My daughter recently had to deal with her first sty in her eyelid. At first she freaked out. Then, I remembered that my mom used to get them all the time. I called her and she gave me some tips. I also did some research online to find some more tips. We selected the ones that made sense and this is the plan we used to combat the sty.
First: What is a sty?
It looks like a little reddened area that is raised and is on your eyelid. The sty, basically is a bacterial infection that can happen inside the oil gland that is located near the base of your eyelid. Sties are not serious and do not usually cause any damage to the eye itself. They usually do not obstruct vision. They do however feel funny to the person who has it and they may make you feel self-conscience and think that people are staring at it. Trust me, most people will not even notice it, unless they are up really close to your face.
What it is not!
A sty is not a blocked tear duct, it is an infection and should be treated as such.
How To Treat A Sty:
1) Always wash your hands throughly with soap and water before touching your eye area (keeping your eyes closed)
2) Soak a clean wash cloth in warm, not hot, water and place over the eye area for 10 to 15 minutes. Replace the wash cloth in warm water if it becomes cold.
3) Repeat this 3 to 4 times each day for two days or until the sty disappears.
4) Do not touch or squeeze the sty.
5) If it does not heal on it’s own after two days of soaking as instructed above, or if it becomes painful, or spreads; please see a physician. Sometimes medication is needed or possibly need to be lanced and drained. Do not attempt to lance on your own, as this could be dangerous.
My daughter’s sty did heal after two days of soaking in warm water, but it has recently returned as is usually the case. My mom also experienced repeat sties. If you are concerned at all about a sty, please see a physician. As with any infection, it is wise to error on the side of caution, so watch the sty to be sure that it is healing. During self-treatment (soakings) the sty will release liquid, which you will likely not feel at all and then the swelling will go down and the eyelid will again appear as it normally does.
Remember: Wash your hands before touching the eye area, use clean wash cloth and warm water to soak the eye area. Call a physician if there is eye pain, or the sty does not heal after two days of treatment at home. Do not touch the sty or squeeze it. Watch the sty to be sure that it heals. Always seek a physicians advice about medical conditions.
