Protecting Your Eyes

Eye styes are uncomfortable, they are formed when there is a bacterial infection in an oil gland or one or more of the hair follicles on your eyelid. Sometimes bacteria get trapped inside the eyelid and infection will develop. The result is that you will get a painful lump on your eyelid called a stye.

Prevent an Eye Stye

To prevent yourself from getting a stye you should try to avoid touching or rubbing your eyes. Often if you have allergies you may feel your eyes start to water and become itchy. This is when you might start to rub your eyes and get bacteria into the eyelid. If you wear contacts try to keep them clean and disinfect them as much as possible.

Ensure that you wash your hands before you touch your contact lens. Always throw away disposable contacts, do not reuse them. If you have a skin condition such as dermatitis, or rosacea make sure you get treatment for them since these can make you more vulnerable to getting an eye stye.

Eye Stye Treatment

It can be tempting to try to squeeze or pop an eye stye, this is never a good idea as it can actually spread the infection to the rest of your eyelid. Most styes will go away by themselves in a week. You can use topical over-the-counter antibiotic ointments on your eyelid if the stye doesn't seem to be healing fast enough. A warm compress is also a very good treatment for an eye stye. You can make a warm compress by soaking a clean, soft washcloth into some hot water until it is warm. You can then place it over the eye.

See Your Eye Doctor

As mentioned before, eye styes tend to go away on their own. However, there are times when it may be necessary to see your eye doctor for an eye stye. If your eye stye doesn't go away or start improving in a few days you should seek medical help. If the drainage from the stye starts to ooze blood or there is rapid growth and swelling it is time to visit an ophthalmology clinic. 

Eye infections are never easy to deal with. However, an eye stye is one of the most common eye infections and it's very easy to deal with. Just bear in mind that if it doesn't go away quickly or starts getting worse you need to visit your doctor so that you can get the appropriate medication.