If you haven’t already had a stye, you’ve probably seen them on other people. Styes are sensitive, red, swollen bumps on the rim of your eyelids. A stye comes about when an eyelash follicle or tear gland near the eyelashes develops a block and becomes infected on the inside or outside of an eyelid. Styes are quite common, and most can be treated at home without intervention from an eye care provider.
When you want outstanding care from an optometrist, look no further than the office of Omni Eye & Vision (Burnaby). We provide a comprehensive range of services—from eye exams and determining prescriptions, to making contact lenses and offering a wide array of eyeglass frames.
When treating a stye at home, start by thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water. You have several treatment options.
A Warm Compress
Place a clean, damp, warm cloth on the eye for 10 to 15 minutes several times per day. It’s easy to fold up a moistened washcloth and heat it in a microwave for 10 to 20 seconds. Take care to ensure that the cloth isn’t too hot for the delicate skin around your eye, but continue to keep the cloth warm.
Baby Shampoo or Mild Natural Soap
Use warm water to dilute the shampoo or soap, dip a clean washcloth or cotton swab in the solution, and slowly and gently rub it along your eyelid.
Hold Off On Contact Lenses and Eye Makeup
The eye and its surrounding area need to be spick and span. Contacts, mascara, eyeliner and other cosmetic touches can easily taint your eye tissues.
Now that you have the dos, here are the don’ts. Do not:
Massage the area to try to drain the stye. Rubbing it could irritate it or increase the spread of the infection.
Excavate it. As with most people, you had zits when you were a teen. You were so tempted to pop them but knew that if you did, it could leave a scar. It’s the same with a stye. Let it drain in its own time. Like the zit, it will go away eventually.
Omni Eye & Vision (Burnaby) has a well-known reputation for providing excellent and compassionate service. We are your resource for the best in optometry. Please call us to schedule an appointment.
