What is a stye?
A stye is a red, painful lump at the base of your eyelash, or sometimes, under the lid. Another name for stye is Hordeolum. Stye is usually because of a bacterial infection, along with a small collection of pus. Very often, the infection is caused by the Staphylococcus bacteria.
The two kinds of stye are:
- External hordeolum: When the stye is because of an infection of the hair follicle (the base of your eye lash), its called an external hordeolum. This usually looks like pimple, on the edge of your eyelid.
- Internal hordeolum: An internal hordeolum is actually a stye inside your eyelid. In fact, this is usually because of an infection of the oil-producing gland in your eyelid. This, typically, is more painful than hordeolum externum.
Symptoms of stye
- Your eyelid may feel red and itchy.
- Swelling at the edge of your eyelid, or within the eyelid. This swelling may turn yellow and release pus. When the pus is drained, the pain often subsides.
- Sometimes it spreads to the surrounding area. In this case, your doctor may term it a preseptal cellulitis.
- Pain
- Crusting of the margins of the eyelids
Foreign body sensation
Risk factors
- Using cosmetics after their use-by dates
- Not removing eye makeup meticulously
- Sharing eye make up/ brushes
- Poor hand hygiene
- Blepharitis, or inflammation of the eyelids
- Diabetes
- Decreased immunity
- Refractive error, especially in children and adolescents
Treatment
Warm compresses
Dip some cotton in a bowl of drinking water, and bring it to the boil. Allow it to cool, till its tolerably hot. Hold it to your eyelid firmly for 10–15 minutes at a time. Repeat this at least twice a day. This helps in releasing the pus more readily, and therefore, helps resolve the pain and swelling.
Local ointment
Your eye doctor will prescribe either an antibiotic ointment, or a combination of antibiotic with a mild steroid ointment for local application.
Oral antibiotics
Sometime when the infection spreads (preseptal cellutitis, as decribed above), your doctor may advise you to take oral antibiotics.
Oral anti-inflammatory/ painkillers
These drugs help in two ways: they decrease the swelling, and also ease the pain.
Remember
- Styes usually resolve in four to five days. If your symptoms increase, or persist, please see your eye doctor promptly.
- Also seek an appointment with your eye doctor in case of copious pus discharge, swelling spreading to the adjacent eyelid, or cheek. Also, make sure you contact your doctor immediately in case of any decrease in vision.
- Do not to use eye makeup, or wear contact lenses until the stye has completely resolved.
- Keep your make up brushes clean. Do not share them.
- In case of recurrent styes, consider getting your blood sugar checked.
- Also, make sure you visit your eye doctor for a thorough eye examination in case the infection is frequent.
