Is steam eye mask a waste of money?

There are more and more ways to entertain in modern life, such as playing with mobile phones, playing games, staying up late to watch TV series... While we are enjoying ourselves, our eyes are "injured", resulting in symptoms of excessive eye use such as dryness, fatigue, and decreased vision.

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People often use hot compresses to relieve the fatigue, which has led to the popularity of steam eye masks. Wearing an eye mask for hot compresses is convenient, fast and comfortable, so steam eye masks are also called "eye protection artifacts." But is this "eye protection artifact" really that helpful to our eyes? How does it relieve fatigue?

Where does the heat come from?

In fact, the heating principle of the steam eye mask is the oxidation reaction we learned in high school chemistry. The middle layer of the steam eye mask is the self-heating layer, which is actually a full mixture of powdered carbon powder and iron powder. When the eye mask is opened, the carbon powder and iron powder will quickly oxidize when they come into contact with oxygen, thereby generating heat. Many of the current eye mask heating layers have added activated carbon, water-absorbing resin, metal salts, etc., which have better heat generation and breathability.

Steam is water that is heated and becomes gas, and the gas condenses into water droplets when it cools. There is a soft cotton layer in the steam eye mask, which contains water itself, but we cannot feel it at room temperature. When the heating layer starts to release heat, the water in the soft cotton layer is heated and released, forming water vapor of about 40°C that cannot be seen by the naked eye, just like hot water in a cup. When you cover the lid, you will see water vapor generated on the cup wall and the lid.

However, the steam eye mask is not composed of these two simple layers. There are two layers of non-woven fabric in front and behind the iron powder. Its function is to control the oxygen permeability rate, that is, to control the speed of contact between the iron powder and oxygen, so that the reaction can proceed at an appropriate speed. It should not react too fast, otherwise the heat will be concentrated and the temperature will be too high, burning the eyes; nor should it react too slowly, otherwise the heat generated will not be enough, and it will not have any effect. Therefore, these two layers of non-woven fabric are very critical. For a good steam eye mask, the air permeability of the non-woven fabric layer is relatively reasonable.

Is it eye-friendly?

I can tell you clearly that if used properly, steam eye masks can relieve eye fatigue to a certain extent and will not cause damage to the eyes.

Steam eye masks produce water vapor at about 40°C through oxidation reaction, which raises the temperature of eye tissue, speeds up blood circulation in the eyes and the opening of meibomian glands, increases tear secretion, and thus relieves eye fatigue.

However, we would like to remind everyone that when purchasing eye masks, you should carefully choose regular products produced by regular manufacturers and use the products correctly. There are many cases where improper purchase or use of steam eye masks eventually led to skin allergies, conjunctivitis, and keratitis.

Another thing to note is that the steam eye mask should be worn for 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times a week. If you use excessive heat, it will cause bloodshot eyes, which is not conducive to eye protection.

Is it contact lens friendly?

You cannot wear a steam eye mask when wearing contact lenses, because the temperature of the steam eye mask when in use is around 40°C. Using it in a high temperature environment for a long time will accelerate the evaporation of moisture in the contact lenses, or even deform them, causing damage to the eyeball.

Everyone who buys contact lenses knows that they should choose those with high water content and strong oxygen permeability. Therefore, wearing a steam eye mask with contact lenses will accelerate the loss of moisture in the contact lenses, which will definitely be harmful to the eyes.

Why do you feel comfortable after using it?

We often feel dry eyes when we overuse our eyes. The steam eye mask produces water vapor at about 40°C to increase the temperature of the eye tissue, speed up the blood circulation in the eye and the opening of the meibomian glands, increase the secretion of tears, and relax the eye muscles, thereby relieving eye fatigue and relaxing the eyes. Therefore, you will feel your eyes are very comfortable after using the steam eye mask.

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In clinical practice, doctors also recommend that patients use steam eye masks to assist in the treatment of dry eyes.

Eye masks are good, but please use them correctly

Many people like to wear eye masks when sleeping, thinking that they can block light and give their eyes a spa treatment, killing two birds with one stone. But some people worry that wearing them for too long will have an impact on their eyes.

The heating time of a self-heating steam eye mask is limited. After the components in the heating layer react with oxygen, they will no longer continue to heat up. Generally, the heating time of an eye mask can last about 20-30 minutes, and then the temperature will gradually drop, and the eye mask will become an ordinary eye mask, just blocking the light. People who have trouble sleeping may sleep more soundly with an eye mask. Therefore, it is okay to wear a steam eye mask all night. The premise is that your eye mask is of good quality.

There are a few points to note about steam eye masks:

Do not use the eye mask if the packaging is damaged or bulging;

The self-heating steam eye mask is a one-time use product and cannot be reused;

Do not use it at the same time as eye patches or eye drops;

Do not use when there are external wounds on the eyes. For example, if you have eye makeup, you must remove it before use;

Do not apply strong pressure to the eyecup and eyes when using the eyecup.

Therefore, the reasonable use of steam eye masks can relieve our eye fatigue. There are many types of steam eye masks on the market. When purchasing, you must identify regular channels and regular products. Of course, the key is to develop good living habits and eye habits.

Source: Chongqing Science and Technology Museum

author:

Xu Yi is an associate chief physician of pediatric ophthalmology at the Department of Ophthalmology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University.

Xu Chunhong, Ophthalmology Department, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, resident physician, graduate student.

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