July 2023 - Armadale Eye Clinic

how to get rid of an eye stye melbourne armadale eye clinic

How to Get Rid of An Eye Stye? Treatment Options & Prevention

July 18, 2023/0 Comments/in Oculoplastic Surgery /by Armadale Eye Clinic Team

Though styes are a reasonably common, harmless red bump on the eyelid, they can cause some bother. Whether you’re able to ignore the painful bump on your eyelid or are looking to get rid of a stye as soon as possible, this is what you should know when it comes to treatment for styes.

What is a Stye?

A stye is an infection of the oil glands in the eyelids. You can have more than one stye at a time, and they can appear on either the top or bottom eyelid. Styes can cause varying degrees of pain and inconvenience, ranging from mild discomfort to significant eyelid swelling that affects your vision.

There are two types of styes – internal or external.

Internal Stye

An internal stye is a bacterial infection of an eyelid gland, known as a meibomian gland, that produces the oil layer of the tear film. Internal styes form deeper within the eyelid tissue. You may be able to see a red lump on the outside skin of your affected eyelid, or there may just be a vague area of swelling. Sometimes, patients report their eyelid feels sore to the touch without any visible changes to the external skin.

External Stye

External styes arise from a bacterial infection of the oil glands that support the health of your eyelashes. External styes often look like a pimple at the edge of the eyelid.

Another common eyelid bump is known as a chalazion, which can often be mistaken for a stye. Chalazia are a result of a blockage of an eyelid gland but do not involve active infection. While the eyelid swells, chalazia are not typically associated with pain.

Treatment Options for Styes

Most styes will heal on their own within a week without you doing anything to treat them. However, if you prefer to proactively treat styes as they appear, there are a few effective home remedies you can consider.

Good hygiene

Managing any sort of infection always starts with good hygiene. Keep your eye clean from debris and other contaminants. You can use a clean cloth or cotton swab in warm water to gently wipe the eye. You may also consider diluting baby shampoo with warm water and gently wiping your closed eyelids.

Avoid eye makeup. It could be a good idea to consider discarding your eye makeup altogether as it may potentially be contaminated with bacteria.

Avoid wearing contact lenses while your stye heals; wear glasses instead. Inserting contact lenses with a stye can cause further irritation and is an additional infection risk.

Avoid rubbing your affected eye, and never try to squeeze or pop the stye to release pus. Doing so can spread bacteria throughout the lid or increase your risk of further infection if you damage the skin.

Before touching your eye, remember to wash your hands with warm water and mild soap.

Home remedies

Many people choose to treat styes using simple home treatment strategies to help get rid of a stye.

The main one is the use of warm compresses. This involves using a clean washcloth soaked in warm water, placed against the affected area of your lid. You can use this warm compress multiple times a day, but always check that it’s not too hot before placing it on your skin. If you don’t have a clean washcloth, some advocate the use of a warm tea bag.

Some people find it helpful to gently massage the affected area while using the warm compress, but ensure you’re not applying so much pressure as to burst the stye. Remember to always wash your hands before touching your eyes.

Medical treatment

Though most styes will resolve on their own, with or without home treatment, there are some reasons you may wish to see a doctor or your optometrist.

You may want to see a doctor if:

The stye is still persisting after a few weeks
You experience swelling of your entire eyelid
If the pain is significant
If you feel your vision is affected
There are other symptoms associated with the stye, such as fever or headaches

Antibiotics for Treating A Stye

The use of antibiotics for stye treatment is controversial. Not all medical professionals will recommend antibiotics for a stye, preferring no-risk home remedies such as warm compresses.

There is currently little evidence that antibiotics are useful in the healing process. However, your doctor may still choose to prescribe antibiotics in certain situations.

Topical antibiotics (eye drops or ointment) may be considered for external styes, while oral antibiotics are more commonly prescribed for internal styes or if there is a risk of a wider-spread eyelid infection.

Minor Surgery

In rare cases, the stye may require minor surgery with an eye doctor, such as if it’s very painful or not resolving. Surgery for a stye involves creating a small incision and draining the contents of the stye under local anaesthetic. Afterwards, you will need to use antibiotics to prevent bacteria from taking advantage of the wound, and you will likely experience some pain. Your eye doctor will advise you on what sort of medication is appropriate to reduce pain.

How to Prevent Future Styes

You can help to prevent styes by practising good hygiene regularly for your lids.

As always, remember to have clean hands whenever touching your eyes or the skin around your eyes. Dirt and contaminants on your hands or under your fingernails risk introducing bacteria to the eye.

You can consider regularly cleaning your eyelashes with baby shampoo diluted in warm water on a clean cloth. This helps to clear away excess bacteria and debris.

Some people find it helpful to prevent styes with long-term regular application of warm compresses as it aids in keeping the eyelid glands open and functioning well.

A good rule of thumb with eye makeup hygiene is to change to new makeup every 3 months.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

References

Stye.
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/stye

Stye removal: surgery and other treatment methods.
https://www.allaboutvision.com/treatments-and-surgery/stye-removal/

eye stye symptoms melbourne armadale eye clinic

Eye Stye Symptoms — What Should We Know About It?

