Ouch. This week I had a stye in my eye. 
I learned a few things from it.
What exactly is a STYE anyways?
A stye (also called a sty or hordeolum) is a localized infection in the eyelid that causes a tender, red bump near the edge of the lid. The infection is caused by bacteria and it can occur at the base of an eyelash (external hordeolum) or within one of the small oil glands within the eyelid (internal hordeolum).
- The first signs are pain, redness, swelling and tenderness. Yup, that’s how mine started.
- Styes typically don’t cause vision problems.
- Styes are caused by staphylococcal bacteria.
- Styes are contagious. I did NOT know this.
- Most styes heal on their own.
- Never “pop” a stye.
- Other eye problems can accompany styes. I had a broken blood vessel under my eye after treating for a few days so it still looks pretty red even though the stye is healing.
Some other things that I learned:
Firstly, do NOT self treat from internet recommendations. Why? Because most don’t work and because some of them can be dangerous if they get into the eye, like a turmeric paste. An eye doctor will be able to give the best recommendation for treatment.
Secondly, treat it early, as in asap. The earlier a stye is treated, the faster it goes away.
Thirdly, See an Eye Doctor who will recommend the best treatment plan for the particular stye that you have~~ a highly inflamed lid may require oral antibiotics. Tips to shorten the duration of a stye can be very important, from our Our Eye Doctors
(Like REAL treatment tips that work.)
Fourthly, with a stye, you may notice frequent watering in the affected eye, increased light sensitivity and a feeling like something is in your eye (eye doctors call this a “foreign body sensation”). I had this and it is uncomfortably annoying.
Oh, and one more thing~~ it can be caused by too much digital device time that causes us not to blink enough, causing the eye to dry out and therefore letting bacteria take over. Who knew that your Iphone could cause a stye?
Finally, if a stye seems to heal on its own and then you feel a bump later on in that area, it could have calcified and would have to be surgically removed! YIKES! no thank you>>>>>
