Styes pop up seemingly out of nowhere overnight. One day your eye is clear and healthy and the next, irritated, red and swollen. Though a stye won’t impair your vision, it is uncomfortable and aggravating. It may also make you extra sensitive to light and feel like you have something in your eye that you cannot get out.

A stye can form when a single oil gland on the edge of your eyelid becomes infected with a staph bacterium originating inside of the nose. The eye can become infected when you scratch or pick your nose and then inadvertently touch your eye.

It may look very much like a pimple with a white head, but unlike a pimple, it is not advisable to try and pop a stye – that will cause more pain and will thwart healing. Instead, apply hot compresses to get it to come out by itself. 10 -15 minutes at a time keeping your eye closed 3-4 times a day will work the stye to the surface and out of your eye over the course of several days.

Pain, redness, and swelling are signature markers of a stye. This is sometimes accompanied by a swollen eyelid or entire eye. While they are contagious, infecting others is unlikely unless you share pillows, bedsheets, washcloths or towels with others. It is best to keep all of them separate and washed often.

Do you need to see a doctor for a stye?

While most of the time a stye will heal on its own, if you do not see improvement after 7 or 8 days, you may want to make an appointment to go visit your eye doctor. They can prescribe an antibiotic ointment to help prevent reoccurrences. Using pre-moistened wipes to clean your eye area daily may also reduce future risk.

To find a qualified Optometrist in Lee County please visit www.ipalc.org/find.