Updated March 2020
Can you guess what makes your eyes feel comfortable? If you said tears, you’re absolutely right! Your tear film is vital for your eyes’ comfort. But there are a couple of things at play when it comes to your eyes producing and maintaining an excellent tear film.
One of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy tear film is making sure all the ingredients needed are present. And one of these ingredients is oil. Oil is on the outer layer of your tear film, and it’s responsible for allowing your eye and eyelid to move around comfortably.
But where does this oil come from? And what can you do to make sure you always have a healthy oil layer? Today, we’re going to take a look into these questions as well as what can help keep your eyes comfortable.
Anatomy of the Tear Film
Your eyes need a tear film to feel comfortable. 3 different layers/ingredients can make up a tear film, including mucous, water, and oil.
The mucous layer is right on top of the eye, produced by the goblet cells of your conjunctiva. The second layer is the water/aqueous layer. The water layer is the largest layer of the 3 and is found right in the centre. It is mainly responsible for keeping your eye hydrated and repelling bacteria that could damage the cornea.
Finally, the oil layer is the outermost layer of the tear film. It’s responsible for keeping your tear film smooth and comfortable, keeps your lens clear for your eye to see through, and helps prevent the other two layers from evaporating. That is a lot of responsibility!
Because of this responsibility, the oil layer is crucial for your eye comfort. If it is affected at all, you can start to experience symptoms of dry eyes.
What Can Cause Oil Layer Problems
So, where does this oil layer come from?
On the edge of your eyelids is a series of oil glands, also known as meibomian glands, that are responsible for creating a healthy oil layer for your tear film. While this is all well and good, your meibomian glands can be subject to blockages.
When your meibomian gland becomes blocked, it is known as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), and it can happen for a variety of reasons. Factors like age, medication, or conditions like blepharitis.
If your meibomian gland becomes blocked, what are you to do? Bruder masks can provide the relief you’re looking for.
The Bruder Mask: Your Answer for a Healthy Oil Layer
Bruder masks can quite literally melt away your dry eye symptoms. They are an easy-to-use eye compress you can heat up and place over your eyes.
When you place your Bruder mask in the microwave for about 20 – 25 seconds, it uses a MediBead technology that can soak up moisture from the air. You then place the mask over your eyelids for 5 – 10 minutes while it releases this moisture as heat which then melts the blockages in your meibomian glands.
The result is improved oil production and smooth, comfortable eyes!
If you think a Bruder mask can help provide the relief you need, find a dry eye doctor near you.
