What is a stye? A stye forms from an infection of the oil glands within your eyelid. The appearance of a stye is a tiny red bump that forms on your eyelid or within your eyelid. The medical term for styes is hordeolum; there are two types, internal and external. An external hordeolum occurs when the outer eyelid oil gland gets infected, they are typically smaller in size and resolve faster. An internal hordeolum occurs when the inner oil gland is infected, these are typically larger/more painful, take longer to resolve and may need medical intervention. These infections can occur idiopathically, and can also increase in nature with decreased immune system/increased stress.
What to do when a stye knocks on your door?
● Warm compresses. Use a heat eye compress mask and apply gentle heat to the area of the stye for 10 minutes at a time, throughout the day. In a pinch, a warm clean washcloth is better than nothing.
● Cleanse the area of concern. Clean the eyelid/eyelash line well and often. We carry eyelid scrubs/sprays that specifically target these areas.
● If there is pus/discharge coming out at the lash line, then it may be time for antibiotics!
● Come see us for an appointment so we can evaluate and check progress or provide a prescription for antibiotics depending on what treatment is warranted.
How do I avoid a reoccurrence?
If you get one stye, something in your ocular environment can welcome another!
● Avoid touching your eyes without first washing hands well with warm soap and water.
● Get a handle on some allergies; seasonal allergies make our eyes more irritated/itchy and increase the likelihood of us rubbing and touching our eyes and eyelids.
● Get a handle on inflammation within the body. Some inflammatory diseases make us more susceptible to dry/inflamed eyes, and can add insult to injury in clogging these oil glands. Some eye medications are needed if you are concurrently suffering from other conditions such as Demodex blepharitis.