July 4, 2023/0 Comments/in Oculoplastic Surgery /by Armadale Eye Clinic Team

If you have a painful red bump on your eyelid, it could be a stye. Styes can be a common occurrence for some people while others have never had one in their life. Though it’s always a good idea to get any new painful lump on the eyelid checked out by an optometrist or eye doctor, here is what you should know about the symptoms of a stye and the treatment options.

What Causes a Stye on the Eyelid?

A stye is caused by a bacterial infection in an eyelid gland. Depending on the type of stye – internal or external, the specific oil gland involved is different.

Internal styes are a bacterial infection of the meibomian oil glands of the eyelid.

Conversely, external styes are a bacterial infection of the oil glands associated with an eyelash follicle.

Risk Factors for Eyelid Styes

Some people are simply prone to styes even without possessing any known risk factors. For others, there are some identifiable risk factors. These can include:

If you wear contact lenses and don’insertion or removal
If you often don’t wash your hands before touchint wash your hands before g your eyes or eyelids in general
Using old cosmetics that may be contaminated
Not removing your eye makeup properly
Certain skin conditions such as acne rosacea
A common condition known as blepharitis, involving chronic inflammation of the eyelids

What are the Signs and Symptoms of a Stye?

Styes present as a painful lump on the eyelid. This bump may be near the edge of your eyelid or form further into the lid.

An external stye often appears as a pimple-like bump at the base of the eyelash follicle, while an internal stye can look like a red lump further away from the edge of your eyelid. Some internal styes don’t present with any visible change to the outer eyelid skin, but instead, you may just notice a painful area of swelling on the eyelid.

Eyelid swelling, in some cases, can seem to involve the entire eyelid or be so significant that it may be difficult to open the eyelids fully, affecting your vision.

Styes can occur on either the upper or lower eyelid, and you can have more than one stye at a time. Styes do tend to recur, especially in people with existing risk factors.

Chalazia

Another type of eyelid bump that’s commonly confused with styes is known as a chalazion (plural chalazia).

Unlike a stye, chalazia are not caused by an infection but instead are due to a blockage of one of the eyelid oil glands. A chalazion can involve swelling of the eyelid but is not typically associated with any significant pain.

Is a Stye Ever a Medical Emergency?

Styes themselves are harmless and not an emergency. However, a stye can (rarely) progress into a painful infection of the entire eyelid, known as preseptal cellulitis.

The management of preseptal cellulitis requires oral antibiotics to prevent it from escalating into another condition known as orbital cellulitis, which is a medical emergency.

Eyelid Stye Treatment Options

Most styes will self-resolve within a few days to a week without treatment. However, you can consider some simple self-care steps that may help the stye heal more quickly.

Warm Compresses

Using a warm compress is a low-risk, easy way of helping your stye heal. Soak a clean cloth or face towel in warm water, making sure the water is not so hot as to cause pain or discomfort against your skin. Then place the warm washcloth over your closed eyelid. This can be done several times a day.

You may find that gently massaging your eyelid can help as well. While doing the warm compresses and massage, ensure you don’t rub your eyelid so hard as to pop the stye, which can lead to the spreading of the infection throughout the eyelid.

Impeccable Hygiene

Before touching your eyelids, it’s important to wash your hands with warm water and mild soap.

If you normally wear contact lenses, it’s best to stay out of them until the stye has resolved. Your w when it’s appropriate to wear contact lenses again.

Similarly, avoid wearing eye makeup. If you currently have a stye, it’s best to replace any old cosmeticdoctor will let you knos used around the eyes.

Keep your eyes and eyelids clean from dirt, dust, and other contaminants.

If your styes are associated with a skin condition such as rosacea, continue managing this as usual.

Manage Blepharitis

If you have blepharitis contributing to recurrent styes, your doctor may suggest an eyelid wash. This can simply be diluted baby shampoo scrubbed across your closed eyelid with a warm washcloth or a specifically formulated detergent.

Should I See a Doctor for a Stye?

While most cases of styes resolve with the self-care practices of a warm compress and gently massaging the eyelids, you may see a doctor if the stye is extremely painful, affecting your vision from the swollen eyelid, or taking a long time to heal.

Antibiotic Treatment for a Stye

Your doctor may choose to prescribe antibiotic ointment to treat an external stye at the edge of the eyelid, or an antibiotic to be taken by mouth for an internal stye. However, there is little evidence to suggest that a stye treated with antibiotics resolves any faster than one treated with a warm compress.

Surgery for a Stye

Occasionally, your eye doctor may need to perform minor surgery to help the stye resolve. A small incision is made under local anesthesia, and the contents of the stye are drained.

Stye Prevention

Do your best to manage any factors that cause a stye. This includes discarding eye makeup every three months and ensuring you wash your hands before handling contact lenses.

Some people find it helpful to routinely use warm compresses and wash their eyelids with a warm washcloth.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

References

Stye.
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/stye

Stye removal: surgery and other treatment methods.
https://www.allaboutvision.com/treatments-and-surgery/stye-removal/

Stye (sty).
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sty/symptoms-causes/syc-20378017