You develop a stye when the secretory glands of the eyelids become infected. Both the upper and lower eyelids have oil glands, and bacteria can enter and infect these glands, causing pain, inflammation, and redness. Sometimes, the redness is limited to the eyelid, but it can also spread to your cheek tissue. The lump you develop may point outward or inward. Frequently, a stye is appeared as visible yellowish or whitish lump that looks like a pimple. Getting a stye can be a painful experience, so it is better to take steps to prevent a stye in the first place.
How to Prevent a Stye
1. Do Not Touch Your Eyes
Bacteria is often the cause of a stye. Touching contaminated surfaces with your hands and then touching your eyes can transfer bacteria to your eyes. Do not rub your eyes because this can cause irritation which can also lead to a stye. Be careful to minimize the contact with your eyes and if you have to touch your eyes, wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Take Special Care When Applying Eye Makeup
Expired makeup especially liquid-based one provides a perfect environment for bacteria to grow, therefore do not use it and be sure to replace your liquid eyeliners and mascara every 2-3 months. Similarly, you should also replace your liquid foundation every 6-12 months to avoid getting infected. To be on the safer side, do not share your eye makeup and tools with anyone else, and clean all your tools thoroughly after use.
3. Keep Dust Away from Your Eyes
Take steps to protect your eyes from dust because small objects can enter your eye and hide beneath the eyelid, which will eventually cause infection. Wear sunglasses or safety goggles whenever necessary. Be sure to use eye protection when working outside like mowing the lawn or raking.
4. Keep Your Eyelids Clean by Scrubbing
Your eyelids need regular cleaning, especially when you have higher levels of oil production. Scrubbing your eyelids regularly will help remove excess oil as well as bacteria and dead skin cells that may cause styes. You can mix a few drops of baby shampoo in warm water and use this solution to scrub your eyelids.
5. Manage Stress and Relax
How to prevent a stye? You should manage your stress to achieve this, as stress can lead to the development of an eye stye. For example, students get eye stye during exam periods because they are usually under enormous amount of stress. When you are under stress, you cannot eat and sleep properly, which can affect your immune system and make you more vulnerable to infections. While stress is unavoidable in today's world, you can manage it by several ways such as doing exercises regularly, going for a short walk, trying yoga, or practicing meditation.
6. Use Warm Compress
You can improve your condition by applying warm compress when the stye is still in its early stage. Any redness with pain around your eyelid may well be an early sign of a stye. This will help speed up recovery. Simply soak a washcloth in warm water and apply it directly on your affected eyelid. Place it on your eye for 5-10 minutes and repeat at least thrice a day.
7. Keep Your Contact Lenses Clean
Not cleaning your contact lenses regularly is among the top reasons why you end up dealing with a stye. You should wash your hands before using contacts and always disinfect them before use. Under no circumstances should you share your contacts with other people. Sharing contact lenses, cosmetic eye tools, eye make, and even contact lens solutions will increase your chance of becoming infected.
8. Include Zinc in Your Diet
Zinc helps strengthen your immune system and keeps the bacteria from entering the oil gland. You can get about 74 mg of zinc from a 3-ounce serving of oysters. Be sure to include chicken, beef, garbanzo beans, and cashews in your diet to increase your intake of zinc.
9. Other Prevention Methods
To learn how to prevent a stye, you also know the following steps:
- Do not share your towels as well as other linens such as washcloths and pillowcases with others
- Take steps to manage blepharitis
Preventing Spread of Infection
When you already have a stye, it is important to take some steps to avoid spreading the infection. For instance, you should never try to squeeze or rub a stye. Every time you use a warm compress, be sure to dispose it off immediately after use. Besides, getting into the habit of washing your hands frequently will also help prevent the spread.
Home Remedies for a Stye
Now you know how to prevent a stye, but what if you have already developed a stye? You usually require no treatment for a stye, especially after it bursts and releases pus. However, it may take a couple of weeks for a stye to disappear completely. You can try some home remedies to reduce the discomfort during this period.
1. Use Green Tea Bag
Green tea has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The presence of tannic acid makes it a great remedy for infections. It also contains antioxidants and other nutrients that promote healing.
Take a green tea bag and dip it in warm water for a few minutes. Squeeze it to eliminate the excess water and place it over your affected eyelid. Leave it there for 5 minutes and repeat the same process several times a day for relief.
2. Use Coriander Seeds
Thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties, coriander seeds are effective to ease redness, pain, and swelling caused by eye infection.
Take a cup of water, add a teaspoon of coriander seeds to it and bring it to a boil. Remove the mixture from heat and leave it for a while until it cools down a bit. Strain it and use the water to clean your affected eyelid. Repeat thrice a day for relief.
3. Make Use of Turmeric
The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of turmeric can accelerate healing and reduce inflammation.
Take two cups of water and add a tablespoon of turmeric to it. Bring it to a boil and then wait until it cools down a bit. Strain it and then use the solution to wash your affected eyelid. Repeat thrice a day for a few days for relief.
4. Apply Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a great remedy for your stye because it has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties. It eliminates the infection and reduces swelling as well.
Extract the gel from a leaf of aloe vera and rub it over your infected eyelid. Wash it after 20 minutes. Do the same for five days.