How Do You Treat A Stye In Your Eye?

The red, acne-like bump that appears on the edge of the eye is called stye and occurs due to a bacterial infection. To get rid of it, you have to treat the infection itself. It’s one of the most common eye conditions, and also one of the most annoying ones.

You can identify a stye breakout with the following symptoms:

• A swollen lump on the eyelid.
• Tenderness, pain, and redness.
• The appearance of crusts on the borders of the eyelids.
• Drooping of the eyelid.
• Burning sensation or itching in the eye.
• Discharge from the eye.
• Tearing and watery eyes.
• Sensitivity to light.
• The sensation of something stuck to your eyelid.
• Difficulty in blinking.

Fortunately, the condition is not considered too severe, and there are easy treatment options available. Before delving into the treatment, let’s take a quick look at some facts related to styes:

• Styes can be of two types: hordeolum and chalazion. The causes and treatment of two kinds of styes are different.
• Styes are often painful but generally go away without medications. It’s only when it stays for more than a week that you need medical attention.
• Styes can break out in both interior and exterior edges of the upper and lower eyelids.
• Styes often don’t break out in both eyes. Nonetheless, it’s possible for more than one stye to break out in one eye.

Treatment

The symptoms of a stye breakout go away as soon as the bump ruptures, and the pus drains out. Unless you see any signs of infection, you don’t need medical intervention. In fact, in most case, you can treat with at home using your everyday items. Here are a few things you can do:

Applying warm compression

Soak a washcloth or cotton ball in warm (not hot) water and dab it on the stye gently. The warm compression facilitates the breakdown of bacterial membranes and causes the puss to ooze out. Just five to ten minutes thrice or four times a day is enough. You have to be careful not to press it too hard because the puss may spread the infection.

Over-the-counter medications

In cases when the pain increases, you might need some antibiotics to encourage faster healing. Your doctor may prescribe painkillers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to alleviate pain from sore styes. You may also be prescribed eye-drops or eye-creams to kill the bacteria. Medications are however recommended only when the infection is extreme and stays for a prolonged period.

Surgery

If the pain is too much and the infection stays for long, your doctor may recommend a minor surgery. He or she may remove the eyelash close to the stye, and lance it with a needle to drain the puss away. You may be asked to take some post-operative care measures.

While treating a stye, you should avoid wearing eye makeup and contact lenses because they slow down the healing process. The key to getting rid of a stye is to keep your eyelids clean and take appropriate remedial actions.