A stye is a discomfort of the eyes. Everyone experiences stye once in their lifetime, and you cannot avoid them. Styes are bacterial infections causing inflammation of the eyelid associated with a small collection of pus. Usually, the bacteria that trigger stye is Staphylococcus. The infection begins in the oil gland or hair follicle on the eyelid. Over time, these glands or hair follicles may get infected with dead cells, waste, and other bacteria resulting in a painful lump called a stye.
Often the lump is painful and red; usually, it gets cured without much of the complications. Some styes develop on the outside of the lid, while others may develop on the outside of the lid. An external stye may turn yellow and release pus if not treated well on time. Internal styes appear to be more painful.
Home remedies may include applying a warm against the infected area to help release pus and soothe the pain. In many cases, it recurs if not treated properly.
Fast facts on styes
- Most commonly, styes only affect one eye at a time.
- Styes can be extremely painful but can be managed at home.
- If the symptoms of stye do not get better within a week, medical intervention is needed.
- Styles may occur on the internal or external lid.
- Ayurvedic treatment helps manage stye.
Symptoms
Styes rarely affect both eyes at the same time. A person with a stye has a painful red swelling on the eyelid, characterized by inflammation. Tears and pus can be experienced by an individual when stye appears on the outside lid.
Generalized symptoms of a stye can include:
- a lump on the eyelid
- swelling/inflammation of the eyelid
- pain and redness
- burning sensation
- blurry vision
- itching of the eye
- the droopiness of the eyelid
- crusting of the margins of the eyelids
- discharge of mucus from the eye
- light sensitivity
- tearing
- discomfort when blinking
- the feeling that there is an object in the eye
When to see a doctor
Speak to your doctor if the signs of stye persist for more than a week. If it has started to affect your vision, the swelling and pain have led to bleeding or has spread to your face.
Types of stye
External hordeolum
External styes develop on the outer edge of the lid. They may turn yellow and fill with pus. Usually, external styes are painful.
They cause an infection of the following:
- Eyelash follicle: Follicles are the holes from which eyelashes grow.
- Sebaceous (Zeis) gland: This gland is linked to the follicle and secretes sebum. Sebum is an oily and waxy substance that lubricates the eyelash and prevents it from drying.
- Apocrine (Moll) gland: It is a sweat gland that releases into the follicle to prevent it from drying out.
Internal hordeolum
In the internal stye, the swelling is present in the inner parts of the eyelid. It is more painful than an external stye. The most common cause is the infection of the meibomian gland. These glands are the tiny oily glands that protect the surface of the eyes and keep the water component of the tears from drying out.
When stye is present on the inside, the following signs can be observed: droopiness of the eyelids, itchiness and burning sensation, sensitivity to light, a feeling that there is something in the eye, blinking discomfort.
Risk factors
The following conditions likely increase the risk of developing a stye:
- using cosmetics after they have expired
- not removing eye makeup before going to sleep
- not disinfecting contact lenses before putting them in
- changing contact lenses without cleaning your hands
- adolescents tend to have styes more commonly, but it can also occur in people of any age group
- poor nutrition
- not sleeping enough
- Medical conditions also result in stye, such as blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelids.
If a member of the family has a stye, the other people in the house should not share clothes or towels to minimize infection.
Complications
Only in a rare case, stye leads to severe or intense comorbidities;
These can include:
Meibomian cyst: Stye that lasts long can develop into a Meibomian cyst, or chalazion, primarily if the gland is obstructed. However, you can easily treat and manage it.
Preseptal or periorbital cellulitis: Sometimes, infection in the eyelids spreads to the different tissues around the eyes. The skin around the eye inflames due to bacterial growth and makes eyelids go red and swollen.
How is a stye diagnosed?
Your doctor can usually diagnose by a physical examination. No special tests can help.
Ayurvedic treatment for stye
As per the ayurvedic frame of reference, imbalance in the Pitta doshas can vitiate rakta dhatus, called blood tissues. So the aim of ayurvedic medicines is to ensure a balance of Pitta doshas and the detoxification of the body. A stye is recurring in nature, so it is necessary to ensure that your immune system gains strength and obstructs its growth again. Ayurvedic treatment is exclusively governed by herbal medications and therapies like Panchkarma, with no obnoxious effects on the health.