They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but it can be hard for the soul to look out of the eyes if the view is obstructed by a painful stye. Also called a hordeolum, an eye stye develops when an oil gland located around the rim of the eye becomes infected. Here’s more information about this eye problem and when a person should seek Eye Disease Treatment in Cedar Rapids.
About Eye Styes
Eye styes resemble pimples when they erupted and are sometimes confused for them. However, when a stye first begins developing, the entire eye may become swollen, red, and painfully tender. While acne is also caused by bacteria, it’s the staphylococcal bacteria that are responsible for eye stye infections. This bacteria is usually found in the nose and may be carried to the eye when a person wipes his or her nose and then touches his or her eye.
Although unsightly, styes don’t impact vision unless they grow unreasonably big. While they are mostly found around the edges of the eye, they can grow underneath the eyelid and may scratch the eyeball occasionally. Lastly, styes are contagious, which means the bacteria that causes them can easily be transferred via contaminated eyes (e.g. pillowcases) or one person touching another person’s eyes without washing his or her hands.
Treating Eye Styes
Styes usually go away on their own after a few days. However, it’s possible to speed up the healing time by keeping the skin around the eye clean. Placing a warm compress on the eye 3 to 4 times per day, about 10 to 15 minutes each time will alleviate some of the pain from the condition. Wiping the eye with an antibiotic ointment can also help it heal faster.
Although the stye will eventually come to a head in the same way pimples do, it’s important not to pop them. This may cause any active bacteria that may be in the stye to spread around the eye and cause other infection. Eventually, the stye will erupt on its own.
People who get styes on a frequent basis should seek out Eye Disease Treatment in Cedar Rapids to determine if there is an underlying cause for the constant infection. For more information about styes or other eye diseases Contact Us.
