You very likely found this article because you have a bump on either your upper or lower eyelid and are looking for a way to get it to heal and go away.
We have you covered.
If you have a small sore bump on your eyelid that feels and looks similar to a zit, it could be a stye. Styes are small reddish bumps that often develop on under the edge of the eyelid or sometimes on the crest of it. They may be painless or painful and swollen.
Dr. Raymond Kordonowy, a family medicine practitioner at Internal Medicine, Lipid, and Wellness in Fort Myers, Florida, answered some questions about this common condition.
Why Do People Develop Styes?
Each eyelid has microscopic glands that lubricate the eye. If these glands become inflamed or blocked – a stye can develop. Styes can present on the outside of your eyelid should the follicles in your eyelash line become infected, or on the inside of your eyelid if it’s an infected oil gland. The majority of the time styes will only happen in one eye.
Who is at Risk?
They are more common in children than adults, but styes can happen at any age. Your risk is elevated if you wear eye makeup, or have certain skin conditions like Rosacea, elevated LDL, Diabetes, or excessively dry skin.
Prevention Tips
Keeping your face clean can help prevent styes. Here are some simple tips that can help:
- Wash your hands before touching your face or eyes
- Always wash your hands before putting in contacts
- Remove makeup at night thoroughly
- Throw away old eye makeup
- Don’t share your makeup with other people
- Resist the urge to rub your eyes
Suspect a Stye?
If you have a small bump forming on your eyelid, it is likely a stye. Symptoms of a stye can include swelling, pain, crusting, tearing, or itching. Try lifting the eyelid away from the eye, gently. If that feels better, your suspicion may be correct.
Your doctor can confirm a diagnosis by examining your eye and asking about your symptoms.
Treatment Options
Apply a hot moist compress. Warm compresses can help styes to heal. Dr. Kordonowy recommends running a washcloth under warm water and applying it to the area for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, up to five times a day. Styes will fade and go away on their own in a week or two. If it remains, seek medical care.
Are Styes Contagious?
No, thankfully, they generally aren’t contagious. Wash your hands before and after touching a stye and try not to touch it unless you’re treating it, to keep from making it more irritated. Stop wearing contacts and eye makeup until it heals. Never try to cover a stye with makeup. The lack of oxygen will only make it worse.
When to Seek Medical Care
You should contact your doctor if:
- The swelling spreads across your entire eyelid
- The swelling is not just in one eye
- You notice blood, pus, or heat like an infection
- You form a blister
- Your vision becomes blurry
- You are running a fever
The Good News
Most styes can be treated without antibiotics. However, if yours isn’t improving or you get styes often, your physician may prescribe a liquid antibiotic ointment or an oral antibiotic. A steroid injection may also be given to help reduce swelling. If a stye is persistent and becomes chronic, an ophthalmologist may need to drain or remove it through a minor surgery.
You are in Good Hands
Looking for the best medical care in Southwest Florida?
You just found Internal Medicine, Lipid, and Wellness of Fort Myers, Florida. Dr. Raymond Kordonowy and Dr. David Marconi have combined their talents and created a unique medical concierge member-only service where you are treated with dignity and respect, and the time is taken with each patient as it should be without the interference of insurance regulations taking up time that should be spent on doctor-patient interaction in order to achieve correct diagnoses and treatments so you can feel better and get on with life.
Please visit www.IMWLP.com to learn more or sign on as a patient! For more information or to book an initial appointment please call our office at (239) 362-3005 Ext 200.
