impair vision

A stye is an inflamed oil gland on the edge of your eyelid, where the lash meets the lid. Often times individuals with a stye can experience the feeling that something is in the eye, increased sensitivity to light, excess tearing, or tenderness. Styes are often painful, and left untreated can grow to temporarily impair your vision.

The three strep process detailed below is one of the best and easiest ways to treat a stye at home, and should be performed twice daily.

Step 1: Warm Wet Heat

You want to place a warm washcloth over both eyes for 10 minutes. If the washcloth cools down heat it back up in the microwave for a few seconds. The warm wet heat is essential for softening the stye.

Step 2: Mechanical Cleansing

Use a washcloth with baby shampoo or Ocusoft Lid scrub pads to clean the eyelid margin. You want to scrub from side to side, not up and down. Make sure you get the lid margin (where your lashes are) while being careful not the scratch the eye itself.

Step 3: Firm Pressure

The two steps above will not be helpful without firm pressure. You must coax the stye into draining. This is done by taking your fingertip and ‘rolling’ your finger from the cheekbone up to the lid margin, and from the brow down to the lid margin. This should be done multiple times in order to cover the whole margin of both eyes. Please ensure the pressure is firm. Don’t hurt yourself, but don’t be afraid to press hard, as gentle pressure will not assist you at this point.

A stye will linger until it drains, and in many cases it can take a few days for them to clear. If the above remedy does not prove helpful, schedule an appointment with your eye doctor at your earliest convenience. Layering in certain medications, or minor procedures are sometimes beneficial in treating a particularly stubborn stye.

Eye pain and vision impairment are serious symptoms that require prompt medical attention from your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, please contact Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010.

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Sources:

PubMed Health

Anne Arundel Eye Center

You may have heard of glaucoma which is a common eye disorder and one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. But what else do you really know about it and are you at risk?

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve suffers damage and can permanently impair vision in the eye(s). There are different types of glaucoma and the disease can present itself without warning or symptoms. The most common form is the result of elevated pressure of the fluid in the eye and sometimes other factors that cause the fibers running through the optic nerve to slowly deteriorate. Without treatment, glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss.

Who is at risk?

Everyone is at risk. However, certain factors can increase that risk, including: if you are over 60 years of age, if you are African American, if you have high myopia (nearsightedness), diabetes, hypertension, or if you are a steroid user.

Over 3 million Americans have glaucoma, yet half are unaware that they even have the disease. This is why regular eye exams are so important. While there is no cure for glaucoma, these eye exams, early detection, and treatment (medication and possibly surgery) can help slow or even prevent further vision loss brought on by this disease.

So, when was the last time you had a thorough eye exam?

If you would like to schedule an appointment with Anne Arundel Eye Center to meet with cataracts and glaucoma specialist Dr. Samuel Boles, or if you simply have a questions about what you have just read, contact Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here today!

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Do-It-Yourself Stye Home Remedy: Anne Arundel Eye Center

Glaucoma: Finding Out If You Are At Risk