A stye is an infection that affects the oil glands in the eyelids. It takes on the appearance of a small pimple or boil and can develop on the either of the eyelids at the area where the lashes meet the lids. It develops when a sebaceous gland gets clogged by bacteria and becomes infected. Bacteria are normally present on the skin but in some cases they may enter and clog the oil glands. This is essentially a staph infection and may occur due to poor hygiene habits such as touching the eyes with unwashed hands, using old eye cosmetics or wearing dirty eye lenses. A stye could spread through direct contact and as such can be termed as contagious. If an individual with a stye rubs the affected eye and then touches another surface without washing his hands, any other individual touching the same surface is at risk for developing a stye.
The infection leads to swelling, redness and pus formation and can also spread to other areas of the eyelid and result in another infection. This usually occurs due to rubbing or touching the eyes. A stye results in symptoms such as swelling, tenderness, pain, inflammation and watering of the eyes. The vision may also become blurry and sensitivity to excessive light. Pain and discomfort is usually experienced while blinking. Once the stye becomes filled with pus, it continues to grow until it forms a head. The head then breaks open and drains the infection. Once this happens, healing will begin and the symptoms subside.
There are several natural ways to take care of a stye. You can take a cotton swab dipped in castor oil and apply to the stye daily. It is better to do this after placing a warm compress on the eye, as this serves to open up the pores. You can also take some grated potato and place it in a clean wash cloth. Apply this to the affected eyelid to alleviate swelling and pain. Another effective home remedy is to soak a clove in water and place it on the stye for a few minutes. Placing tea bags on the affected eye is another beneficial remedy which is known to relieve eye pain and tenderness. Rinsing the eyes with dandelion tea is also believed to be helpful in reducing infection and inflammation. You could boil coriander seeds in water and use the solution to rinse the eyes a couple of times daily for relief from pain and swelling.
answered by G R