How to Treat a Stye on your eye

Before we discuss how to treat a stye, let us get to know what a stye is.

A stye is a small lump that appears either at the inner or outer part of the eyelid. It is a result of oil blockage at the glands that backups through the wall and eventually forms into lumps. These lumps are usually red and painful and may worsen with the presence of bacteria.

Eye Stye Pictures

Check out eye stye picture to see how they look

Causes of Stye

The most common cause of stye is the infection of staphylococcus bacteria. Other causes include diabetes, use of eyeliner or other cosmetics that may irritate the eyes, improper eyelid hygiene, stress and hormonal changes.

Signs and Symptoms of  Eye Stye

Signs and symptoms may vary from mild to severe cases. Here are the most common symptoms of stye infection:

• Redness

• Pain

• Swelling of an eyelid

• Lump at the bottom or top eyelid

• Droopiness of the eyelid

• Blurred vision

• Watery eyes

• Itching

• Discomfort especially when blinking

In severe cases, a person with stye infection may develop internal hordeolum. It is characterized by yellowish pus that appears at the center of the stye and is really painful; patients may only feel relief after it ruptures.

Stye Treatment

Worsening can be prevented if you know how to treat a stye before it gets infected. Here are some tips that will surely help get rid of the annoying stye.

 Home Remedy to treat stye

• Warm Compress: close your eyes and gently apply a warm washcloth at the infected area for about 10 minutes. Try to do this method for four to six times a day as it helps with the drainage.

• Tea Bags: warm a teabag in a cup and let it steep. When it’s cooled down, place it on your affected eye and keep it there for as long as you like. You can repeat this method anytime you want.

• Heated Garlic: heat a piece of garlic just enough to avoid burning yourself and place it on the stye until it cools down. You can reheat the garlic and repeat until the stye reduces its size.

• Aloe Vera: the gel from the aloe vera leaf can be applied directly to the stye.

• Guava leaves: when warmed and places in a damp cloth, this method can help reduce pain, redness and swelling of the eyelid.

• Wash your eyes with clean water and gently scrub your eyelids with mild soap or shampoo. This method can help with the drainage.

• Gently massage the affected area.

• Avoid using irritating make-up products when you have stye for these may help worsen your condition.

• Avoid squeezing the stye for it may lead to a more serious infection.

• If you are using contact lenses, avoid wearing them for now to avoid spread of the bacteria towards the cornea.

 Medical Treatment for Eye Stye

Oral antibiotics and antibiotic ointments are given to treat stye patients. In some rare cases, surgical drainage might be the last option when everything else don’t work. The ophthalmologist may resort to cutting a small portion just enough to drain the pus inside the stye.

Prevention of Stye

Practicing stye prevention is better than learning on how to treat a stye. The number one rule is keeping proper hygienic practices. Always keep your hands clean and frequent face washing can help prevent formation or from coming back. Avoid sharing make ups and throw away contaminated products, remember prevention is better than cure.