What is a Stye?

A stye is a red bump, somewhat like a pimple, that forms on the outside edge of the eyelid. When an eye gland is blocked, bacteria can grow inside and cause a stye to develop. Usually, a stye will be on one eyelid, but it is possible to have them in both eyes at the same time. A stye can be on the outside or the inside of your eyelid. External styes are the most common, and they can begin in an eyelash follicle or in an oil (sebaceous) gland. An internal stye may begin in the oil (meibomian) gland within your eyelid tissue. They push on your eye as they grow and are usually more painful than external styes.

Symptoms can include eyelid pain, eyelid swelling, and tearing.

If you’ve had a stye, you probably know how uncomfortable they can be. And thankfully, styes can be prevented by stopping some unhealthy habits:

  • Touching your eyes with unwashed hands
  • Putting in your contact lenses without thoroughly disinfecting them or your hands first
  • Leaving on eye makeup overnight
  • Using old or expired cosmetics such as mascara or eyeliner

Some medical conditions can make you more prone to developing styes as well:

  • Having blepharitis, a chronic inflammation along the edge of the eyelid
  • Having rosacea, a skin condition characterized by facial redness

How to Prevent Styes

The best advice for preventing styes is to be more thoughtful around your eye cleanliness:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water before touching your eyes.
  • Clean your eyelids periodically with a Q tip dipped in warm water and diluted baby shampoo.

Makeup Best Practices

  • Make sure to always remove eye makeup every night before sleeping.
  • Replace daily mascara every three months
  • Replace occasionally used mascara every six months
  • Replace liquid eyeliner every three months
  • Replace solid eye pencil every two to three years.

How to Treat a Stye

Right away

Luckily, there are a few things you can do immediately to provide some relief. Clean your face with mild soap and water. Try to use soap without a fragrance as this could further irritate it.

Rest with a warm compress on your eye 2-3 times per day for 10 minutes each time. You can also use a warm teabag, which helps soothe inflammation. Take over-the-counter pain medication to further reduce inflammation and pain.

It is important to never try to pop or squeeze a stye as it can spread the infection to the rest of your eyelid.

For the next few days

Continue using a warm compress as needed. This can help liquefy the hardened material in the eye, drain the pus in an external stye, and unclog the drainage route for the pus and debris. Using a compress once a day can help to heal your stye and to prevent a recurring one.

Massaging the stye with a warm compress can also help break up the materials and debris in the stye helping with drainage. Be sure to use clean fingertips and massage in a circular motion.

You can use a mild soap or gentle shampoo on a cotton swab to help remove drainage and crusting around the eye. A small amount of blood may be seen during drainage which is normal. If there is a lot of blood, consult your doctor right away.

Avoid wearing makeup and contact lenses. Massage the area to promote drainage.

When to Get it Checked Out by a Doctor

Styes typically heal without treatment. However, below are a few things to look out for that will require a doctor’s visit.

  • You don’t see improvement within a few days
  • The drainage of the stye contains a lot of blood
  • Rapid growth
  • Increased swelling

Vistar Eye Center is here to help if you have a stye or continue to struggle with them. Schedule an appointment at one of our convenient locations across Southwest Virginia, and we’ll give you personalized recommendations for dealing with styes and preventing them in the future.