The outer edge of the eyelid sometimes develops lumps and this condition is called Stye. It usually has pus and it can be very painful. In rare cases, it can even happen in the inner side of the eyelid and this can cause other complications. It is red in color and often appears like a pimple on the eyelid. There is no specific treatment for this problem and in most cases, they will go on their own without any treatment. However, there are many home remedies that will be useful in bringing down the symptoms of this condition. You should be worried only when the symptoms do not ease after a couple of days. In extreme cases, the swelling can even get into the facial region and start growing. This is where you need medical treatment and using suitable medication can bring relief in quick time.
Symptoms of Stye:
– The most obvious symptom of this condition is the lump on the eyelid. It can happen only on one eye or both depending on the infection. The lump appears similar to a pimple and you will be able to clearly see it with the naked eye.
– The lump is usually red in color and you can also notice some kind of pus formation inside the lump when it begins to grow. This is visible usually after few hours after the infection. In the initial stages, it appears like a tiny dot and begins to grow as pus starts to accumulate inside the lump.
– It is common for people suffering from this infection to experience pain in the eyelids. This becomes predominant when you touch the eyelid and you will have to take pain killers in extreme cases to reduce the symptoms.
– Along with this, you may also notice some swelling in the eyelid region. This is obvious and your doctor will be able to immediately identify the condition with such symptoms. The swelling can increase as pus continues to build up inside the lump.
– It can also lead to tearing and you will experience pain whenever you touch the area near the eyelid to wipe them. This symptom is not present in all conditions and you may get some or all of the symptoms depending on various factors.
– In some cases, when the infection is due to chalazion, there will be no pain and it usually happens on the inner region of the eyelid. You need to pull the eyelid to see the infection and your doctor will be able to identify this condition based on other symptoms of the condition.
– The entire eyelid can become puffy due to the swelling of the region. It can also become red in color due to the infection and these symptoms will go away once the infection is controlled with medication.
Causes of Stye:
– The major cause of this condition is the bacterial infection in the oil glands present in the eyelids. This usually happens when you frequently rub your eyes with your hands. When your hands are not clean, it can accumulate some bacteria and this will infect the eyes in some cases leading to this condition.
– Apart from that, using improper contact lenses also leads to infections in few cases. You should also ensure that you wash them thoroughly as this will help you to reduce chances of eye infection in future.
– Many people do not remove eye makeup when they go to sleep during the night and this can get inside the eyes leading to this condition. For this reason, you should be very careful when you are using cosmetics on your eyes and avoid them whenever possible to stay away from infections. Also make it a point not to share them with other people.
– Other chronic infections can also cause this condition and blepharitis is the major cause of this infection. Even having skin problems can also lead to stye in many cases.
Diagnosis of Stye:
The diagnosis of this condition can be done in quick time by an eye specialist. Most of the times, the symptoms will be obvious and there is no need for complicated tests to determine this condition. Based on the symptoms, you will have to undergo suitable treatment that can give you relief in quick time. When your eyes are observed under the magnifying glass with light at the end of it, your doctor will get complete idea about the condition. In rare cases, when the infection has spread to other regions, you may be required to go for some photographic tests.
Prevention of Stye:
– There are many precautions you can take to avoid this condition. Remember to maintain the hygiene of your eyes and reduce your exposure to outdoor environment as the dust and harsh UV rays can affect your eyes.
– Many people have the habit of rubbing their eyes with hands and this can lead to various infections and even lead to Stye in future. Also make it a point to wash your hands regularly as this will sanitize it and you will reduce the chances of infection by a huge margin. Whenever you feel like rubbing your eyes, make sure that you use a cloth that is clean as this will prevent many infections.
– There are many harmful effects of cosmetics on your eyes and you may be using them without knowing about these facts. If you have any infections, you should avoid wearing make up on your eyes as this will complicate the situation. In the same manner, it makes sense to avoid sharing your cosmetics with other people as this will also increase the chances of getting eye infection.
– When you want to wear contact lenses, make sure that they are clean as using dirty lenses can cause infection. You can also switch to disposable contact lenses when you are affected with any sort of eye infection. If possible, have a spare prescription glass that you can use in this situation. When you have no other option but to use contact lenses, clean them using a good quality disinfectant and this will help you in future.
