WHAT IS A STYE AND WHAT ARE ITS CAUSES
What is a Stye? Eye stye or sty (medical term: hordeolum) is a inflamed swelling or localized infection on the edge of the eyelid. A stye is caused by a staphylococcus bacteria and affects the gland at the base of an eyelash. Styes bear a resemblance to a pimple but are actually an abscess that forms in either the lower or upper eyelid. Styes are often referred to as a boil, which is a painful, pus-filled bump, usually caused by the infection of a hair follicle. Most boils are caused by staph bacteria.
1) What causes a stye? Styes are most commonly caused by a combination of staphylococcus bacteria and a clogged oil gland. Staphylococcus bacteria is a bacterium of a genus that causes pus formation in the skin and mucous membranes. These bacterias naturally live in abundance on our skin. But when conditions are right it becomes excessive in quantity. When a large amount of bacteria gets trapped in an oil duct it will fester and trigger a stye.
1) What causes a stye? Styes are most commonly caused by a combination of staphylococcus bacteria and a clogged oil gland. Staphylococcus bacteria is a bacterium of a genus that causes pus formation in the skin and mucous membranes. These bacterias naturally live in abundance on our skin. But when conditions are right it becomes excessive in quantity. When a large amount of bacteria gets trapped in an oil duct it will fester and trigger a stye.
2) Are there different types of styes? There are two distinct kinds of styes; external stye and internal stye. But both internal and external styes share common characteristics. Internal styes occur when a meibomian sebaceous gland becomes infected. Whereas external styes are an infection of the apocrine sweat glands of Moll or sebaceous glands of Zeis.
People who suffer from inflammatory diseases of the eyelid or oil gland disfunction (e.g. blepharitis, rosacea) tend to develop frequent internal eye styes. Recurrent or multiple styes are indicators of inflammatory eyelid disease or gland abnormalities.
3) Are styes contagious? Styes are not contagious. They can not spread from one person to another by direct or indirect contact. It’s often presumed that styes are infectious because a person suffering from a stye will often develop multiple styes in the same eye or the opposite eye.
Styes that happen again are usually a result of gland dysfunction. Gland function can deviate from the norms due to hormonal changes, environmental conditions or because of certain types of medication. Therefore, those that experience recurrent or multiple styes should assume gland dysfunction is to cause.
4) What is the first sign or symptoms of a stye? Initial indicators of a developing stye is a stinging sensation or pain when blinking, followed by inflammation to the affected area of the eyelid, and redness. Swelling is a result of an accumulation of fluid inside the gland. This abnormal enlargement of fluid begins a few days after the physical discomfort of blinking is felt.
Excessive eye crusting is another indicator of a developing stye. Eye crust is a result of mucus discharge secreted by the eye’s mucous membrane. The discharge is typically noticed upon waking and can appear yellowish or greenish in color.
5) What is the difference between a stye and chalazion? A chalazion (plural chalazia), also termed meibomian gland lipogranuloma, is an unhealed stye that did not rupture. It is a cyst filled with oily glandular secretions, dead white blood cells and tissue debris.
A chalazion begins as a small painful stye and becomes a large painless bump over time. They can grow to the size of a large pea and remain on the eyelid for three weeks or up to a year. They usually require a surgical procedure to remove them.
6) Can over-the-counter medicines treat a stye? Over-the-counter (OTC) medications or preparations can help to alleviate discomfort associated with a stye—but they will not cure a stye. Stye eye relief drops, ointments and other stye medicine provide little relief when compared to the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen.
A warm compress can improve recovery time for external styes since these types of styes are located on the outer surface of the eyelid. But a hot compress will have very little effect on a deep rooted internal stye.
7) Will antibiotics get rid of a stye? Antibiotics are medicines used to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. But the bacteria that causes a stye is naturally resistant to antibiotics. Medicines including penicillin or its derivatives are ineffective forms of treatment.
8) Do home remedies work to treat a stye? While it’s believed that some stye home remedies contain healing properties, there is not one home remedy scientifically proven to improve, clear or cure a stye. Beware of the “snake oil salesman” who claims to have a magic tonic that will get rid of a stye fast.
9) When to seek medical advice? Most sties are self self-healing and do not require medical attention. They will not effect your eyeball or vision. But if sever eyelid swelling occurs it could effect peripheral vision to the affected eye.
It’s recommended to seek guidance from your healthcare provider if swelling and redness expands beyond the eyelids, such as the cheek. If a stye has been present for more than 3 weeks, it may need to be drained by a Ophthalmologist.
People who suffer from inflammatory diseases of the eyelid or oil gland disfunction (e.g. blepharitis, rosacea) tend to develop frequent internal eye styes. Recurrent or multiple styes are indicators of inflammatory eyelid disease or gland abnormalities.
3) Are styes contagious? Styes are not contagious. They can not spread from one person to another by direct or indirect contact. It’s often presumed that styes are infectious because a person suffering from a stye will often develop multiple styes in the same eye or the opposite eye.
Styes that happen again are usually a result of gland dysfunction. Gland function can deviate from the norms due to hormonal changes, environmental conditions or because of certain types of medication. Therefore, those that experience recurrent or multiple styes should assume gland dysfunction is to cause.
4) What is the first sign or symptoms of a stye? Initial indicators of a developing stye is a stinging sensation or pain when blinking, followed by inflammation to the affected area of the eyelid, and redness. Swelling is a result of an accumulation of fluid inside the gland. This abnormal enlargement of fluid begins a few days after the physical discomfort of blinking is felt.
Excessive eye crusting is another indicator of a developing stye. Eye crust is a result of mucus discharge secreted by the eye’s mucous membrane. The discharge is typically noticed upon waking and can appear yellowish or greenish in color.
5) What is the difference between a stye and chalazion? A chalazion (plural chalazia), also termed meibomian gland lipogranuloma, is an unhealed stye that did not rupture. It is a cyst filled with oily glandular secretions, dead white blood cells and tissue debris.
A chalazion begins as a small painful stye and becomes a large painless bump over time. They can grow to the size of a large pea and remain on the eyelid for three weeks or up to a year. They usually require a surgical procedure to remove them.
6) Can over-the-counter medicines treat a stye? Over-the-counter (OTC) medications or preparations can help to alleviate discomfort associated with a stye—but they will not cure a stye. Stye eye relief drops, ointments and other stye medicine provide little relief when compared to the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen.
A warm compress can improve recovery time for external styes since these types of styes are located on the outer surface of the eyelid. But a hot compress will have very little effect on a deep rooted internal stye.
7) Will antibiotics get rid of a stye? Antibiotics are medicines used to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. But the bacteria that causes a stye is naturally resistant to antibiotics. Medicines including penicillin or its derivatives are ineffective forms of treatment.
8) Do home remedies work to treat a stye? While it’s believed that some stye home remedies contain healing properties, there is not one home remedy scientifically proven to improve, clear or cure a stye. Beware of the “snake oil salesman” who claims to have a magic tonic that will get rid of a stye fast.
9) When to seek medical advice? Most sties are self self-healing and do not require medical attention. They will not effect your eyeball or vision. But if sever eyelid swelling occurs it could effect peripheral vision to the affected eye.
It’s recommended to seek guidance from your healthcare provider if swelling and redness expands beyond the eyelids, such as the cheek. If a stye has been present for more than 3 weeks, it may need to be drained by a Ophthalmologist.
