Cure a Stye

A stye (sometimes spelled "sty," and occasionally called a "hordeolum") is a bacterial infection of the eye caused by the staphylococcal bacteria. Styes usually manifest as small, red lumps that appear along the lash line, in the inner corner of the eye, or on the eyelid. Most styes go away on their own in about two to three days. However, to help your body cure a stye, you can use steam or a warm compress to reduce discomfort and help the stye open, and some over-the-counter treatments may also speed healing. Avoid causing further irritation during this time and see a doctor if the stye worsens or does not go away after a week or so.

Steps

Spotting a Stye

1. Know the symptoms associated with styes. It's unlikely that you won't notice a stye if you have one. Styes commonly cause some level of pain and discomfort. However, because other eye conditions can also be associated with eye pain, it's important to assess the affected eye for telltale stye symptoms if you're experiencing pain. If your symptoms are not consistent with those of a stye, see a doctor to determine treatment options. The following are common initial symptoms of a stye:
   • Redness, tenderness, swelling, and pain in the eyelid.
   • A small, irritated bump on the eyelid or at the base of an eyelid
   • Irritation and/or watering of the affected eye
   • Sensitivity to light
   • Discomfort when blinking\Sore or a shooting pain when you blink
   • The presence of a small yellowish spot at the center of the stye (this represents pus rising to the surface of the stye)
2. Learn to tell the difference between a stye and a chalazion. Styes are identified by their appearance and symptoms alone. There is no medical test for styes. This can sometimes make it difficult to tell the difference between a stye and a chalazion. Chalazia are related to styes, but they are caused when a meibomian gland -- an oil-producing gland in your eyelid -- experiences a blockage and becomes inflamed. Though they may appear superficially similar, chalazia have several qualities that differentiate them from styes. These include the following:
   • Unlike styes, chalazia often don't hurt.
   • Chalazia usually occur on the inside of the eyelid, rather than along its edge.
   • Chalazia progress more slowly than styes. They will usually form more gradually and can last for several months before disappearing
   • Chalazia can grow larger than styes. If they grow large enough, they can even inhibit vision.
   • Though most chalazia eventually go away, persistent chalazia may require surgery to remove.
3. Know when to see a doctor. The vast majority of styes will disappear within a day or two and don't require you to visit a doctor. However, in severe cases, styes can be particularly painful and debilitating. They may even progress into a more serious infection. See your doctor if your stye:
   • Shows no signs of improving within 48 hours
   • Causes your vision to change or worsen
   • Has an excessive amount of discharge and/or a discharge that seems to change over time
   • Causes intense pain that keeps you from performing your everyday activities

Treating and Curing a Stye

1. Ease your discomfort. Styes will typically go away on their own after two or three days. Before they do, however, they can be quite painful and irritating. To make the wait more bearable, use one or more of the common methods listed below to keep your discomfort under control:
   • Apply a warm compress. Wet a clean washcloth with hot water and place it gently on top of your closed eye for ten minutes, repeating four times a day. Warm compresses not only ease pain and inflammation, but also speed the healing process. Press very gently - only as hard is as necessary to keep the compress against your eye.
   • Many traditional home remedies for treating styes use the same basic principles as a warm compress: mild heat, moisture, and light pressure. For example, one traditional remedy is wrapping a freshly hard-boiled egg in a sock, then holding it against the stye.
   • Over-the-counter pain medications can also be used to reduce the severity of eye pain associated with the infection. Use the recommended dosage of a mild painkiller/anti-inflammatory drug like acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen.
2. Protect the eye from further irritation. One of the most important ways to keep your pain level down and speed the healing process is to make sure the stye isn't irritated, disturbed or injured in any way. Though you may have an intense desire to take action and "do something" about your stye, know that, with styes, what you don't do is just as important as what you do. Follow the guidelines below to protect your stye:
   • Don't wear contact lenses if you have a stye, as they will irritate the infection. Take any contacts out and wear glasses instead.
   • Don't press or squeeze the stye in order to drain it. Never poke, prod, or otherwise put pressure on a stye, as this can irritate it. Bursting a stye prematurely can increase your chance of infection, leading to prolonged pain.
   • Don't wear eye makeup. In addition to the possibility that you may irritate the stye, you may also accidentally spread stye-causing bacteria through makeup use.
   • If you must touch your eye, wash your hands carefully before doing so.
3. Try an over-the counter treatment. Basic pain medications aren't the only over-the-counter options for treating styes. A variety of specially-designed medications are also available for this purpose. These remedies come in a variety of forms, including topical ointments, eye drop solutions, and medicated pads. Visit your local pharmacy to see which options are available to you.
   • Polymyxin B sulfate is an effective antibiotic in treating styes and other bacterial eye infections.
   • Commercial lid scrubs and moisturizing solutions may help keep your eye moisturized and relieve discomfort.
4. Avoid straining your eyes. Any activities that strain your eyes, like excessive computer use or reading under poor lighting conditions, should be avoided when you have a stye. The additional eye strain can irritate a stye, prolonging pain and increasing the risk of infection. Take occasional breaks when reading or working at a computer. Close your eyes for a few minutes if needed.
   • If you don't notice any additional irritation from computer use, etc., feel free to continue working. You should still take a break if/when irritation does occur.
5. Allow the stye to open on its own. Within a few days, your stye should begin to shrink and disappear. It may also open on its own and begin to drain. If your stye opens, soak up any discharge with a clean rag and clean the new wound with baby shampoo and water. You can hold clean medical gauze to your eye to help soak up any further discharge.
   • Never deliberately lance or squeeze a stye. This can open you up to the risk of a more serious infection that requires stronger treatment.
6. See a doctor if necessary. If your stye doesn't go away on its own after 2-7 days, or if symptoms seem to be worsening, make an appointment to see your doctor. Doctors may prescribe antibiotics and/or steroid ointments, and, in extreme cases, may need to surgically remove the stye.

