A sty is an acute infection or inflammation of glands located in the eyelid. Infrequently these glands can become blocked by the oil they produce and formed a lump which can be red, painful and nodular. Frequently, bacteria are will infect the glands and cause even further inflammation, pain, itchiness and redness. Sties will develop that protrude either inward or outward and will look quite a bit like a large pimple on the eyelid. Most of the time sties appear on one eye or the other but occasionally an individual will get a sty on both eyes at the same time.
Some of the causes to the development of sties have been linked to excessive oily discharge from the glands, improper or incomplete removal of make up, using outdated cosmetics, poor hygiene, hormonal changes, inflammatory diseases of the eye, allergies or stress. There are also times when the glands become blocked by being exposed to excessive cold weather and subsequently developed a sty.
If the sty develops on the underside of the lid it can cause some minor scratches or abrasions to the cornea of the eye. There are times when a sty can be confused with a chalazion which is not an infection but a smooth painless bump that develops some distance from the edge of the lid.
The bacteria which usually infects a sty is caused from staphylococcal bacteria often found on the skin surface. There is some disagreement as to the origination of the development of a sty. Some information indicates that a sty develops when an infection is caused in a hair follicle of an eyelash but in reality it is the blockage of the glands that are located immediately next to the eyelash hair follicle. While it may appear that the hair follicle is infected it is in fact a blockage of an oil glands that helps to protect the integrity of the eye.
There is a connection between eye sties and using outdated mascara. Most mascara contains preservatives which decrease the amount of that bacterial growth within the mascara but after the shelf life of the mascara has expired, usually three months, that preservative action decreases significantly. Each time the wand is brought out of the mascara and placed on our eyelids we reinfect the container.
If a person is particularly prone to sties then it is easy for them to develop as the mascara gets more and more infected. Bacteria will cause the mascara is to change in odor so while squeezing that last little bit out of the container may help to decrease your cost for mascara is not worth the trip to the eye doctor.
Sties are often easily treated at home because they respond to a number of easily accessible home remedies. Most of them will go away on their own in about five days. If after five days of being treated at home, or if the sty appears inside the eyelid, it is time to see an eye doctor. Waiting longer may jeopardize the health of your eye.
It is important to keep the area thoroughly clean and dry between treatments. Women should not wear any makeup and should throw out any eyeliner, mascara or eye shadow which they used recently. If you use disposable contact lenses the current pair should be thrown out. If your contacts are not disposable, talk to your eye doctor about the cleaning method they prefer to use prior to using contacts again. Do not begin to use your contacts until the sty has completely healed.
Individuals should apply a warm compress or washcloths, the greatest amount of heat they can bare, to the affected area for 10 minutes four to six times a day. This will aid in the rupture of the sty and decrease the amount of itchiness. Do not attempt to use boiling hot water. Use only the amount of heat that you can comfortably bear. The goal is to use heat without burning the sensitive skin around your eyes.
Sties should never be pressed or squeezed to encourage it to drain because that often pushes the pus and drainage back further along the tract of the gland. Other home remedies which you may have heard about include teabags, salt application, garlic application or variety of other herbs and spices, should never be applied near the eye. A sty, if it is truly a sty, will go away with just hot warm packs. If it doesn\’t you may have developed a more severe infection that will require antibiotic ointments or expression with the eye doctor.