The stye or the pitcher in the eye is an inflammatory condition with the appearance of a pustule, which can be located at the level of the upper or lower eyelid, internally or on the outer lash line. The spontaneous evolution of the external stye includes the bursting of the pustule with the elimination of the purulent content and the remission of local manifestations, while the internal stye may be accompanied by fever, chills and severe inflammation, associating a high risk of recurrence.
How do we recognize a stye by sight?
Natural treatments for eye sores
When is an ophthalmological consultation necessary for the treatment of stye?
How do we recognize a stye by sight?
Stinging is manifested by the appearance of a lesion with the appearance of a pustule on the eyelid, which causes pain and local inflammation accompanied by hyperlacrimation. The stye differs from chalazion, another type of inflammatory lesion that manifests itself at the level of the eyelid, in that the latter does not associate painful discomfort and protrudes especially towards the inner part of the eyelid.
How long does a stye last?
The manifestations associated with thrush decrease in intensity after the discharge of the pustule and, in most cases, completely resolve within 1 week from the onset, without the occurrence of local complications.
Stye in the eye causes
The main causes of stye are represented by staphylococcus aureus infections of the sebaceous or sweat glands, located at the level of the eyelid or at the base of the eyelashes. Ulcer is an infection that can appear either on the upper or lower eyelid and is frequently favored by:
- Touching the eyelids with dirty hands
- Applying contact lenses with dirty hands
- The use of cosmetic products with an expired validity date
- Lack of proper make-up removal before sleep
- The association of blepharitis – an inflammatory condition of the eyelids with chronic evolution
- Rosacea – skin condition manifested by reddening of the skin.
- Symptoms associated with thrush
The main symptoms and manifestations that accompany the development of thrush are represented by:
- Local inflammation with the appearance of a pustule on an erythematous background (red swelling with purulent content)
- Local pain at the lesional level
- Tear
- Itching of the eyelid
- Sensation of pressure or local burning.
- In certain situations, children with tonsillitis may also experience pain in the throat, fever and altered general condition. The symptoms evolve for a period of approximately 1 week, but most of the manifestations are remitted starting on day 2-3 from the formation of the stye, once the pustule breaks and the purulent content is eliminated
Stye is a contagious infection that can easily be transmitted from one eye to another if the proper hygiene rules are not followed!
Types of stye
The stye can be classified according to the pathological mechanisms that determine its appearance as follows:
- External stye caused by blockage of Zeis sebaceous glands or Moll sweat glands located on the line of eyelash insertion
- Internal ptosis is determined by the blockage of the Meibomian glands, manifested by the appearance of a pustule located at the level of the posterior face of the eyelid (inside). The spontaneous evolution of internal stye involves the formation of an abscess in the conjunctival part of the eyelid, which can sometimes erupt externally, with the elimination of the purulent content
- Ringworm treatment
The treatment of stye is generally carried out in an outpatient setting and involves:
- Proper hand washing before touching the lesion
- Cleaning the eyelid with physiological serum and sterile napkins is recommended by the ophthalmologist
- Avoiding the expression of the pustule on the eyelid. The pustule will break on its own within 2-3 days of its formation
- Application of ointments and ophthalmic solutions with antibiotics prescribed by the ophthalmologist
- In rare cases, it may be necessary to make a small surgical incision at the level of the pustule to evacuate the contents
Natural treatments for eye sores
Natural remedies that can be safely applied to treat ringworm are represented by:
- The application of warm sterile compresses at the lesional level to stimulate the drainage of the purulent collection
- Gentle massage of the affected eyelid – gentle massage stimulates drainage and can be performed with clean fingers or a sterile compress
Compresses and massage in the case of internal stye must be performed carefully because they can cause irritation or deformation of the cornea with the appearance of secondary complications!
It is contraindicated to apply essential oils, tinctures or other home-made teas and suspensions to the affected eye, as they can cause secondary damage with vision loss.
When is an ophthalmological consultation necessary for the treatment of stye?
The persistence of the painful discomfort associated with the injury for a period longer than 2-3 days, the extension of the inflammation to the level of the entire eyelid or the cheek and the appearance of visual disturbances, require the fastest possible presentation to the ophthalmologist’s office for the appropriate treatment of the stye.
Also, the prophylactic measures that can be successfully applied to prevent infections in the eyelids are represented by:
- Avoiding make-up products with expired validity and using eye pencils, mascaras, mascaras, eyeshadows or eyelash curlers in common with other people, regardless of whether they are relatives (sister, mother)
- Abandoning the cosmetic products used before the occurrence of ringworm to prevent the occurrence of a subsequent re-infection
- Avoiding the frequent wearing of false eyelashes and the appropriate removal of the adhesive used for their application
- Regular sanitization of make-up application tools – brushes, sponges, with warm water and soap to prevent the multiplication of bacteria on their surface
- Avoiding the shared use of face towels and pillowcases with other people and their proper sanitization before use
- Avoiding contact of the eyelids with unhygienic hands
Treating the eye sore is important because this condition can be painful and can lead to relapse (the appearance of other sores), as well as other complications such as blepharitis (a chronic inflammation of the edge of the eyelid) or chalazion when it does not benefit from appropriate treatment.
References:
- Common inflammatory and infectious conditions of the eyelid, Abigail A. Gordon, Dagmara J. Danek, Paul O. Phelps, Science Direct – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0011502920301048
- Hordeolum, Europe PMC – https://europepmc.org/article/NBK/nbk441985
- Interventions for acute internal hordeolum, Cochrane Library – https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007742.pub2/abstract
