What Causes Eye Styes?

 What is an eye stye?

An eye stye is an eye infection that resembles a sore, pimple or boil grow on the skin surrounding the eye. It can be painful to the touch. It does not usually affect vision, although it may occasionally cause low grade blurring. It may also cause some sensitivity to light, swelling, eye redness or tearing of the eyelid.

What causes eye styes Styes grow when the hair follicle of an eyelash becomes infected by staphylococcal bacteria, leading to swelling and inflammation. It takes three to seven days for a stye to develop. It heals by itself after filling with pus then bursting spontaneously. Pain and swelling subsides as the pus drains.

Eye stye symptoms  An eye stye looks like a small spot or pimple when it begins. Then it grows into a pus-filled abscess as germs multiply and the area becomes swollen. See the eye stye picture to the right.

Treating an eye stye Styes usually disappear on their own in 3-7 days. Sometimes the pimple will burst. You should never try to burst or "pop" an eye stye because it can spread the germs around your eye, which can lead to further trouble.

Surgery is rarely necessary when treating an eye stye. Surgical drainage is an option, however, if the stye doesn't go away or respond to other remedies.

There are a number of prescriptions eye stye medications available. Also, non-prescription products and topical medications are available online for treating an eye stye. These are often produced from of petroleum jelly and other emollients, and they help relieve the pain and stop the tearing, redness, itching, burning and stinging. They do not however, treat the infection itself.

There are a number of home remedies that seem to be effective for treating an eye stye. For instance:

• Warm compresses applied 3-4 times daily for about 10 minutes each. This helps bring the stye to a head and hastens healing.
• Rub clove spice in water and apply it over the stye.
• Use a grated potato as a poultice. This helps reduce swelling.
• Slit an aloe leaf lengthwise and place the pulpy side on the sore eye.
• Boil 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds with a cupful of water like an herbal tea preparation to wash the eyes 3-4 times a day.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric in 2 cups of water until it reduces by half. Cool and strain about half a dozen times through a fine muslin, then apply as eye drops 3-4 times a day.
• Dissolve 2-3 granules of alum in a cup of water and using the solution as an eyewash.
• Warm a handful of guava leaves and place them on a warm damp cloth to use as a compress.
• Boil a handful of acacia leaves in 2 cups of water. Soak a clean washcloth with the mixture and apply it as compress on the eyelids.

To see more options for treating an eye stye, click on eye stye medicine.

Is an eye stye contagious? The short answer to the question "Is an eye stye contagious?" is yes. Remember an eye stye grows from germs, and germs can be transmitted from one person to another or one surface to another. It's important to keep the eyes and the areas around them clean. Avoid touching your eyes with dirty fingers or hands. If you have an eye stye, wash your hands often so you don't pass the germs along to someone else. An eye stye is a type of eye infection, and generally speaking, eye infections can be contagious. So don't use cosmetics, towels or washcloths that have been also used by someone who currently has a stye.

Finally, be sure to use good hygiene when putting in or taking out contact lenses, and be sure the lenses you use have been properly cleaned.