I can't remember if I first saw this on the Google news email or on Dry Eye Talk. It sounds (and certainly looks) interesting.
Two things I don't get:
1) How you can "watch TV" while wearing these... how do they NOT fog up, even if they aren't creating steam through the heat mechanism? Even my expensive foam-lined sunglasses will fog up in the car.
and
2) Other than the feelgood factor, how do they help? Heat is usually associated with MGD treatment... where to be effective heat needs to be applied to the MGs. Personally I wouldn't expect warm air around my eyes to do much of anything for my MGD. On the other hand, when you've got dry eye, the feelgood factor is worth plenty in its own right, if you can afford it.
Daily Mail article
A lack of lubrication in the eye is a common and unpleasant condition. Around 20 per cent of the population over the age of 65 suffers from dry eye, as it is known.
The condition, where you don't produce enough lubricating tears, is age-related. It often affects menopausal women because of the reduced levels of the hormone which helps produce lubrication.
'We prescribe drops to treat it, but the eye is sensitive - drops are chemicals and people can react to them,' explains consultant ophthalmologist Dr Rob Fuller of The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
The other option is to use a hot compress over the eyes. Tears are formed of three layers, one of which is oily. Like all oily substances, when heated, this layer melts, creating better lubrication, says Dr Fuller.
'But using a hot compress is not high-tech and not very convenient. During this time, patients can't see or move about and they have to keep refreshing the towel. I felt in the 21st century there was room for something a bit more user friendly.'
So Dr Fuller developed eye-warming goggles that can be plugged in and used while watching TV or reading. They use the power of moist warm air to warm up the eyes.
The goggles gently warm the eye to a temperature of 40c - warm enough to increase lubrication, but not so hot that they create steam
6 comments:
Over on Deyealogues, Dr. Ponzer has posted a link to an article
http://www.seefit.net/Ocular_Surface_published_article.pdf
This article finds that the heat steamer device (presumably like these goggles, if not the very same) was much more effective than the hot compresses we normally do.
Actually the MicroEnvironment Glasses Dr. Panzer linked to are completely different than the Blephasteam goggles. My understanding is the blephasteams are intended as a heat treatment not a moisture chamber.
MEGs (at seefit.net) are a commercial moisture chamber product (palliative, not therapeutic). I reviewed them in an earlier post. I think they are an excellent option, the best I know of other than custom moisture chambers, for people who need an MC with a high prescription or who want something more aesthetically acceptable for the workplace than Panoptx/Wiley-X type sunglasses.
The Blephasteam kit will be released into the UK and Ireland on the 29th March 2010. They are for severe dry eye and /or blepharitis.(MGD)
They are to be marketed by ophthalmic speciality company,Laboratoires Thea, Europes leading independent ophthalmic company.
In the UK Spectrum-Thea pharmaceuticals will sell it via ophthalmogists, optometrists and their web site.
Hi I am the development engineer behind the Blephasteam. The air traped over your eyes by this device is both heated and wet, or saturated with water. This warm wet environment has been shown in a number of independent controlled studies (ie proper impartial fact finding medical test) to improve the cover and thicken the layer of lipid on the surface of the eye. You can watch TV read a book etc as the Blephasteam will not fog up during use. This is part of the technology that makes this device unique.
We are just about to take delivery of this item for sale via our dedicated website at www.dry-eyes.co.uk. We will be watching the feedback carefully to see what customers make of the new product.
The product is currently being sold on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260587818926
Free UPS Ground shipping from the United States
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