What You Need To Know About A Stye

The eyes are one of the most important organs of the body. Many people fail to take care of their eyes properly, even though they take a good deal of time and care to protect other important organs of their body such as their heart, skin, and lungs. Luckily, through proper education you can learn how to care for your eyes and how to detect problems early on. One problem that many people deal with is a stye. Here are a couple things you need to know about a stye and how you can care for it.

What Is A Stye?

A stye is a growth on the eyelid or around the eye. This is caused from an oil build up around the eye and can become infected. The stye can be painful, or just barely noticeable and a mere nuisance. However, if the stye goes untreated it could escalate into a bigger problem and cause a serious infection to the eyelid. This is why it is important to catch the stye early and do what you can to care for it.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Stye?

One of the first things you will notice is a growth around the eye. It can be very small or it can grow to become quite noticeable. In addition to the appearance you usually will feel some sort of pain associated with it. It will turn red, it can burn, and it will be tender to the touch.

You might also notice that in the beginning the stye is just in a localized place, but as time progresses your entire eye could swell and become red and inflamed. In this case you know that the stye has infected the entire eye and you may need medical treatment.

What Can You Do For A Stye?

As soon as you notice the stye you need to take precautions to prevent it from getting worse. One of the first things you should do is massage the area. The swollen gland occurs because the oil has become caught and cannot flow properly. By pushing gently on the eye and the area and moving it around you can loosen up the area. In addition, a warm cloth will help to release the oil and make it easier to get the fluid moving.

If you cannot help the stye to break up, you need to see an eye doctor about some medication to heal the infection so that it doesn't harm the actual eye.

These are just a couple things you need to know about a stye. To learn more, contact an eye doctor like De Venuto Joseph J. 

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