Stye

A stye (IPA: /ˈstaɪ/) or hordeolum (/ˌhɔrˈdiːələm/) is an infection of the sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes.Eyelid lumps, on, inside or under the eye lid. Retrieved March 19 2007 While they produce no lasting damage, styes can be quite painful.

Causes

Styes are generally caused by a Staphylococcus aureus bacteria infection. Although they are particularly common in infants, styes are experienced by people of all ages. Styes can be triggered by stress or poor nutrition. Using the same razor to shave hair near both the eyes and a mustache can also spread staphylococcus bacteria, potentially leading to styes or other eye infections.VisionWebBBC - Health - Ask the doctor - Styes

A stye can be secondary, caused by blepharitis. A blocked oil gland near the eye, a chalazion, is often mistaken for a stye.Styes, AllAboutVision.com. Retrieved August 20, 2006.

Signs and symptoms

The first signs of a stye are tenderness, pain and redness in the affected area. Later symptoms include itching, swelling, watering of the eye, sensitivity to light and discomfort when blinking. A yellowish bump develops in the affected area.

Treatment

While most styes will drain on their own, this process can be accelerated by the application of a hot or warm compress or by pulling out the eyelash. There is also a specialized Polysporin topical ointment for styes. With treatment, styes typically resolve within one week. While a stye is technically a pimple and can be popped, doing so is not recommended without technical expertisehttp://www.wingeyecare.com/Eye%20Diseases/styes.htm due to its proximity to the eye. Styes may also cause a bruised feeling around the eye, which can be treated through the application of a warm cloth.

Medical professionals will sometimes lance a particularly persistent or irritating stye with a needle in order to accelerate its draining.Sty (Stye, Hordeolum) Causes, Infection Symptoms and Treatment by MedicineNet.com A stye\'s expansion can also be fought with an erythromycin ophthalmic ointment like NeosporinEye Stye Treatment - How to Treat Eye Stye, a special version of which is available for styes. Medical professionals may also prescribe Amoxicillin over a period of a week.eMedicine - Periorbital Infections : Article by R Gentry Wilkerson, MD

If a stye bursts care must be taken to cleanse the wound to prevent reinfection.

Contact lenses should never be worn during treatment for a stye. Eye make-up is not recommended, and it is also important to refrain from touching the stye.

Alternative remedies

There are various folk remedies for styes, including rubbing a gold ring or the hair of a cat\'s tail on the affected area.Folk remedies, The Handbook of Texas Online, University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved March 19 2007. Other folk remedies suggest applying substances to the stye. Some suggested topical applications are the first urine of the day, a black teabag and lipstick. Also suggested is rubbing the index finger on the palm until warm before applying it to the affected area.

According to Ayurveda, applying saliva to the infected area immediately after waking in the morning will cure the infection.

It is important to note that these techniques have not been empirically proven, and are not recommended as treatments by medical professionals or other experts.

See also

Look up stye in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Blepharitis
• Chalazion

References

External links

• More information on Stye on Yahoo Health
• Home Remedies for Eye Stye
• Eye Stye Home Remedies
• 409665546 at GPnotebook
• EYE69 at FPnotebook
• 8-94c. at Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Professional Edition
• 20-228f. at Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Home Edition

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