Stye In Your Eye? Dry Eyes? Here’s Some Help

[Pea-n-Me]

Looking back there have been several short threads here on styes, which are a nightmare when you get them - very painful and embarrassing. Styes are a result of some oil glands in the eyelid getting clogged up, like a pimple. Apparently this can be a problem for people with dry eyes, too, when lubrication becomes blocked.

Traditional solutions for styes are to do warm soaks with a wet facecloth several times a day. Sometimes antibiotic ointments are prescribed or there are recommendations to wash lids and lashes with baby shampoo - none really that helpful when you’re in the midst of a stye.

I have something called ocular rosacea. It’s rosacea that sometimes affects the eyes, and occasional styes are a result. (I also have to wear a mask at work and my PCP said this is part of the problem.) None of the traditional treatments worked for me and I had to suffer through ten or fourteen days of pain and swelling each time while they went away on their own. I was also left with a lump on my lid that was interfering with my vision.

Recently I saw an ophthalmologist who actually helped me with something I’d never seen, heard of, or was prescribed before, even after many visits to other doctors for these styes. Literally after the first treatment I saw an improvement. It’s been a week now and the lump is almost gone. She also prescribed me some drops that are helping, as well. I am so grateful!

I wanted to share this because I know there are a lot of people out there who have these problems. I hope it helps someone. For $20, it’s worth a try if you’ve been advised to do warm compresses. I got mine on Amazon but they’re sold at other places online, too.

It’s called the Bruder Moist Heat Eye Compress
https://bruder.com/eye-care/dry-eye/bruder-mask/
Apply this mask according to directions.
Massage lids after heating to disseminate oil in the glands.
Keep eye lids clean (wash with facecloth daily and as needed).

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

@Pea-n-Me Thank you so much for posting this! It's super helpful. I've been struggling off and on with a stye that seems like it goes away and then comes back. I just ordered this based on your recommendation. Fingers crossed it helps with the problem, but it sounds like it will be very useful.

 

[mom2rtk]

Nice! I've had a stye before and it was absolutely miserable. I will definitely try this if I ever feel one coming on again.

 

[Micca]

This thread has the potential to blow the "Stuck Popcorn Kernel" thread out of the water! Well done Pea!

 

[mamamia2005]

Here in the UK one of the most tried and tested methods for getting rid of a sty is to bathe it in cold tea. So make a cup of tea like you would with a tea bag for hot tea ( but don't add milk and sugar!) and let it go cold. Dip cotton wool ( do you have that in the US?) in the tea, swipe across the eye once, and discard. Repeat a couple more times. Do this a few times a day, and the sty should go.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Nice! I've had a stye before and it was absolutely miserable. I will definitely try this if I ever feel one coming on again.

I would pick one up to keep on hand for if you get one. They come on fast!

 

[BayouQueen]

Thanks for posting this, @Pea-n-Me. As I've gotten older, a weird thing began. All of my skin has gotten thinner, even eyelids. So I have to treat the area really delicately or I get infection from just eye make-up getting into the delicate skin. I'm going to get one of these to just keep the area soothed and to get the oils distributed.
Can't hurt!

 

[disneychrista]

I've gotten a stye a time or two and they are horrible. The first time I had one I had no clue what was going on. I'd here of a stye before but never knew anything about them.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

...

I wanted to share this because I know there are a lot of people out there who have these problems. I hope it helps someone. For $20, it’s worth a try if you’ve been advised to do warm compresses. I got mine on Amazon but they’re sold at other places online, too.

It’s called the Bruder Moist Heat Eye Compress
https://bruder.com/eye-care/dry-eye/bruder-mask/
Apply this mask according to directions.
Massage lids after heating to disseminate oil in the glands.
Keep eye lids clean (wash with facecloth daily and as needed).

Our ophthalmologist recommended this for DH. It really helped!

 

[Her Dotness]

Dip cotton wool ( do you have that in the US?) in the tea.

Yes. We call it a cotton ball or cotton puff, though.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just to be clear,, this device stays on your eyes for ten minutes of so providing continuous heat, or warmth, that breaks up the oils that are clogging the oil glands which is what causes styes, dry eyes and other eye problems.

It’s also really helpful to clean your eyes and eyelashes daily or twice a day with a facecloth to get any loose debris away from them which can also clog up these glands. (This is probably what the baby shampoo was about and perhaps the tea bags, too.) It’s hard to see but there are very small pieces that accumulate in sleep and during the course of the day from wetness, but they’re there.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Goodness....This has helped so much already and I only used it 3 times today. Thank you so much for recommending it! It really gives a a lot of relief.

I also use the wipes to clean your eyelids but this has made a big difference.

 

[superme80]

Thank you! I get styes a lot in the summer.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Goodness....This has helped so much already and I only used it 3 times today. Thank you so much for recommending it! It really gives a a lot of relief.

I also use the wipes to clean your eyelids but this has made a big difference.

I’m so glad! Isn’t it amazing?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks for posting this, @Pea-n-Me. As I've gotten older, a weird thing began. All of my skin has gotten thinner, even eyelids. So I have to treat the area really delicately or I get infection from just eye make-up getting into the delicate skin. I'm going to get one of these to just keep the area soothed and to get the oils distributed.
Can't hurt!

Yes, I think eye makeup is tough when you get these types of problems. There’s the makeup causing irritation to the eye itself, and then there’s the issue of possible transmission of infection on the makeup tools.

https://eyegalleryks.com/can-i-wear-makeup-with-a-stye/

 

[Her Dotness]

Something to be aware of for anyone with dry eyes, my optom said, is that when eyes get watery, you probably think, "Oh, good! That's better." Except, it's not. Your eyes are overcompensating, an indication you're not using drops often enough.

It can also mean you've become sensitive to the preservatives in drops. That's what happened to me.

Preservative-free eye drops come in single-use vials and are more expensive but worth a try if you're having this or eyes burning. I had to use them 4-6 times a day at first, my eyes were THAT dry. Now, only at bedtime and occasionally in the morning.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Something to be aware of for anyone with dry eyes, my optom said, is that when eyes get watery, you probably think, "Oh, good! That's better." Except, it's not. Your eyes are overcompensating, an indication you're not using drops often enough.

It can also mean you've become sensitive to the preservatives in drops. That's what happened to me.

Preservative-free eye drops come in single-use vials and are more expensive but worth a try if you're having this or eyes burning. I had to use them 4-6 times a day at first, my eyes were THAT dry. Now, only at bedtime and occasionally in the morning.

According to the company (Bruder), this mask is clinically proven to help dry eyes, too.

The science behind it:
https://www.bruder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/WHITE-PAPER-Bruder-Moist-Heat-Eye-Compress.pdf

 

[Her Dotness]

According to the company (Bruder), this mask is clinically proven to help dry eyes, too.

Yes, thanks. I’m aware that masks like this help.

I have a different brand than this one.

It also helps when I’ve sinus pain from the sinuses near my eyes.