Chalazion

Styes can actually be something called a “chalazion”. They are very similar, but a chalazion is generally larger in size and can cause you blurry vision. Patients will usually start with a stye, which stays small, red and swollen. However, if that area grows much larger (say your whole eyelid), then you are dealing with a chalazion. This is when an oil gland in your eyelid clogs up, just like a stye. The difference is simply the size and the amount of pain you feel, as a chalazion can grow to be the size of a marble or larger. It usually is not very painful, however, like a stye can be.
 

How to Get Rid of a Stye

We mentioned that a stye is a bacterial infection. You tend to get styes because you spread bacteria from one part of your face to your eyes. This happens often if you blow or wipe your nose and then touch your eyes. So, the best way to get rid of a stye or to not get one in the first place is to always keep your hands clean. If you blow your nose a lot (especially during allergy season), make sure you wash your hands right after. You can avoid many eye problems by simply not touching your eyes.

If you get a stye, it will stick around for several days to a week. To make it go away faster, clean your eyelids. You can do this by using baby shampoo or a tear-free soap mixed with warm water. Use a cotton pad or cotton ball to clean the area and to rinse and dry it. However, there are pre-moistened eyelid cleansing pads that do exist that you can buy over-the-counter. Avoiding using makeup will also help it go away faster. Discard any makeup that is old and avoid putting products on your eyes that you don’t need to be using. If your stye is painful, a clean, warm compress can help decrease swelling and pain as well as an over-the-counter painkiller such as acetaminophen.
 

When to See the Eye Doctor

If you have a painful, swollen lump on your eye that doesn’t go away after a week, go see your eye doctor. When you first get a style, you can also call us if it is especially large or painful. No matter what your eye problem is, we’ve probably seen it before and will know exactly how to help you. To keep your eyes healthy from year to year, make sure you are seeing us often for comprehensive eye exams. These will help ensure that your eyes are staying healthy. For all your eye health needs, call Optical Masters today at (720) 780-8881!