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:
Anne Arundel Eye Center