Eye Stye Treatment: Remedies and Tips to Get Rid of Eye Stye

A general bacterial infection at the edge of the eyelid, affecting the hair follicle of an eyelash is called an Eye Stye. It has the appearance of a boil or a pimple. This infection leads to the hair follicles getting blocked and swollen resulting in pain, itching and discomfort. When one of the very small glands situated at the base of the eyelash gets infected with staphylococcal bacteria, it causes an eye stye. This infection normally spreads from one hair shaft to another, during rubbing to get relief from constant itching.

An eye stye normally takes 3 to 7 days to develop. While the inflammation may block vision, an eye stye does not impair vision. The early symptoms of an eye stye are: pain, inflammation of the eye or eyelid, difficulty in blinking, light sensitivity, blurred vision accompanied by redness of the eye. Sometimes tearing of the eyelid may also happen. Generally, an eye stye starts with a small pimple. Within the next few days, it gets filled with pus and consequently bursts and heals on its own with the draining of infection. As soon as pressure is relieved, there is marked relief from pain and inflammation.

This disease condition is believed to be caused by some debility in the system. It can even be caused due to blockage of glands by dirt or refraction error. It is advisable to seek a professional medical opinion, to avoid any wrong diagnosis between a stye and a chalazion. Chalazion is a lump, formed on the eyelid, caused by non-bacterial infection. An examination of the eyelid is needed to know the cause of the infection.

Causes of Eye Styes

While the exact cause of a stye is not known, it may develop from the following:

When we use our hands to rub our eyes, we not only irritate the oil glands but the bacteria from our hands get transferred.
We may cause eye irritation and help in bacteria to be transmitted if the mascara, eye-liner and other eye products that we use are contaminated.
When the pores of the oil glands are clogged. This blockage prevents the pore from draining resulting in swelling.

Symptoms of Eye Styes

Eyes turning red accompanied by slight pain and tenderness.
Inflammation in some portion of the eye that resembles a lump.
Tearing of the eye
Irritation when blinking
Sensitivity and aversion to light
Pain in the eye or eyelid aggravated by touch
Hazy vision of the affected eye

Treatment of Eye Styes

Warm compress which you need to hold for several minutes on the affected eye. Repeat this 3 to 4 times daily.
Timely and regular application of the prescribed antibiotic drop helps to combat infection.
If the stye does not respond to treatment, surgical drainage may be advisable.

Home Remedies for Eye Styes

You can take a clean wet cloth and use it as a warm compress for about ten minutes pressing it gently on the affected eye. Repeat this 3 to 4 times daily. This helps in the supporation of the stye. Supporation means the formation a head of a pimple or boil. The warm compress hastens the white blood corpuscles to combat infection. Your Doctor may also prescribe some antibiotic drops or cream for local application. If you get repeated infection of the eye, application of an antibiotic ointment helps in the prevention of recurrence.

Rub some clove in water and apply over the stye to get relief and cure.
Apply a poultice of some grated potato to diminish inflammation.
Take an aloe leaf. Slit it lengthwise. Place the pulpy and soft side on the eye sore.
Take 1 tsp of coriander seeds. Boil it in a cupful of water, like you make herbal tea. Wash your eyes with this liquid 3 – 4 times a day.
Boil 1 teaspoon of turmeric in 2 cups of water, till the water becomes half. Cool and strain 4 to 5 times through a fine muslin. Use it as eye drops 3 – 4 times a day.
Dissolve 2 – 3 granules of alum in a cup of water. Use it as an eyewash.
There is no better substitute than warm compression for the treatment of eye stye. Apply this for 10-15 minutes 3-4 times a day for several days in a row. This is a guaranteed pain reliever and also helps in the formation of a head of the pimple. Once this ruptures and the fluid inside drains out, you get healed.
To reduce redness, pain and inflammation, take a few guava leaves, wrap it in a piece of warm, damp cloth and use it as a compress.
Take a handful of acacia leaves and boil them in 2 cups of water. Use this decoction as a compress for the sore eye.

In case the stye does not respond to any treatment, surgical drainage might be necessary.

Non-prescription medications for Eye Styes

To keep the infected moisturized all the time, there are several non-prescription and local-application products available. They mostly contain petroleum jelly. Though these products bring relief to pain, inflammation, redness, itching and burning sensations but they can not be used for the treatment of, or cure from the infection.

Prevention Tips for Eye Styes

You can take the following Tips for Prevention of an Eye Stye:

Do not touch the sore eye with your bare hands – as hands carry harmful bacteria.
Let the styes burst on their own – do not use force.
Never “pop” a stye like a pimple – as the infection may then spread to the other eye also.
Squeezing a stye results in the bacteria flowing into the blood stream.
Wash your hands thoroughly after touching or treating boils, pimples, acne or any other wound and before you touch the area around your eye.
Always use clean tissues to clean areas around the eyes.
A lot of eye infections are infectious and can be easily passed on to others. Especially the treatment of eye styes requires a high level of hygiene. It is recommended not to share eye make-ups, towels or face cloth. Special care on hygiene and cleanliness also needs to be taken while putting on or removing contact lenses.

VISITOR COMMENTS on "Eye Stye Treatment: Tips and Remedies to Get Rid of Eye Stye ":

susziq said,	16th January 07
try polymyxin b/tmp eye drops that what the doctor gave me

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