Styes are the most common type of eyelid infection. They’re usually caused by skin bacteria called Staphylococcus. It can sneak into tiny oil glands near your eyelashes, causing discomfort.
Styes are often confused for conditions like chalazion or conjunctivitis (pink eye). Chalazia is not usually painful. Meanwhile, conjunctivitis involves the whole white part of your eye getting red and irritated.
How Do Warm Compresses Help With Eye Styes?
Styes can be incredibly uncomfortable. Thankfully, you can use warm compresses for relief. The gentle heat of a warm compress does several things to help with styes, including:
- Increased blood flow. Warmth helps bring more nutrients and immune cells to the area, helping your body fight infection faster.
- Relief. It can help relieve that itchy, scratchy feeling.
- Softens and drains blockages. If you have a stye or another type of blocked gland, the warmth can help soften things up for easier drainage.
- Improved eyelid hygiene. Warm compresses are fantastic when gently cleaning your eyelids.
While warm compresses provide comfort and relief, they’re just one part of treating styes and other blockages. Cleaning your hands and eyelids can also help prevent and remove styes.
You should see a doctor if a stye doesn’t go away or you have a particularly bad infection. Warm compresses can help with the healing process but styes might need prescription antibiotics or other treatments.
How To Use a Warm Compress for Eye Styes and Irritation
Put a warm, moist compress on your eye for 5 to 10 minutes. You should do this 3 to 6 times a day. This can be helpful regardless of whether you’re dealing with an eye stye, chalazion, or a different type of irritation altogether.
Avoid using hot water or a microwave oven to heat up a wet cloth. The compress might get too hot and potentially burn the eyelid. Keep in mind that the warm compress might increase swelling at first.
Risk Factors for Styes
Several factors increase your likelihood of developing a stye, including:
- Frequently touching or rubbing your eyes
- Using old or contaminated makeup
- Improper cleaning and handling of contact lenses
- Existing eyelid inflammation (blepharitis)
If you’re worried you have this condition, some of the signs you can watch out for include:
- A painful, red bump on the eyelid
- Swelling around the affected area
- A foreign body sensation in the eye
- Watery eyes
Treatment Options for Styes
Styes are typically harmless and disappear on their own after a week or two. Home remedies like warm compresses and cleaning with mild soap are usually enough to get rid of a stye.
However, in some cases, medication or surgery might be necessary to manage or remove a stye. These include:
- Oral antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection
- Over-the-counter pain relievers for inflammation
- Steroid injections as an alternative to surgery
- Incision and drainage procedures for large, persistent styes
These treatment options are typically only needed for painful, persistent, and recurrent styes. They might also be used to treat styes that affect your vision.
In rare cases, an untreated stye can progress into a serious eyelid infection called cellulitis. This often requires treatment with antibiotics and/or surgical drainage.
How to Prevent Styes
One of the best ways to prevent a stye is to keep your hands and face clean, especially before touching your face. You should also avoid sharing towels, washcloths, or makeup.
If you wear contacts, make sure to clean them properly, and don’t sleep with them on. Stress can play a role in stye development, so practice relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises.
Other methods for preventing a stye include:
- Having a balanced diet
- Proper sleep
- Replacing contacts regularly
- Visiting an eye doctor regularly
- Managing underlying conditions like blepharitis or rosacea
- Avoid using old or expired makeup, especially mascara and eyeliner
When to Seek Help For Styes?
You should consider seeing a doctor if a stye doesn’t improve after 48 hours of treatment with warm compresses. Other signs you should look out for include:
- Persistent or worsening pain
- A very large, painful, or swollen stye
- Redness and swelling that spreads to other parts of the face
- A blister on your eyelid
- Vision changes or increased light sensitivity
- Bleeding or oozing pus
- Frequent or recurrent styes
- Fever
These signs could indicate a serious infection or an underlying medical condition requiring treatment.
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