Thursday, January 9, 2020
Burning sensation and itching near your eyes? It doesn’t look like these symptoms are going to go away and your worry about a severe eye infection is only building higher. There are high chances that this could just be an eye stye. Here’s how you can recognize it and also treat it with do-at-home remedies.
If there is a small, red bump near the base of the eyelash, it can be an eye stye. This causes great discomfort and an unsightly appearance. It is quite common to suffer from a stye in the eye once in a lifetime. But, there is nothing to worry about as this eye ailment can be easily treated.
Let us now look at the symptoms, causes and the home treatment options for an eye stye in the article below.
Eye Stye Symptoms & Signs
Some of the signs and symptoms of an eye stye are:
- Swelling of the eyes
- Burning sensation
- Pain in the eyes
- Blurred vision
- Eye tenderness and redness
- Itching
Sometimes, the red bump is filled with pus which, if ruptured, can spread the infection. Sometimes, it may also bleed. So, proper care must be taken to treat this eye condition as soon as possible. In case the styes reoccur, consult a doctor at the earliest.
Causes For Eye Stye
Some of the causes that lead to the formation of eye styes are:
- Sleep deprivation
- Dehydration
- Poor nutrition
- Poor hygiene (1, 2)
- Using expired cosmetics
- Changing contact lenses without washing hands
- Not removing eye make up before going to sleep
1. Coriander Seeds For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 cup water
What You Have To Do:
- Boil the coriander seeds in water for a few minutes.
- Strain this water and let it cool.
- Wash the affected eye with it.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this twice or thrice a day, and your stye will heal in no time.
Why This Works
The best-recommended home remedy for an eye stye is the use of coriander seeds. They contain compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce the edema in your eye (3).
2. Tea Bags For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- A tea bag
- Warm water
What You Have To Do:
- Dip the tea bag in warm water for a minute.
- Remove the extra water and place this tea bag on the affected eye until the bag cools down.
If the stye is on the inside of the lid, place the bag over the lid. You can also use a used tea bag for this.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat this 2-3 times in the day.
Why This Works
Warm tea bags are known to work wonders on a stye. It not only gives relief from the pain but also helps reduce the swelling within 48 hours (4).
3. Guava Leaves For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- 5-6 guava leaves
- Water
- Soft cloth
What You Have To Do:
- Boil the guava leaves for 5-7 minutes. Let it cool down a bit.
- Dip the cloth in this water and place it on the eye stye for about 15 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat this 2-3 times.
Why This Works
This not only heals the stye but also provides relief from pain and swelling. This is because the guava leaves possess anti-inflammatory properties. They are also antimicrobial in nature and will prevent the eye from getting infected (5).
4. Garlic Juice For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- 1 garlic clove
- Q-tip
What You Have To Do
- Crush the garlic clove and apply the juice that oozes out carefully on the stye using a Q-tip.
- Wash it off with lukewarm water after it is dry.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this twice in the day.
Why This Works:
Garlic juice is well known to cure an eye stye infection, thanks to its antibacterial properties (6). It will not only give relief from the pain but also reduce the stye.
Caution
Ensure the juice does not enter the eyes as it may sting a little.
5. Cloves Or Clove Oil For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- 2-3 cloves
- Water
What You Have To Do:
- Grind the cloves to get a smooth paste.
- Apply it from one corner of the eyelash to the other end. Apply a little on the stye too.
- Leave it for a few hours to dry, and you will notice a drastic change.
You can also apply some clove oil instead of the cloves paste, with the help of a Q-tip.
How Often You Should Do This
Apply this twice a day.
Why This Works
This is another disinfectant that works wonders on a stye. Its antimicrobial properties can be made use of along with the antioxidants it contains to fasten the healing process (7).
Caution
The cloves may cause a burning sensation if they enter your eyes. So, be on guard.
6. Potato For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- 1 small potato
- A soft cloth
What You Have To Do:
- Peel and grate the potato. Place this in a cloth and wrap the cloth around it.
- Place this cloth on the affected eye for 10-15 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
This must be repeated twice a day for best results.
Why This Works
Potato is a mild astringent and has anti-inflammatory compound (8, 9). This poultice will reduce the swelling, the pain, and also prevent infection.
7. Turmeric For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- A glass of water
What You Have To Do:
Mix the turmeric in the water and rinse your eye with this.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this twice a day to get fast relief.
Why This Works
Turmeric is an excellent antiseptic and is often used for treating topical and internal infections. This herb is also known for its healing properties (10).
8. Water And Salt For Eye Stye
You Will Need:
- 1 liter water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- A soft cloth or face towel
What You Have To Do:
- Boil the water and add the salt into it.
- Let the water cool a little, and then dip a towel or soft cloth in it.
- Compress the affected area with the water and leave it there for 20 minutes until the towel is no longer warm.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this twice a day until the stye is healed.
Why This Works
The warmth of the water will soothe the irritating eye stye. It will reduce the pain and also the swelling by promoting circulation (11). Salt in this remedy acts as an antimicrobial agent (12).
9. Honey For Eye Stye
You Will Need
3 tablespoons honey
2 cups of hot water
What You Have To Do
1. Mix the honey thoroughly in water and bring down the temperature of water to warm.
2. Rinse the affected eye with this.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat this twice a day.
Why This Works
Honey is an emollient that keeps the skin moisturized. This property is beneficial in reducing the itching sensation in the affected area. Its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergen properties are useful for treating skin conditions like eye stye (30).
Some home remedies can cure and heal an eye stye. But remember that some of these eye stye home remedies will only work in the initial stages when the stye in the eye has formed, and there is no infection. Use remedies with antimicrobial components such as castor oil, essential oils, turmeric, and garlic for infected eye stye treatment.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind to prevent styes and other eye infections as well.
Precautions
- Wash your hands before touching your eye.
- Do not share your cosmetics.
- Pay attention to the proper hygiene of your eyes and wash them at least three times a day.
- Always use clean water to rinse the eyes.
- If you use contact lenses, keep them clean and put them on with clean hands.
- Do not rupture the stye as it will lead to infection.
- Do not wear eye makeup or contact lenses when you have an eye stye.
- Remove makeup before going to bed.
- Replace eye makeup, such as eyeliners and mascara every 3-4 months.
- Sleep at least 6-8 hours daily.
- Avoid stress as it can lower immunity levels and trigger infections easily.
- Use good quality medicine for treating an eye stye. For recurrent styes, use antibiotic creams or eye drops. Over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol relieve pain. Topical antibiotics or oral antibiotics help in taking care of the infection. If the external stye is extremely painful, the doctor may remove the eyelash nearest to it and drain the pus away by lancing it with a thin needle. This procedure should only be done by an opthalmologist.
Do not apply eye makeup or lotions or wear contact lenses until the stye is gone.
An eye stye can affect people of all ages. If you have a clear and healthy skin, then you probably would be able to get rid of stye easily. Your own body mechanism would be built in such a way that it would detoxify your body and help you get rid of the stye. But, in other cases, where it is not so, the above home remedies for eye stye would prove effective.
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