A stye is an infection in the eyelid that causes a tender, red bump near the edge of the lid. A stye (also called a sty or hordeolum) is caused by bacteria and can occur at the base of an eyelash (external stye / hordeolum) or within one of the small oil glands within the eyelid (internal stye).
When oil glands or hair follicles get clogged by makeup, dead skin or dirt, bacteria can get trapped inside and cause an infection. This infected gland is called a stye.
Types of Styes
- External stye: A stye at the base of an eyelash.
- Internal stye: A stye within one of the small oil glands within the eyelid.
Causes
A stye is caused by staphylococcal bacteria. This bacterium is found in the nose and is transferred easily to the eye when you rub your nose, then your eye.
Bacteria can cause inflammation or infection of the eyelash follicles; oil glands that drain through ducts into the eyelashes. When the duct is clogged, oil can’t drain and backs up into the gland. The gland becomes swollen and inflamed, causing the stye.
The most common causes of styes are:
- Touching or rubbing your eye
- Inflammation of your eyelid due to blepharitis
- Using contaminated eye makeup
- Not cleaning your eyelids or not removing makeup
- Having had styes in the past
- Medical conditions such as:
- diabetes (high blood sugar)
- seborrheic dermatitis
- ocular rosacea
Sign and Symptoms
- A lump on the eyelid
- Eyelid pain
- Redness
- Swollen eyelids
- Tenderness
- Droopy eyelids
- Eye discharge (crustiness around the eyelid)
- A burning sensation
- Watery eyes
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Feeling like there’s something in the eye
- A gritty feeling in the eye
Diagnosis
The doctor can usually diagnose a stye by looking at it. No special tests are needed.
Styes usually get better without treatment. Occasionally, a problem that requires a doctor’s evaluation occurs, such as:
- Stye doesn’t start to improve within a few days
- The drainage contains a lot of blood
- Rapid growth
- There’s a lot of swelling
- Increased swelling or new signs of infection could mean you’re developing a severe infection.
Homeopathic treatment
Homeopathic treatment for stye has very good scope in treating both acute and recurrent episodes of the condition. Styes can be safely treated with natural Homeopathic medicines with no side effects. Homeopathic remedies for styes help in dissolving the Stye in an acute condition and also eradicate the tendency to have a Stye again.
Homeopathic medicines
Ferrum Phos
Ferrum Phos is a very effective medicine for Stye treatment. It is the best remedy for the first stage of Stye. At this stage, redness, pain, tenderness and swelling are marked and Ferrum Phos helps in relieving all these symptoms. This medicine also stops the progression of the Stye to a stage of pus formation.
Silicea
Silicea is an excellent medicine for treatment of Styes. Silicea is the best cure when complete pus has been formed in Stye that is usually in the last stage. Silicea helps in the pus getting absorbed or drained out, resulting in proper resolution of the Stye problem. Whether pus is absorbed or discharged depends on each individual case. If it’s the beginning of pus formation, the pus is absorbed. But when complete pus is formed in Stye, Silicea will help in proper draining out of the pus. Silicea is a natural medicine that also makes sure that no resultant nodule is left after the Stye is gone.
Conium
Conium is the best medicine for taking care of the hard nodes that remain after improper healing of Styes. These are referred to as Indurated Styes. Conium has the ability to soften such hard knots and make them disappear completely. In such cases, Conium is of great help in completely curing the Styes and never disappoints.
Euphrasia
Euphrasia is commonly known as Eye Bright. That’s no surprise as it has the remarkable ability to treat eye diseases. Euphrasia is a natural medicine that is the best remedy when there is excessive watering with a burning sensation in eyes along with Styes. There is also marked redness and itching.
Pulsatilla
Pulsatilla is the ideal remedy to treat the Styes of upper eyelid. The use of this medicine can be considered in all those cases where eating of fatty food like butter, creams, pastries precedes formation of the Stye. There is excessive lachrymation; weeping eyes. Thick, profuse, yellow, bland discharges with itching and burning in eyes. These styes are recurrent. Burning and itching in the eyes.
Hepar Sulphuris
Indicated in homeopathic treatment for stye where patient complains of painful and inflamed eyelids with great sensitiveness to touch and air. Eyelids get stuck together with purulent discharge and are better by warm applications.
Sulphur
Indicated in homeopathic treatment for stye that appears red, inflamed, causes burning and itching in eyes. Eyes sensitive to touch and better by warm applications.
Staphysagria
Indicated in recurrent styes. In this remedy. The stye does not break or suppurate- it remains as a hard nodule. Dry eyes with lachrymation. Margins of the lids itch. Nodes in the inner canthi and eyelids. Styes develop regularly. Better after rest at night and warm application. They are very sensitive and the least touch aggravates the pain.
Apis mellifica
It is a good remedy for styes. Eyelids are red, swollen, puffy, like water bags. There is hot lachrymation and sudden, piercing pains. Pain around the orbits.
Graphites
It is for cystic tumours of the eyelids like styes. Eyelids feel heavy and fall; eyelids red and swollen. Dryness of the lids.
Sepia officinalis
It is a good remedy for styes. Especially if present with uterine complaints as concomitant. Ptosis. Epithelioma of the eyelids. Styes are generally seen on the upper eyelid. Eyelids are red and itchy.