All About Styes - Hordeolum

A stye (also spelled sty) or hordeolum is an infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes. While they produce no lasting damage, they can be quite painful.

Causes

Styes are generally caused by a Staphylococcus bacteria infection and are particularly common in infants, though people of any age may experience them. They are commonly associated with stress, probably because people under stress tend to get less sleep and therefore rub their eyes more often, thus transporting the bacteria into the eye.[citation needed]

A stye can be secondary, caused by blepharitis. A blocked oil gland near the eye, a chalazion, is often mistaken for a stye.[1]

Treatment

Most styes will drain on their own though this may be accelerated with a hot or warm compress. Styes typically resolve within 1 week with treatment. Since a stye is technically a pimple, it can be popped. However, doing so is not recommended without technical expertise.

Medical professionals will sometimes lance a particularly persistent or irritating stye with a needle, to accelerate its draining. A stye's spread or expansion can also be fought with the use of antibiotic ointment akin to Neosporin (e.g. Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment), a special version being available for styes, which can be applied in a ribbon along the lid, on either inside or out. Medical professionals may also prescribe Amoxicillin for over a period of a week.

Folk remedies

Various folk remedies call for holding a metal or wooden spoon against the stye[2],[3] or the rubbing of a gold ring over it.[4] A folk remedy known in East Asia is to pluck an eyelash from the infected area — while a common German folk remedy involves looking through a sieve. In the other countries, remedies vary even more, although most of them have something to do with rubbing or holding an object against the stye. In Costa Rica for example, it is believed that a stye will go away if rubbed against a cat's tail or a recently laid egg[citation needed]. In Colombia, it is believed that a stye can be cured by pouring warm wine on the affected eye. Also common in the Maori culture of New Zealand is to rub infant urine against the eye[citation needed]. Place a still warm, slightly drained steeped teabag (traditional tea) over the afflicted eyelid as a compress. The tannins in the tea will help to draw the stye to a head like a pimple. May take several applications. Once the stye bursts be careful to rinse the eye so as not to get infected[citation needed]

References

1. ^ Styes, AllAboutVision.com. Retrieved August 20, 2006.
2. ^ Eyelid lumps, Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust. Retrieved March 19, 2007
3. ^ Stye, Dr Lockie's homœopathic healthcare. Retrieved March 19, 2007
4. ^ Folk remedies, The Handbook of Texas Online, University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved March 19, 2007

See also

* Blepharitis
* Chalazion