A stye can appear on or around the eye. It is often a red bump that feels irritated or can produce a burning sensation. Styes are actually an infection of the glands at the base of the eyelashes or in the sweat glands. They typically form on the outside of the eyelid.
Styes can cause the eyes to swell and become very painful. The infection develops due to the clogging of the involved glands. The bacteria Staphylococcus aureus is the typical cause of the infection. Those suffering with a stye may become sensitive to light and have uncontrolled watering of the eye. The red bump usually has a yellow-colored spit at its center which is pus inside the infection. This is typically the identifying sign of a stye and medical tests are not normally used to diagnose a stye.
Styes are not selective in who can develop them. Men, women and children are equally susceptible to developing styes but those who have diabetes or other chronic illnesses may be more prone to frequent styes. Those who have higher levels of blood fat may also be prone to having clogged glands that lead to styes.
Home remedies are usually sufficient in the treatment of a stye. Warm compresses up to six times a day can relieve the pressure in the stye. Once the stye is ruptured, healing can begin. Putting extra pressure on the stye as in trying to rupture it on your own is not advisable. This can actually cause additional infections to occur.
If a stye does not rupture on its own in a few days, a doctor may want to drain the infection to speed up healing. Those who wear contact lenses should not wear them while the stye is visible. Makeup should also be avoided as the infection can spread to the makeup products and result in additional styes.
