How To Clean A Stye With Baby Shampoo

A small lump appears in the eyelid area all of a sudden? It might be a stye. Even though they are not dangerous, a stye should be treated immediately before it gets serious. Find out more about this little nuisance.

Stye infection
On the edge of the eyelids, there are zeis, moll and mellbom glands. The zeis and meibom glands are oil glands, while the moll is a sweat gland. Hordeolum or better known as "stye" happens because of blockage of the gland and inflammation caused by the staphylococcus aureus bacteria. If the stye does not disappear, then the inflammation of the meibom and zeis has the potential to be chronic (kalazion).

Stye in zeis and moll glands are found on the outer surface of the eyelid, called hordeolum eksterna, whereas stye in the meibom gland are found inside the eyelid, called hordeolum interna. Below is the image of both type of stye based on their location.

Zeis, moll, and meibom glands in the eyelid

1. Hordeolum externa 2. Herdeolum interna

There are about 30-40 meibom glands on the upper lid and 20-30 meibom glands on the lower lid, so you can have more than one stye at the same time. These glands produce oily material or called sebum, which role is to moisturize and maintain the surface of the eyeball. The glands secrete sebum through a tiny duct along the edge of the eyelid. If the duct is blocked, sebum cannot be secreted and it will return to the gland, causing inflammation and swelling or lump on the eyelid.

Stye symptoms and conditions
On top of the lump on the eyelid, the condition that is usually felt when stye occurs is itch or the feeling of a foreign object in the eye. Other conditions that can happen is the eyelid will appear red and painful, especially when pressed. Over time, hordeolum eksterna will conjure pus spots on the outer surface of the eyelids, while hordeolum interna will secrete pus from the conjunctival surface behind the lid.

To prevent stye, keep your eyelids clean with baby shampoo and warm water. Make sure you have cleaned your make up on the eyelids and face before resting. Do not forget to wash your hands before touching the skin around the eyes so they are protected from bacteria.

Stye treatment
Generally, the stye appears within a few days and can heal on its own without treatment. However, sometime the inflammation persists and the lump gets bigger. You can do some the following things at home to relieve the annoying stye:

Compress warm water to speed up the blocked discharge. Soak a towel/washcloth in warm water and place it on your eyelids for 10-15 minutes, 3-5 times a day. Keep the towels warm by soaking them in warm water. The warm compress will soften the sebum and help unclog the oil glands, which will make the healing process faster
Antibiotic ointments or eye drops can speed the healing
If the stye does not heal with medication and disturbs your vision, an ophthalmologist can perform a curettage incision (the contents of the lump are removed through a small incision on the inside of the eyelid)
Avoid wearing make-up and contact lenses when stye appears

Although rare, stye can expand and cause inflammation of the entire lining of the eyelids and the skin around the face, leading to cellulitis. In such condition, antibiotic therapy and drainage incision are required.

If the stye or kalazion recurs, then a biopsy should be done to look for other causes of the lump. It is important to differentiate sebasceous gland carcinoma from recurrent kalazion. If they are unable to differentiate, biopsy and histological examination will need to be performed on the lump.

Stye or hordeolum is not dangerous. However, if it gets bigger and disturbs your vision, further treatment needs to be done. Follow the advice of your ophthalmologist to get the right treatment.