What to Do If You Get Frequent Styes in Your Eyes
Frequent styes are no fun. They’re uncomfortable and at times embarrassing. Luckily, eye styes are more of an annoyance than a serious health concern. Learn how you can manage a stye at home without having to schedule a doctor's appointment, as well as when to ask your eye doctor for medical help.
What Is a Stye?
A stye is a painful bump on the edge of your eyelid. They’re often mistaken for a pimple because they can become red and even potentially drain (depending on the severity of the stye).
A stye develops when an oil gland near your eyelashes gets blocked and infected. They can develop both inside and outside of your eyelid, though external styes are more common than internal ones.
If you develop a stye, don’t panic—they’re rather common and can go away on their own. There are rare cases where an eye professional may have to look at it.
Stye Symptoms
Typical symptoms of a stye include:
- Crusty eyelids
- Discharge
- Eye pain
- Eye swelling
- Redness
- Sensitivity to light
- Tenderness to the touch
- Watery eyes
When to See a Doctor for a Stye
Signs that you need to see an eye doctor for a stye include:
- A lot of blood or pus leaking (a little is normal as it drains)
- Any vision changes
- Blisters appearing on your eyelid
- Eyelids feel hot
- Frequent styes coming back
- Significant eye stye pain
- Swelling to the point of shut eyes
4 Reasons You Might Be Getting Frequent Styes
Here are four common reasons you may be getting styes.
1. Bacterial Infection
The most common reason you may be developing styes is that you have some form of bacterial infection—once the infection gets into the oil-producing glands, a stye occurs. The bacteria can come from your skin and nose, and then wiping your eyes is how the bacteria is introduced to the area.
2. Poor Hygiene
The bacteria that lead to styes can develop due to poor hygiene practices, such as:
- Frequently touching your eyes (without washing your hands first)
- Not washing your hands enough
- Sharing towels or pillowcases with other people
- Sleeping with eye makeup still on
- Using expired makeup (a breeding ground for bacteria)
3. Poor Hygiene While Wearing Contacts
Distinct from everyday poor hygiene is poor hygiene related to contact lenses—because contacts directly interact with your eyes they are more likely to create styes when not properly cared for.
Some examples of poor contact lens hygiene include:
- Not cleaning contacts
- Reusing disposable contacts
- Touching contacts with unwashed hands
- Using expired contacts
- Wearing contacts while sleeping
Does Stress Contribute to Styes in the Eye?
Technically no, stress doesn’t cause styes in the eye. However, studies show that stress weakens the immune system, which makes it harder to fight off the bacteria that create styes.
Can You Get a Stye from Lack of Sleep?
No, you can’t get a stye from lack of sleep, but a lack of sleep can create stress. As already discussed, stress affects the immune system, which affects your ability to fight off bacteria that creates styes.
Does Crying Make Styes Worse?
No, crying doesn’t make styes worse, but it could irritate your eye, leading to itchiness.
Can You Prevent Styes from Recurring?
Yes, you can prevent styes from recurring by taking deliberate actions and developing good habits.
Good Hygiene Habits
If you’re regularly developing styes, make sure you follow good hygiene habits like:
- Caring for and treating your chronic conditions
- Cleaning eye contacts correctly
- Consistently washing your hands
- Using clean towels and pillows
- Not sharing towels and pillowcases
- Taking off eye makeup
- Throwing away old makeup
Healthy Lifestyle
Of course, a healthy lifestyle can also help you prevent frequent styes. Eating well, exercising, and getting proper sleep make your body stronger, which will reduce your chances of developing styes. If you’re concerned about stress, you can try some mindfulness techniques to better handle your daily stress levels.
How to Treat Styes in the Eye
Styes can be treated at home or a medical setting, depending on the severity of the stye.
6 Home Treatments
Here are some easy home treatments you can do when dealing with a stye.
1. Don’t Touch It
The best thing you can do when you develop an eye stye is to not touch it. Do not squeeze it or try to pop the stye like a pimple. This will only encourage the infection to spread.
2. Use a Warm Compress
A warm washcloth or compress can help relieve pain and swelling. Wear it for 10–15 minutes two or three times a day. You can also massage your eyelid while using the warm compress to help soften any hardened material within the stye so it drains easier.
3. Wash the Eye Area
Do your best to keep the area clean—especially if you notice any draining. If the stye is draining, very gently wipe your eye, either with eye drops or with warm water. You want to clear the area of dirt and bacteria.
4. Don’t Wear Makeup
Part of keeping the eye clean is not wearing makeup. This will prevent further irritation and bacteria from bothering the stye.
5. Wear Glasses
It’s best to wear glasses instead of contacts while dealing with a stye. As a stye heals, the less you touch the affected eye, the better. Choosing glasses instead of contacts minimizes the chances that you’ll reintroduce bacteria to the area.
6. Use Pain Relief Medicine
If the eye stye pain becomes too uncomfortable, you can take some over-the-counter pain relief medicine. If the pain is too much though, see a professional.
3 Medical Treatments
Different treatments an eye doctor may recommend for a stye include:
1. Antibiotics
An eye doctor may prescribe oral or topical antibiotics to help treat the infection causing the stye.
2. Surgery
A stye surgery involves a small cut in the stye (under local anesthesia) so that it can drain better. It’s meant to help relieve pressure so it’s less uncomfortable for you.
3. Steroids
An eye doctor may prescribe steroids to help reduce stye swelling and speed up the healing process.
Get Clean Contacts from Visionworks
Having clean contacts is a crucial aspect of preventing styes from happening. Stop by your local Visionworks to get not only your prescription contacts but also an extra set of glasses for when you can’t wear contacts.
We offer a wide selection of glasses for every style. The best part? Every pair of glasses comes with a 100-day return guarantee, so if you end up not loving them, you can return them.
You can even schedule an eye exam to ensure that your prescription is still accurate. Find your local Visionworks today!
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Information received through Visionworks® content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your eye doctor, physician, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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