Abstract

Stye, also called hordeolum in medical terminology, is an infectious disorder of the eyelid. The disorder is very common in old and young people. This article looks at ways in which a patient can develop a stye, what symptoms it can cause, what treatments are available, and measures you can take to avoid this troublesome infection.

What Is a Stye?

A stye is a bacterial infection of the numerous tear glands in the eyelids. The tears glands, namely glands of Zeiss, Moll, and meibomian glands, are responsible for secretions contributing to the tear film. The infection causes the secretions of the glands to accumulate and makes the gland swell, thus causing a swollen appearance.

What Are Its Types?

There are two types of stye, namely hordeolum externum in which there is usually a pus point at the lid margin and hordeolum internum in which there is no such pus point. The basic difference being that they infect different glands in the eyelid but the mechanism of infection and the symptoms remain the same.

I have a stye in my eye for last four days. What has to be done?

I have a swelling in the lower part of the eye. What should I do?

How Is It Caused?

It is caused by infection of eyelid tear glands by bacteria such as staphylococci and streptococci. The majority of cases of stye are caused due to eye rubbing. The infection finds a foothold in the eye by way of eye rubbing.

Treatment Options and Home Remedies

An important adjunct to treatment is hot fomentation. This forces the pent-up secretions out of the glands thus ending the inflammatory processes. The traditional way to give hot fomentation to the eye is to dip a clean cloth in comfortably warm water, squeeze out all the water and to apply this heat to the eyelid over the closed eyes.

As the essential problem is an infection, it is treated with antibiotics as the first line of therapy. The commonly used antibiotics are Moxifloxacin 0.5 % or Tobramycin 0.3 % used around six times a day.

Effects of Neglecting a Stye

The stye, if left untreated for about a month, can develop into a "chalazion". The only treatment for a chalazion is to surgically remove it.

How to Avoid Stye?

Prevention is by following hygiene practices such as handwashing and avoiding eyerubbing. Also, it is advisable to get infective conjunctivits and infective processes in and around the eye treated appropriately and in a timely manner.

Hence, good hygienic practises and timely treatment can effectively solve problems caused by styes.

For more information consult an eye infections specialist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/eye-care-ophthalmologist/eye-infections

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