How to Treat a Stye on Your Eyelid
“My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death.” –The Bible
If you’re wondering how to treat a stye on your eyelid, then you may be suffering from one of these painful red bumps even as you read this. The good news is that styes are common among people of all ages, they’re not contagious, and they’re not regarded as a serious health problem. In most cases, styes go away in seven to ten days without treatment (often less), and no physical scarring will remain.
What Causes a Stye?
If you’ve ever wondered what causes a stye, here’s the simple answer: Styes are most often caused by either a bacterial infection or by an oil gland at the base of the eyelash being blocked.
The infection which causes styes is known as Staphylococcus aureus. This bacteria is often located on the surface of the skin (along with a host of other kinds of bacteria), and it can get into the oil glands that provide lubrication.
Identifying a Stye
How to Treat a Stye on Your Eyelid
If you need help identifying a stye, try using this simple list:
- Does the area on or near your eyelid have a small, red bump?
- Is the bump tender to the touch or perhaps even when you’re at rest?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, then there’s a high probability that you have a stye. If you doubt your ability to self-diagnose, your family physician can identify a stye by simply looking at it (no special tests are required).
Treating a Stye
If you’re still wondering how to treat a stye on your eyelid, try following these simple pieces of advice:
- Do nothing. This is usually the best treatment for a stye, as they will normally decrease in size and disappear on their own. When the stye is larger, they may also break open and drain on their own. It’s important not to squeeze or rub the stye.
- You can speed up the process of the stye coming to a head and draining by applying a warm compress to the area a few times each day.
- Lancing – Do not try this at home. A doctor may choose to lance a persistent stye to facilitate draining.
- Antibiotic ointment. May be prescribed by a doctor.
- Oral antibiotics such as Amoxicillin may also be prescribed by a doctor.
When to See a Doctor About a Stye
An important part of knowing how to treat a stye on your eyelid is knowing when to seek the advice of a medical professional. If any of the following occur, you should consider contacting your family physician:
- If you have trouble seeing. In some cases, the oil gland can become fully blocked, resulting in a condition known as Chalazion. Consult your doctor for a diagnosis, as untreated Chalazion can take over a year to heal.
- If the infection (or redness) appears to be spreading to other areas of the eyelid.
- The stye keeps returning.
Preventing a Stye
In addition to knowing how to treat a stye on your eyelid, it’s also a good idea to learn how to prevent a stye from occurring in the first place. Here are a few tips which may help with preventing a stye:
- Always wash your hands before touching the area around your eye, especially if you have a tendency to get styes.
- Avoid stress, as this can often be a factor in getting styes.
- Eat a balanced meal. Poor nutrition can also be a factor.
- Avoid using the same razor to shave moustache hair and any hair around the eyes. This can spread the bacteria that causes styes.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can retard your immune system’s effectiveness and cause an increase in styes.
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 2:17 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.