A sty is a painful, red, pimple-like swelling that forms at the edge of the eyelid. Sometimes the eyelash follicle or the sebaceous gland of the eyelid becomes infected. Although this inflammation is bothersome, often painful, and swollen, it typically goes away on its own in about a week. Despite these characteristics, the sty is usually not dangerous. You can take steps to relieve pain and reduce swelling, as well as prevent others from forming in the future. Read on to learn more.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Treating the sty
Step 1. Clean the sty
Inflammation usually occurs randomly, but is sometimes stimulated by foreign bodies that come into contact with the eyes (such as dust or make-up). The sty itself is a small bacterial infection. If any of these small masses form on your eye, the first thing you need to do is clean the area.
- Wash your hands thoroughly then, with a cotton swab or simply with clean hands, gently clean the sty with warm water. You can also use a special eyelid scrub or dilute a baby shampoo that won't make you tear.
- Make sure both your hands and the cotton ball are clean, otherwise you could transfer even more dust or germs to the delicate area.
- Most often styes are caused by a bacterial staph infection (entering the hair follicle or gland in the corner of the eye), often triggered by simple contact with dirty hands. However, there may be other bacteria responsible for the formation of styes.
Step 2. Apply a warm compress
This is the best remedy to treat the painful swelling caused by sty. To prepare the compress, use a towel or other clean fabric soaked in hot water. Place it on your eye and leave it in place for 5-10 minutes.
- When it cools down, dip it back into the hot water and repeat the procedure for another 5-10 minutes.
- Repeat the treatment 3-4 times a day. Be consistent and persist until the sty disappears.
- Alternatively, you can also use warm (not hot) tea bags, which are just as effective as compresses. Some people recommend using chamomile tea bags, which have soothing properties.
- The heat of the compress can cause the sty to shrink or expel pus. If this happens, gently rinse the area. Don't press or squeeze the bulge - just apply light but firm pressure.
- Once the pus has drained, the symptoms should subside rather quickly.
Step 3. Don't crush or squeeze the sty yourself
You may be tempted to force pus or other fluids out, but you have to resist. If you try to squeeze it as if it were a pimple it would only greatly aggravate the situation, spreading or causing the infection to penetrate deeper and even causing scarring.
Step 4. Apply an antibacterial cream
Buy an ointment to treat sty that you find on sale in pharmacies. If you are not sure which product to choose, discuss the various options with your pharmacist. Apply a small amount to the sty, being careful not to get it into the eye.
- These ointments help heal faster.
- The local anesthetic contained in many of these creams provides temporary relief from the discomfort created by the inflammation. However, if it enters the eye it can cause significant damage, so use extreme caution when applying the drug.
- If any ointment gets into your eye, rinse it gently with warm water and then contact your doctor.
- Do not use more than indicated on the package.
Step 5. Try a natural home remedy
Some natural substances can help heal the sty, reducing pain and swelling. Make sure you are not using these products inside the eye, and if you experience a stinging or discomfort, stop using them immediately. Although there is no clinical evidence of their effectiveness, you can still try these remedies to try to get rid of the annoying lump.
- Rinse with a solution of coriander seeds. Soak them in water for an hour, strain them, and use the liquid to wash the affected eye. These seeds are believed to be able to reduce the swelling of the sty.
- Use aloe vera. The sap from this plant can reduce swelling and redness. Cut a leaf lengthwise, extract the gel inside and apply it on the suffering area. If you don't have the plant available, you can use a pad soaked in gel (which you can easily find on the market in major supermarkets or pharmacies). Some people use a blend of aloe and chamomile gel.
- Apply a guava leaf compress. This is a popular home remedy for reducing pain and swelling caused by sty. Soak the leaves in hot water and apply the solution to the eye for 10 minutes.
- Use potatoes. Chop it into a paste and spread it on a clean, soft cloth, then apply it to the inflammation to reduce swelling.
Step 6. Take over-the-counter pain relievers
If the stye is very painful, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can offer relief during the first few days of the inflammation. Choose a drug containing salicylic acid or ibuprofen to quickly reduce discomfort.
