A
stye is a painful swelling in the eye-lid. It is caused by a
bacterial infection of the hair follicle from which an eyelash
emerges. The infection makes the follicle swollen and tender.
Very often there is a “head” of pus. The condition is quite uncomfortable, distracting and mildly unsightly. The condition usually lasts about a week and often ends with the stye discharging and going down. A stye should not to be confused with another eye-lid swelling, the meibomian cyst, or chalazion This is a swelling of a sebaceous gland in the eyelid, is much longer standing, can become infected and inflamed, and, eventually, often needs surgical removal. Styes are said to be more common when people are tired or “run down”. It may be that the individuals, when tired, rub their face and eyes more than usual and transfer germs from the openings of the nostrils – where they abound -to the eye lids.
The simple treatment of a stye is the application of warm (not scalding!) compresses. Antibiotic ointment, to be applied locally, can be obtained from the doctor. Removal of the eyelash from the inflamed eyelash follicle may aid drainage. |
