There’s nothing quite like waking up with a stye to make you feel unattractive. Small as it is, a stye is highly visible because it’s right there, smack-bang in the middle of your eyelid.
But how do you get rid of it and can Chlorsig help?
Why do I have a stye?
This tender lump is a lot like a pimple on your eyelid. Also called a hordeolum, it’s a bacterial infection inside a tiny gland at the base of an eyelash. The gland fills with white blood cells (or pus) and becomes red, tender and swollen.
How long will it last?
Styes go away on their own, usually within a couple of weeks. They don’t usually need any intervention, but there are a few things you can do to speed things along.
How do I get rid of it?
Never squeeze it! It might look like a pimple but you can force the pus back up into the hair follicle and spread the infection.
Warm compresses speed up the healing by allowing the pus to drain more easily.
Use a heat mask or heated gel back to apply comfortably warm heat to your closed eyes for about ten minutes a few times a day.
Chlorsig and the eye
We’ve previously written about the broad-spectrum antibiotic Chloramphenicol (brand name Chlorsig) and its appropriate therapeutic use in the eye.
Chlorsig is one of the most inappropriately used medicine in the eye. It can often cause more harm than good, by adding toxic agents to an already compromised eye.
This medicine is available both as eye drops and ointment. The eye drops will do nothing to help your stye resolve and can actually cause more problems.
The ointment CAN be helpful. At night, rub a tiny bit onto the tip of the stye using a clean fingertip. If the stye bursts overnight, the ointment will protect your eye from the bacteria released.
When to seek help
If your stye hasn’t disappeared (or at least improved) within two weeks, it’s time to see a therapeutically-endorsed optometrist.
They will examine the lump to make sure it isn’t something more sinister (although this is very rare) or something which requires a procedure (such as a chalazion).
