When we think of eye care and health, we often consider vision and eye disease. However, the area around your eye deserves just as much attention to ensure irritation and inflammation do not occur.
Styes are one such issue that you may need to be aware of. While the optometrists at Sunridge Mall can certainly diagnose and assist with styes, this is actually a problem you can tackle on your own. So let’s explore what eye styes are and how you can treat them.
Treating A Stye In Your Eye
What is a stye?
A stye is a red bump that can appear on the outside edge of your eyelid or lash line. It is a result of dead skin, oil, or dirt building up in your eyelid’s tiny oil glands; when your glands get blocked, bacteria can grow inside.
How Do You Treat A Stye?
Besides feeling a bit painful and being visually unappealing, styes shouldn’t cause you too much issue. They actually go away on their own within seven to ten days. However, if you’re hoping to reduce your discomfort and speed up the healing process, here are a couple of methods for you to try.
Warm Compress
A warm compress is the most effective way to heal a stye. The warmth will help to bring the pus to the surface, thus allowing the stye to drain and heal naturally. However, it’s important not to poke at the pus as it emerges, as it could scar the eyelid.
Simply run a clean face cloth under warm water and wring it out before gently pressing it to your eye. The water shouldn’t be too hot, as your eyelids are rather sensitive and too extreme a temperature could burn them. Hold the cloth to your eye for ten to fifteen minutes, re-warming the cloth as you go, if necessary. You can perform this method three to four times a day.
Clean Your Eyelids
Using a gentle soap or cleanser, gently wash your eyelids and rinse off with warm water. As mentioned, the skin on your eyelids is delicate and actually much thinner than the rest of your face, so it’s important not to use harsh chemicals when cleaning them. The soap or cleanser will help destroy some of the bacteria and keep your stye clean.
In general, this is a helpful step to follow, as the cleanser ensures that no dirt, oil, or makeup can build up on your eyelid, thus flushing out your glands and preventing styes.
When should you visit your eye doctor?
Typically, styes will go away on their own. However, if they are persistent and continue to cause you pain, it’s recommended that you visit your optometrist at Sunridge Mall. They will be able to prescribe you with a topical antibiotic and help monitor your healing process.
