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A Stye is a small pimple that appears on the upper or lower eyelid when an oil gland becomes infected. A stye can also present itself as an inflammation of the eyelid, with no pimple appearing. This may cause the eyelid to swell and appear red, but no pimple actually forms.
These pesky and sometimes painful inflammations are caused by staphylococcal bacteria that live inside your nose. Generally transferring to your eye when you rub your nose first then your eyes.
Stye’s can be contagious when the bacteria within your eye come in contact with someone else’s eyes. It is best to think of this condition similar to pink eye in how it can be passed on and how you can avoid passing it on to others. Do not share towels, face clothes, pillow cases or ladies in your case, eye make ups.
How do you get rid of them?
Stye’s will generally go away on their own given time, but there are a few measures you can take to help speed along the process. Applying a hot, clean compress to your eye for about 10-12 min a few times a day can go along way to help speed up the healing process. You can also try over the counter anti-biotic drops or ointments specifically for the treatment of styes.
You should never try to “pop” a stye, as this can cause further infection. A stye should be left to rupture on its own, as it will drain and heal on its own.
Signs that you may have a Stye…
Generally, the first sign of a Stye is pain on the eyelid, followed by slight swelling and redness of the affected area, and then a small pimple appears. An eye that is infected with a stye, may be extra sensitive to light and you may notice excessive watering. Once the pimple appears on the eyelid it may create a foreign body sensation within the eye.
If the Stye develops on the inside of the eyelid, this may be something that you wish to visit your optometrist with, as these infections can be a little bit more complicated and may not rupture and drain on their own.
January 24, 2012 at 5:07 am
Hi There Lasikthoughts,
Maybe a little off topic, however, I woke up with my eye really swollen and feeling like someone punched me in the eye. My mom gave me some aloe vera to put on the stye and the swelling came down a little bit. Is there anything I can do to get rid of the stye quickly? Home remedies? Please Help!
Great Job!
January 30, 2012 at 11:45 am
The best thing to do when you have a stye, is to take a warm washcloth and hold it over the affected area for about 10 minutes 3-4 times a day. This will help it to heal faster. You can also purchase anti-biotic eye drops for stye’s specifically at a drug store. If you find that after a few days the swelling has not decreased, we would recommend booking an appointment with your eye doctor to have it looked at. Hope that helps!