Today, I woke up with blocked meibomian glands.

Meibomian glands are lipid glands along the rims of the eyelid inside the tarsal plate, which produce an oily substance to prevent the evaporation of tears. Mine are selectively operational. The fatty substance blocks the exit, creating small cysts, leaving my eyes red and dry.

This is the first recurrence in several months, so I’m taking it as an opportunity to put on my thinking cap and investigate, rather than fret. What have I done differently lately? Is this accompanied by any other subtle autoimmune symptoms?

While I may not have access to a lab or large cohort of study participants, I can run my own one-man observational study. I can follow up with additional studies, implementing small changes and then analyze results. With enough experimentation, I may come to understand which factors are problematic for me.

I am curious by nature.