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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013
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I HEALTH & STYLE
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THE BALTIMORE
SUN
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ASK THE EXPERT DR. KAREN DUNLAP, WILMER EYE INSTITUTE
Good eyelid hygiene can prevent painful styes
BY ANDREA K. ·w ALJ{ER
The Baltimore Sun
Wear eye makeup to bed or don't waSh
your face well and you may wind up with
pimple-like styes on your eyelids. The
bumps don't typically lead to vision loss, but
,
can cause scarring if not
treated. Dr. Karen Dunlap,
assistant professor of oph-thalmology at The Wilmer Eye Institute at Jolms
Hopkins, said that it is
easy to prevent eye styes.
What is a stye and what
are the symptoms?
A stye, also known as an K~ren Dunlap
external hordeolum, is a
localized infection in one of the oil glands at
the edge of the eyelid. In many ways it resembles a common pimple, with the infection leading to an inflamed, red and sore
bump visible on the lid. External styes occur
in the glands of Zeis or Moll, which are
glands associated with the eyelash follicle
that secrete a lipid component of the tear
film through the follicle. There are also internal hordeola, which show up as slightly
deeper and often more painful localized inflammation of tl1e lids, and occur in another
one of the oil glands called the meibomian
gland.
What causes a stye to form?
Styes are typically caused by bacteria,
most commonly Staphylococcus. Staphylococcus is normally present in the natural
bacterial flora in the eye, but in the case of,a
stye, it proliferates and causes an inflanunatory reaction. Stye formation is spontaneous, although it can be associated with
poor lid hygiene or an underlying condition
such as blepharitis or acne rosacea. It can
also be caused by systemic infections.
What are the treatments for a stye?
Styes typically resolve spontaneously in a
few days by breaking open naturally and
draining. However, there are a number of
remedies that may aid in the healing process. One common and effective way to treat
a stye is to apply warm compresses multiple
times a day for 5 to 10 minutes to the affected
eyelid. Tllis softens the granuloma to facilitate drainage. Cleansing the lid margins
with a mild soap or baby shampoo is also a
helpful home remedy. If the stye comes to a
head and opens, gently massaging the lid
margins can also be beneficial in expelling
some of the contents of tl1e infected gland,
altl1ough squeezing the stye vigorously or
prematurely could potentially worsen the
inflammation and cause the bacteria to
spread.
Removing tl1e affected eyelash by an eye
care professional may also accelerate healing. Over-the-counter or prescription topical antibiotic eye ointments speed the natural recovery by fighting the inf~cting bacteria, and can prevent secondruy eye smface
irritation and infection. Bacitracin and tobrrunycin ru·e common antibiotics used in
these preparations.
When should someone seek an eye care
professional for treatment of a stye?
If burning, ctusting, redness and/or blurred vision occur in the eye itself, tl1e bacteria
draining from the stye could be causing a
secondruy ocular infection, ru1d medical at-
tention should definitely be sought. If inflammation from the stye spreads deeper,
especially if it starts to involve the entire
eyelid or even both eyelids, tllls could represent a much more serious infection called
preseptal cellulitis which would require aii
oral antibiotic. If left untreated, these
deeper infections could potentially progress
to the entire bone around the eye, or orbit.
Seeking consultation with 3.11 eye care professional is essential in any of these cases.
Are there ways to prevent styes?
Keeping the eyelids and lashes clean is
tl1e best way to avoid stye formation. Some
individuals ru·e more prone .to styes than
others, especially if they have underlying
skin or other medical conditions such as acne rosacea or blephru·itis. Using old makeup,
such as mascara, eyeliner and even foundation, can put an individual at higher risk, so
replace these frequently. Failure to c1e3.11Se
the face and lids, and failure to remove eye
malceup before bedtime also promote stye formation.
andrea.wallw·@baltsun.com
twitter.com/an/(walher