Stye looks like a red swollen bump, that appears on the edge of eyelid. This is a common eye disorder, with a topical application of a good stye ointment one can get rid of sties.
Stye is an inflamed oil gland that occurs on the edge of the eyelid, where the lash meets the lid. It looks like a red, swollen bump that looks like a pimple. An eye stye is tender to touch. A stye is caused due to the bacteria from the skin, which gets into the oil glands in the eyelids, which provide lubrication to the tear film. Stye is similar to the common acne pimples which occur face and other skin areas. One can one or more stye infections at a time. Stye usually develop over a few days time, and may drain out and heal on their own. However, if a stye doesn’t heal on its own or is not treated then it can become chalazion, which is a bigger eye problem where an inflamed oil gland is fully blocked. If a chalazion become large, it can even trouble with vision. People who have dry skin problems, blepharitis, acne rosacea, increased stress or hormonal changes are at a risk of developing stye problems. Other factors like poor lid hygiene, incomplete removal of eye makeup or use of outdated or infected cosmetics can also lead to stye infections. These were some of the causes of stye eye infection, here are its symptoms and treatment tips.
Symptoms
A person having stye infection will experience symptoms like –
- Redness of the infected eye
- Tender to touch the bump
- Discharge
- Mild burning
- Scratchy sensation
- Drooping of the eyelid
- Crusting of the eyelid edges
Treatment with Ointment for Stye
Whenever, suffering from a stye infection you can use home stye remedies and watch and wait for few days if the stye is getting better. However, if the stye is not showing any signs of improvement then it is important that you consult an eye doctor and get a prescription for the best stye topical cream/gel. Many non-prescription stye ointment are available, however they only provide temporary relief from the stye symptoms like the burning and itching. Hence, to treat the stye with an ointment, get a prescription. Stye antibiotic ointments like chloramphenicol (eg. Chloromycetin) or fusidic acid (eg. Fucithalmic) can be prescribed by the doctor if you have an external stye infection. However, antibiotic stye cream ingredients like this aren’t always effective in treating the internal sties, and an appropriate combination of antibiotic tablets along with the ointment will be prescribed to remove the infection completely. To apply the ointment, take a small amount of the ointment and apply it directly to the eyelid using clean hands, and replace the cap after use.
Other Home Remedies
Applying a warm compress to the affected area, till there is no more drainage from the stye or chalazion should be done. You can apply the compress for 4-6 times in a day. Make sure the compress is hot enough to drain the growth, yet not so hot as to burn the extremely delicate eyelid skin. It will take around 7-10 days at most for the infection to go away. Make sure you also maintain good lid hygiene for eye care. You can also use over-the-counter drops, to prevent the infection spreading to nearby eye areas.
You can use warm compress or ointment for stye treatment. However, medical care is required in these cases. It is important that you seek medical care, if your eyes are swollen shut, or there is no improvement after frequent use of warm compress for 10-14 days. Contact your doctor, if there is pus or thick drainage, or swelling is increasing beyond 2-3 days of the infection. Also, seek medical care if you develop fever, have recurrent stye infection on the same eyelid area or have progressive vision changes.