Do not squeeze that stye
DID you know that a stye (akasekere) can be caused by stress? Dr. Cillasy Tumwesigye, a consultant ophthalmologist of Optical House, says stress can trigger off the clogging of the oil glands around the eyelashes or inside the eyelid to cause styes.
By Halima Shaban
DID you know that a stye (akasekere) can be caused by stress? Dr. Cillasy Tumwesigye, a consultant ophthalmologist of Optical House, says stress can trigger off the clogging of the oil glands around the eyelashes or inside the eyelid to cause styes.
Medically known as a hordeolum, a stye is a small lump that appears on the inside, under the eyelid on the eye lashes. The first symptoms of a stye is pain on the eyelid. The stye or the entire affected eyelid and the affected eye may water. The affected eye may also become sensitive to light and cause discomfort when one blinks. Pus eventually collects inside the stye, forming a small yellowish spot (pointing) in the centre of a stye, usually on the eyelashes. One is relieved of pain when the stye ruptures and pus oozes out.
Tumwesigye says a stye can also be caused by bacterial infection introduced probably in the process of rubbing the eyes. Styes typically result from staphylococcal bacteria infection, he said. This bacteria is often found in the nose and it is easily transferred to the eye when one picks one’s nose and thereafter rubs his or her eyes.
They are particularly common in infants and if a child has had one, he or she has higher chances of getting another.
Styes are often confused with chalazions, which are cysts that form on or inside the eyelids as a result of a blockage of one or more of meibomian glands (found in inner eyelids that help to lubricate the eye’s surface to maintain eye health). But chalazions are not an infection and are usually painless but may attract bacteria and lead to an infection. Styes that appear on the eyelid are usually deeper, more painful and stay longer than those that appear on the eyelash.
l Types
Tumwesigye says styes can be internal or external. An external stye is a purulent inflammation of infected eyelash follicles and surrounding sebaceous and apocrine glands of the lid margin. It appears as a tender, red swelling on the edge of the eyelid and will tend to drain itself quickly. An internal stye is also tender and its presence is marked by a red swelling on the eyelid. Internal styes often take longer to heal because the abscess (swollen mass with pus) cannot drain as easily. These types of styes can also cause blurred vision and irritation.
Since a stye is like a pimple, some people tend to squeeze it. But Tumwesigye says doing so is not recommended without medical advice.
l Treatment
Prevention is always better. Keeping proper hygiene is the best way to keep off styes. Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching or rubbing your eyes with dirty hands.
Avoid sharing eye make-up, especially if you are prone to recurring styes.
An eyelash stye will usually drain on its own in approximately two days, but pressing the affected area gently with a washcloth for 10 minutes, can speed-up healing, says Tumwesigye. This he says can be done four times a day, to release the fluids that have built up inside the stye. Change the washcloth frequently, particularly as the stye drains.
Do not squeeze the stye. A stye that fails to drain can be lanced (opened) by an ophthalmologist.
“Antibiotic ointment, or an antibiotic-steroid combination, can be used until symptoms have cleared,†says Tumwesigye.
If the eyelash stye lasts more than three days or the infection appears to be spreading, consult an ophthalmologist. You may have a chalazion or another condition that may require further medical examination.
Tumwesigye says contact lenses should not be worn during infection or drainage of a stye. Your eye-care provider may recommend replacing your contact lenses after the stye has healed to prevent recurrence or spread of the infection.
If untreated, the stye may spontaneously heal by itself or it may progress into formation of a chalazion.
l Local therapy
Tumwesigye advises against using paraffin as some people do. He says paraffin can easily cause visual disturbance by deforming the cornea. “If it has worked for some people, it could have been by luck,†he says.
Gertrude Namayanja, a herbalist from Nakulabye, says that looking in a mortar while smiling or using semen or vaginal fluids can cure styes. “This does not even require one to go to the hospital, vaginal fluids or semen ure it in no time,†she said.
Ends
DID you know that a stye (akasekere) can be caused by stress? Dr. Cillasy Tumwesigye, a consultant ophthalmologist of Optical House, says stress can trigger off the clogging of the oil glands around the eyelashes or inside the eyelid to cause styes.
Medically known as a hordeolum, a stye is a small lump that appears on the inside, under the eyelid on the eye lashes. The first symptoms of a stye is pain on the eyelid. The stye or the entire affected eyelid and the affected eye may water. The affected eye may also become sensitive to light and cause discomfort when one blinks. Pus eventually collects inside the stye, forming a small yellowish spot (pointing) in the centre of a stye, usually on the eyelashes. One is relieved of pain when the stye ruptures and pus oozes out.
Tumwesigye says a stye can also be caused by bacterial infection introduced probably in the process of rubbing the eyes. Styes typically result from staphylococcal bacteria infection, he said. This bacteria is often found in the nose and it is easily transferred to the eye when one picks one’s nose and thereafter rubs his or her eyes.
They are particularly common in infants and if a child has had one, he or she has higher chances of getting another.
Styes are often confused with chalazions, which are cysts that form on or inside the eyelids as a result of a blockage of one or more of meibomian glands (found in inner eyelids that help to lubricate the eye’s surface to maintain eye health). But chalazions are not an infection and are usually painless but may attract bacteria and lead to an infection. Styes that appear on the eyelid are usually deeper, more painful and stay longer than those that appear on the eyelash.
l Types
Tumwesigye says styes can be internal or external. An external stye is a purulent inflammation of infected eyelash follicles and surrounding sebaceous and apocrine glands of the lid margin. It appears as a tender, red swelling on the edge of the eyelid and will tend to drain itself quickly. An internal stye is also tender and its presence is marked by a red swelling on the eyelid. Internal styes often take longer to heal because the abscess (swollen mass with pus) cannot drain as easily. These types of styes can also cause blurred vision and irritation.
Since a stye is like a pimple, some people tend to squeeze it. But Tumwesigye says doing so is not recommended without medical advice.
l Treatment
Prevention is always better. Keeping proper hygiene is the best way to keep off styes. Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching or rubbing your eyes with dirty hands.
Avoid sharing eye make-up, especially if you are prone to recurring styes.
An eyelash stye will usually drain on its own in approximately two days, but pressing the affected area gently with a washcloth for 10 minutes, can speed-up healing, says Tumwesigye. This he says can be done four times a day, to release the fluids that have built up inside the stye. Change the washcloth frequently, particularly as the stye drains.
Do not squeeze the stye. A stye that fails to drain can be lanced (opened) by an ophthalmologist.
“Antibiotic ointment, or an antibiotic-steroid combination, can be used until symptoms have cleared,†says Tumwesigye.
If the eyelash stye lasts more than three days or the infection appears to be spreading, consult an ophthalmologist. You may have a chalazion or another condition that may require further medical examination.
Tumwesigye says contact lenses should not be worn during infection or drainage of a stye. Your eye-care provider may recommend replacing your contact lenses after the stye has healed to prevent recurrence or spread of the infection.
If untreated, the stye may spontaneously heal by itself or it may progress into formation of a chalazion.
l Local therapy
Tumwesigye advises against using paraffin as some people do. He says paraffin can easily cause visual disturbance by deforming the cornea. “If it has worked for some people, it could have been by luck,†he says.
Gertrude Namayanja, a herbalist from Nakulabye, says that looking in a mortar while smiling or using semen or vaginal fluids can cure styes. “This does not even require one to go to the hospital, vaginal fluids or semen ure it in no time,†she said.
Ends