Preventing Future Styes

1. Know the risk factors for styes. Though almost anyone can get a stye, certain factors can increase your susceptibility. By eliminating the conditions that can contribute to styes, you lower the risk that you will get a stye in the future. Unfortunately, not all of the risk factors for styes are easy to change or eliminate. Listed below are the factors and conditions that are known to increase a person's chances of getting a stye:
   • High levels of stress
   • High levels of fat in the bloodstream
   • Diabetes mellitus
   • Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid)
   • Seborrhea (an inflammatory skin disorder)
   • Certain other chronic debilitating diseases
   • Being between the ages of 30 and 50 (in this case, the increased risk is very slight)
2. Practice proper hygiene. Styes can be avoided by washing your hands regularly with soap and water, especially before touching or rubbing your eye. Rubbing your eye with dirty hands can transfer bacteria from your hands into your eye, leading to infection. Washing your hands kills the vast majority of this bacteria.
   • Even with clean hands, try to avoid rubbing your eyes. Even clean hands can irritate your eyes.
3. Change your sharing habits. Sharing objects and products that are used in or around the eyes can contribute to the spread of styes. Don't share eye makeup, towels, sunglasses, or other personal items with other people, especially if these people have a stye or a history of styes. These objects can spread styes and other eye infections.
4. Use clean eye makeup. The bacteria that cause styes can be spread via makeup. Discard old or contaminated eye makeup and be sure to keep your good makeup in a clean, safe place. Wash your hands before applying makeup to your eyes. As noted above, avoid sharing makeup with a friend, especially if you or your friend have a history of styes.
5. Keep your eyes clean and free of debris. The initial infection that causes a stye often occurs when one of an eyelid's meibomian glands becomes clogged. Thus, one good way to prevent styes is to decrease the likelihood that a gland will become clogged in the first place. Wear sunglasses or other protective eyewear in environments with a high level of airborne particulate matter. If you work at a construction site or in a manufacturing job, you should always protect your eyes from debris.
   • If you have a history of styes, then you may be naturally more susceptible to styes than the average person. In this case, you may want to take the time to wash your eyes daily with warm water, a clean rag, and/or baby shampoo.

Tips

• If you can't make it to a doctor straight away, boil some water in a kettle and pour it into a small glass bowl or cup. Once it's cooled, take a cloth and squeeze the water over the eye. This will help to clear the infection out a little bit quicker.

Warnings

• Call your doctor if symptoms last for longer than 3 days or if the infection seems to be spreading.
• Minor surgery may be required to remove recurring styes.

Related Articles

• Comfort a Sore and Itchy Eye
• Remove Something from Your Eye

Sources and Citations

See also

• Only Move One Eye
• Prevent Nearsightedness
• Get Pepper Spray Out of Eyes
• Get Rid of Pink Eye Fast
• Treat a Stye
• Improve Your Vision Naturally
• Exercise Your Eyes
• Determine Your Dominant Eye
• Comfort a Sore and Itchy Eye
• Avoid Eye Strain While Working at a Computer

Read more ...

What links here

• Get Rid Of a Stye
• Care for Pink Eye