<p>rockvillemom, I’m interested in your experience with the compresses. I’ve been using very warm washcloths as compresses for a couple of years, and they do help. But they don’t stay warm very long. How long do the Thermalon compresses retain heat? And how warm do they get?</p>
<p>I am a big believer in whole house humidifiers. Last winter, after suffering for a couple of years with itchy eyes and nosebleeds, it finally dawned on me that it was probably all related to the humidity level. It has been extremely dry in my area, as it has in much of the country. We went to the home improvement store, picked out a humidifier, and DH installed it in a few hours. I no longer get up in the middle of the night to put eye drops in my eyes!</p>
<p>The Thermalon compress is pretty cool. It was only $11 on Amazon - so not a big investment. You put it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and then keep it on for a few minutes. It has ribbons so that you could tie it behind your head - but I find it easier to just lie down for 5 minutes - it stays warm for that length of time. It kind of feels like a beanbag - as far as the innards of it. It seems to release moisture as well as heat - my eyes feel very moist when I remove it. It works much better than a washcloth and less mess as well.</p>
<p>justamom - we do have a humidifier on our furnace - but I do not have one in the bedroom. Perhaps that is worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion.</p>
<p>We have high humidity in HI, so at least I have that aspect covered. Guess I will just give up on contacts. :(.</p>