany, J. M. The influence of eyelid temperature on the delivery of meibomian oil. Exp. Eye Res. 78(3), 367–370 (2004). Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Klaus Torgårds vei 3, 0372, Oslo, Norway For effective treatment of MGD, temperatures of warm compresses need to exceed 40 °C 26, 27, 28, setting the basis for treatment with heating devices. Several studies have shown that Blephasteam (Spectrum Thea Pharmaceuticals LTD, Macclesfield, UK), a steam-based system, is effective at delivering heat to the eyelids and treating MGD 19, 29, 30, 31. Only one other trial has compared Blephasteam to another device 32. Craig JP, Nichols KK, Akpek EK, et al. TFOS DEWS II definition and classification report. Ocul Surf. 2017;15(3):276-83.

Conventional therapy for most patients with MGD includes warm compresses and lid massage. Photo: Alan G. Kabat, OD, and Joseph W. Sowka, OD Oral supplements. For years we have prescribed omega-3 fatty acids (FA) for MGD and dry eye. Recently, the DREAM study has changed how we see this practice. 15 Basically, the study demonstrated that the particular FA supplements used in the well-designed trial did not help MGD any more than the sham pills that contained small amounts of olive oil determined to be easily met by most North American diets. With the heart community also finding little benefit to omega-3 supplements, many practitioners are discontinuing that recommendation. 16 Patients probably won’t complain, considering the high cost of these supplements. Begley, C. G. et al. The relationship between habitual patient-reported symptoms and clinical signs among patients with dry eye of varying severity. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 44(11), 4753–4761 (2003).Sung S, Wang MTM, Lee SH, et al. Randomized double-masked trial of eyelid cleansing treatments for blepharitis. The Ocular Surface. 2018;16:77-83. The first step of dry eye management is a thorough diagnosis and categorization of the disease based on the new Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society’s (TFOS) Dry Eye Work Shop II (DEWS II) definition: “Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, and accompanied by ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities play etiological roles.” 3 Tomlinson, A. et al. The international workshop on meibomian gland dysfunction: Report of the diagnosis subcommittee. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 52(4), 2006–2049 (2011). Wang, M. T., Jaitley, Z., Lord, S. M. & Craig, J. P. Comparison of self-applied heat therapy for meibomian gland dysfunction. Optom. Vis. Sci. 92(9), e321–e326 (2015).

If a non-preserved drop is necessary, clinicians must emphasize to the patient that the extra cost is warranted. Most patients are aware that their sensitive eyes need special care. Wang, M. T. M. et al. Therapeutic profile of a latent heat eyelid warming device with temperature setting variation. Cont. Lens Anterior Eye 43(2), 173–177 (2020).

Kang, M., Ragan, B. G. & Park, J. H. Issues in outcomes research: An overview of randomization techniques for clinical trials. J. Athl. Train. 43(2), 215–221 (2008).

Bron, A. J., Argüeso, P., Irkec, M. & Bright, F. V. Clinical staining of the ocular surface: Mechanisms and interpretations. Prog. Retin. Eye Res. 44, 36–61 (2015). At the time of writing, six published randomized controlled studies were conducted comparing Blephasteam to other treatments 16, 22, 32, 33, 38, 58. These had shorter follow-up, of 2 22, 6 19, and 12 weeks 32, and three trials evaluated the outcome parameters immediately after application of the device 16, 33, 58. We chose to follow our patients for six months, the longest follow-up period of any randomized trial to date, to see if prolonged usage had any additional advantage. We found no statistical improvement from 3 to 6 months, indicating that the greatest improvement in parameters comes in the initial three months of treatment. Wolffsohn, J. S. et al. TFOS DEWS II diagnostic methodology report. Ocul. Surf. 15(3), 539–574 (2017).

Safety and Industrial Eyeglasses + Eyewear Cleaning

THERAPEARL Eye-ssential Mask should be applied to skin or closed eyelids no more than the doctor-recommended time of 20 minutes. Remove and wait at least 20 minutes. Reapply eye mask for no more than 20 minutes, if needed.

When dysfunctional, the meibomian glands can be treated with massage and heat. However, achieving the necessary 40° Celsius (roughly 104° Fahrenheit) heat for at least 10 minutes is no easy task without expenditures. 12 Several eye masks work well that can be heated in the microwave, but some are expensive and usually last no more than one year. More affordable masks, such as the TheraPearl eye mask (Bausch + Lomb), often work well. Knop, E. et al. The international workshop on meibomian gland dysfunction: Report of the subcommittee on anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the meibomian gland. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 52(4), 1938–1978 (2011). Moss SE, Klein R, Klein BE. Prevalence of and risk factors for dry eye syndrome. Archives of Ophthalmology. 2000;118(9):1264-8. For effective treatment of MGD, temperatures of warm compresses need to exceed 40°C 26– 28, setting the basis for treatment with heating devices. Several studies have shown that Blephasteam (Spectrum Thea Pharmaceuticals LTD, Macclesfield, UK), a steam-based system, is effective at delivering heat to the eyelids and treating MGD 19, 29– 31. Only one other trial has compared Blephasteam to another device 32.

Surgical

Viso E, Gude F, Rodriguez-Ares M. The association of meibomian gland dysfunction and other common ocular diseases with dry eye: apopulation based study in Spain. Cornea. 2011;30:1-6. Arita, R. et al. Effects of a warm compress containing menthol on the tear film in healthy subjects and dry eye patients. Sci. Rep. 7, 45848 (2017). With that in mind, here are a few “eye-healthy habits” you can practice now to prevent symptoms of dry eyes, according to Dr. Wademan: