At home, you can help your
Putting warm, wet and clean washcloths over your eyelids for about five minutes to loosen the oil. Pressing gently on your eyes near the lashes, massaging the glands. Cleaning your eyelids and lashes with or without mild soap or baby shampoo. Taking omega-3 supplements in the form of fish oil or flaxseed oil.
Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy can help reduce the inflammation in your meibomian glands with precise wavelengths of light. IPL treatment can target clogged meibomian glands, removing the inflammation that can cause blockages and promoting the healthy flow of oils.
Warm Compresses: Applying a warm eye mask over your eyes can help soften the oils in the meibomian glands and promote their secretion. To use a warm compress, heat the eye mask according to the manufacturer's instructions, then place it gently over your closed eyelids for 5-10 minutes.
Restasis, Cequa, and/or Xiidra. Mild steroid drops such as Alrex, Inveltys, Flarex, FML, or Lotemax. Miebo (perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution) prescription eye drops four times daily. These drops mimic the meibomian gland secretions reducing the rate of evaporation of your tears from the surface of your eyes.
The most likely cause is an eye makeup technique called inside liner. After wearing, if this makeup is not fully removed, it potentially induces the obstruction of meibomian glands.
Miebo (perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution) by Bausch & Laumb is the first FDA-approved prescription medication for dry eye associated with Meibomian gland dysfunction. Previous therapies were limited to eyelid scrubs, massage and warm compresses.
Before you reach for eyedrops or allergy tabs, try a warm compress for eyes. It could bring you some pretty fast relief!
Dehydration: While caffeine itself doesn't directly dehydrate the eyes, excessive coffee consumption can contribute to overall dehydration, which can worsen dry eye symptoms associated with blepharitis.
In its early stage, you might not have any. But as MGD progresses and you have less oil or poor-quality oil in your tear film, your eyes may burn, itch, or be irritated or dry. It might feel like you have a grain of sand or dust in your eye. An irritated, inflamed eyelid may be red.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
You are followed by 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Cover the drain with a plug and let the hot water mixture sit for 5 minutes. Pour 1 cup of boiling water down the drain to finish. Test your sink to see if the clog has been removed.
With clean hands, massage along the length of the eyelids towards the ear (massage upper lid down and the lower lid up) with the eyes closed using comfortable pressure. Massage for 30 seconds and repeat 5–10 times after warming the eyelids. This helps to push the oil out of the glands.
How Does It Work? The procedure for meibomian gland expression involves applying pressure to the eyelids to express the glands and squeeze out the oils. Eye specialists use tiny forceps or paddle-like instruments to compress the lower and upper eyelids. Mastrota paddle is a standard tool for meibomian gland expression.
Don't Blink
Blinking may cause some of the drop to leak out, hindering optimal absorption.
Overview. Blepharitis (blef-uh-RYE-tis) is inflammation of the eyelids. Blepharitis usually affects both eyes along the edges of the eyelids. Blepharitis commonly occurs when tiny oil glands near the base of the eyelashes become clogged, causing irritation and redness.
Although sebaceous hyperplasia is not harmful, some individuals may wish to reduce the appearance of these bumps or get rid of them completely. Treatment options include topical TCA acid, retinoids, cryotherapy, laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, and surgical removal.
Meibomian gland dysfunction can be a chronic condition lasting for months to years, often requiring ongoing management to alleviate symptoms. Golden Vision offers both in-office and at-home treatments to effectively provide relief to those irritation symptoms.
DED from blepharitis is mainly attributed to bacterial side products rather than the bacteria themselves [53]. Thus, honey might reduce the susceptibility of DED patients to bacterial conjunctivitis and relieve the symptoms of DED by reducing the production of bacterial side products, e.g., bacterial lipases [54].
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.
Several new dry eye treatments were approved by the FDA in 2025, including Miebo™ (NOV03), VEVYE™ (CyclASol), and Reproxalap. XDEMVY™ (TP-03) is another 2025 ophthalmic solution and a revolutionary treatment for Demodex blepharitis linked to dry eyes.
Evaporative Dry Eye (Meibomian Gland Dysfunction - MGD) - Best Options: Lipid-based drops like Systane Complete or Retaine MGD to restore the oily layer of tears. Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye (Tear Production Issues) - Best Options: Hydrating drops like TheraTears or Refresh Relieva to boost moisture retention.