- Take only the recommended dose indicated on the leaflet.
- Do not give aspirin to children and young people under the age of 16.
Step 7. Go to the doctor
Seek medical attention if the sty doesn't go away after a week. If it is very painful, red, swelling is spreading, or if your vision begins to be impaired, see your eye doctor immediately for treatment. If the stye gets worse, it could be the result of some other disease and you may be undergoing the following treatments:
- Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, especially if you have bacterial conjunctivitis. This disorder usually resolves quickly after antibiotic treatment.
- The ophthalmologist can insert a needle or a very fine-tipped scalpel to incise the sty; consequently the bulge breaks and pus comes out of the small hole, thus facilitating healing.
- If you suffer from some dermatological disorder, such as rosacea or seborrhea, you may more easily contract blepharitis, the inflammation of the eyelid rim. In this case, your doctor will advise you to start a specific hygiene regimen for the affected area of the eye.
- If you don't know an ophthalmologist, ask your GP for one, do a search in the yellow pages or online under the heading "ophthalmologist", indicating your city.
- Feel free to contact a doctor at any time of the infection. You don't have to wait a week to go to a professional.
Method 2 of 2: Preventing the Horde's Recurrence
Step 1. Wash your eyelids
If you often suffer from styes, it means that your eyes are particularly susceptible to bacterial infections. Use a clean cloth and a mild shampoo, such as baby shampoo, or a specific eyelid scrub and wipe them gently. At the end, rinse thoroughly with warm water.
If you are particularly prone to this condition, you should wash your eyelids every day
Step 2. Wash your hands before touching your face
One of the main ways of contracting the sty is to transfer the bacteria from the hands to the eyes; avoid rubbing or touching them.
Wash towels regularly and never share them with someone who has a sty
Step 3. Practice good contact lens hygiene
If you wear LACs, you need to touch your eyes often, so you need to make sure your hands are clean every time you insert and remove your lenses. LACs themselves can also spread bacteria, so you need to make sure you wash them with a cleaning solution every day.
- Don't wear contact lenses when you have a sty. If you were to wear them despite the inflammation, you would increase the risk of transmitting the infection to the underlying cornea.
- Do not wear them for longer periods than they were designed for. If you wear daily lenses (for example disposable lenses), you only have to use them for one day and then throw them away. If you wear monthly ones (which you can use every day but need to be replaced every month), be sure to change them and wear new ones after 4 weeks.
- Don't keep ACLs overnight. Even though they are built with a specific material for continued port, they actually cause problems if you are particularly susceptible to styes.
- Always follow the directions given to you by your ophthalmologist regarding the appropriate use of contact lenses. You should not put them in certain situations where their use is not recommended, such as when swimming (unless you are wearing very tight swimming goggles).
Step 4. Put your make-up on correctly
Eyeliner and eyeshadow applied under the eyelid can cause stye, especially if you tend to wear makeup often and reapply it throughout the day. Try to limit yourself to the area above the lashes and use a small amount.
- When you sleep, remove your make-up from your eyes. Use an eye makeup remover and rinse your face with warm water to get rid of any residue before going to sleep.
- Change your makeup and applicators often. Toothbrushes, sticks and pencils you use to apply make-up get dirty over time and can spread bacteria every time you use them.
- As with contact lenses, pencils, brushes and other similar makeup applicators often come into contact with the eyes. If they contain harmful bacteria, it is very likely that they can spread them and cause styes.
- Do not share eye make-up with other people.
Advice
- If you usually wear corrective contact lenses, you should wear glasses when you have inflammation.
- For temporary relief, place slices of fresh cucumber over your eyes and leave them in place for 10-15 minutes.
- If you don't want to buy new makeup brushes and applicators, use an antibacterial soap and olive oil to clean the ones you have.
Warnings
- Consult your doctor before attempting to treat sty yourself.
- Do not try to crush or cut it without the intervention of a doctor; you could aggravate the infection by spreading the bacteria and also causing scarring.
- Do not apply eye make-up when you have this inflammation, it will aggravate the problem.
