A stye is basically a blocked gland in the eyelid which becomes infected. Kind of like getting a pimple on the eyelid. Bacteria, skin cells, and oil can cause the blockage.
The medical term for a stye is Hordeolum. They tend to be painful and they can be either internal or external.
How are styes treated?
Simple therapy involves applying heat the affected area to express the gland and release the blocked material.
In more difficult cases, doctors may prescribe ointment and/or oral meds.
And in the some cases, minor surgery may be require to remove the stye.
How do you prevent styes?
Lid hygeine. Simple things such as warm compresses and gentle lid scrubs can help keep the eyelids clean and healthy.
To do this you simply warm up a cloth or towel with warm water and apply the heat to closed eyelids for 5 minutes. At the end of the 5 minutes use the warm towel to gently massage your eyelids and then lightly scrub at the eyelid margin to wipe away any debris.
Doing this on a daily basis will help prevent blockage and inflammation of the eyelid glands.
For patient who have Blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), it is important to do these warm compresses twice daily. Click here for more info on Blepharitis.
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