– If you are having any symptoms of eye infection, you can prevent further damage by using warm compresses on the eyes. However, you should try to use a clean cloth for this purpose as this will ensure that you will not be complicating the infection in any manner.
– Many people suffering from other conditions of eyes like blepharitis will suffer from this condition. For this reason, you should always take good care of the eyes and take proper medication as per the suggestions of your doctor.
– When you have to step out of home, it is better to use sunglasses or protective eye gear during night time as this will reduce the chances of infection by preventing exposure to dust and other toxic materials. When you have to work in factories or construction units, you need to use protection eye gear to prevent various infections.
Treatment for Stye:
– There is no need for any treatment in most cases as the condition will go away on its own without causing serious complications. However, when the infection is spreading at a rapid pace and causing too much pain, you can use some antibiotics to get quick relief from symptoms.
– Apart from that, you may also be advised to use some creams that will reduce the inflammation in the eyelids. This will also reduce the swelling and you will be able to get long term relief in this manner.
– In rare cases, when the pus has accumulated in large quantities, you will have to go for surgery and this will help you to stop the infection from spreading to other regions. It will also reduce swelling immediately and you can get back to normal in quick time.
– There are very few complications out of the surgery or other treatments given to reduce the symptoms of this condition. You can also get some relief by using some home remedies and most people prefer to use the warm compressions as this will reduce pain by a huge margin. You can also get relief from swelling and redness by using them on your eyelids for few minutes.
Complications of Stye:
– In most cases, this condition does not lead to serious complications and you can easily get good relief with proper treatment. However, they may lead to chalazion in the long run when you are suffering from this problem for many months. This usually happens due to the blocking of the glands and it can cause some complications in future even though it may not be very painful in the initial stages.
– Till they get infected, they are usually painless and you will not notice too many complications. Once the lump becomes infected, you will have problems as this is in the inner region of the eyelid and it can cause other problems in this region. The best thing you can do in this situation is to get it treated with antibiotics as this will reduce the infection in quick time.
– You will often notice that the lump will go away on its own without much treatment. In cases when this is not working, you may have to opt for surgery and this will lead to quick relief from the symptoms. There are however very few complications of this surgery as it is not too advanced and it can be done in quick time.
– In rare cases when the infection has spread to the tissues in the eyes, it leads to cellulitis. This form of inflammation of the eyes affects the skin tissues around the eyes and leads to various complications like swelling in this region.
– It can often be very painful and you will also notice that the area becomes very warm due to the inflammation of the eyelids.
Myths:
Myth #1: Rubbing eyes will not cause stye :
You will be surprised to know that even rubbing your eyes can lead to this condition in many cases. There is no need to worry when your hands are clean and you are rubbing the eyes for only a few seconds. When this becomes too frequent, you will increase the chances of getting infection due to dirty hands. For this reason, you should always use a clean cloth whenever you feel like rubbing your eyes and gently wipe it few times. The other option is to wash your eyes with clean water and this will get rid of the irritation in no time.
Myth #2:It affects only children :
There is no reason to believe that this condition only affects young children as it can affect anyone even without proper reason. Many adults also get affected to this condition and the chances of getting infected increases when you are already suffering from other eye problems.
Myth #3: Surgery is the only cure :
This is completely false and surgery is the last option used to treat this condition when everything else has failed to give relief from symptoms. In fact, there is no need for any treatment in most cases as the lump will go away on its own without causing any issues. On the other hand, when the lump starts growing and it starts affecting other regions of the eyes apart from the eyelids, you may have to go for surgery. Even the surgery performed in this case is not complicated and you can easily get it done in quick time.
Conclusion:
You need not have to worry about this condition too much as it can easily be resolved by using home remedies. There are very few complications of this condition and it usually resolves on its own without the need for any treatment. When you reduce the symptoms using some remedies, the lump will go away in quick time. In most cases, using simple antibiotics will be more than enough to provide relief from the problem. In extreme cases, when the condition starts spreading to other regions, surgery will be needed. However, it is also possible to take precautionary measures and prevent this condition in the long run.
