In a normal situation, oil from the meibomian gland is produced by the glands and released onto the tear film. The oil floats on the tears and protects against evaporation.
MGD results in either insufficient or hypersecretion of meibum by the meibomian glands.
If there is insufficient “meibum,” the tears evaporate faster and causes dry eye.
In hypersecretion with hyper viscosity, the quality of the meibum is thick and clouds the tear film. It can also lead to blockage of the meibomian glands preventing the oils from being secreted. As the oil continues to be produced but not cannot be secreted due to the blocked outlet, a stye develops.
Hypersecretion is more commonly seen due to our use of devices and reading. We blink less while using digital devices or reading. Infrequent blinking causes less lubrication across the eyes, thus stimulating meibomian glands to produce excessive meibum, resulting in blockage of glands overtime.
Read more about the treatment for Meibomitis at here.