Stye: Cause, Symptoms and Treatment

What is Sty?

A sty is a bacterial infection which occurs on the edge and inside of the eyelids. It appears like a boil or a pimple. It is a pus filled lump which is very painful also. It becomes difficult for the person suffering with sty to open the eye properly due to its swollen size.

There may more than one sty in an eyelid which causes inflammation in whole eyelid. This type of infection is called blepharitis. Sties clear away within few days but in the meantime you can take help some measures to relieve the discomfort and the pain caused in the eye. If a person has chronic blepharitis, its treatment can prevent sty formation.

Sign and Symptoms of the Sty

 Sty starts off with a small lump and it gradually fills with pus. At this time there is sever pain in the sty but as the pus releases out of the sty, pain disappears. Eventually sty clear away after sometimes.

Characteristic symptoms of the sty are

Presence of a red lump which seems like a boil or pimple

Sever Pain

Sensitive to light

Person feels scratchy sensation in the eye.

What are the causes of Sty?

Sty is a bacterial infection. It is caused by thestaphylococcus bacteria. This kind of infection develops at the root (follicle) of the eyelash. A person may have one or more sties at a time or may have several sties in succession . Sties are believed to have originated due to lack of proper hygiene. It is not a contagious infection. The probable reasons of development of sty are

Use of expired cosmetics,

Leaving the eye makeup overnight

People who wear contact lenses can have sty because sometimes they do not disinfect their hands or the contact lens before putting it into their eyes.

Sty may form due to tendency of chronic blepharitis

When you should see a doctor:

 Sties are not harmful as they do not affect your eye sight. They may hamper your ability to see temporarily as you are unable to open your eye fully. You should consult a doctor when it interferes with your vision; you get sties again and again and become a chronic problem, in case sty does not clear away itself, redness of its infection spreads into the face and also it does not respond to any self care treatment.

Diagnosis of Sty:

Doctor identifies sty with its symptoms. There may be any other type of swelling on the eyelid which appear like sty but need different treatment. If it is not a sty, he may refer you to an ophthalmologist for further treatment.

What is the Treatment for Eye Sty?

If you are diagnosed with an eye sty, doctor may recommend a topical antibiotic cream which is to be applied on your eyelid. To relieve the pain and pressure, doctor may lance and drain the sty in case it does not rupture or burst on its own.

To treat a mild eye sty, there is no need for any oral antibiotic but in case of chronic sty, doctor may advice treatment with oral antibiotics.

Self-care for Eye Sty:

 You should take care of sty to relieve pain and discomfort.

  Never squeeze a sty yourself to take out pus. You can relieve the pain in a sty by soaking a clean cloth in warm water and applying it over the sty for 10 minutes. It will also help sty to burst out on its own.

 You can take following steps to prevent recurrent infections.

Always wash your hands after touching a sty or any nose infection. At first point, do not touch sty at all but if you do, follow proper steps to wash your hands. In case of children, be more precautious as they are more prone to sties.

Be careful while using cosmetics: Avoid using old cosmetics and also do not share it with any one else. Also, do not share your cosmetics brushes.

Always make sure that your contact lenses are clean. Before placing contact lenses in your eyes, disinfect your hands and contact lenses.