An eye stye, also known as a hordeolum, is a common condition that affects the eyelid. It is characterized by a painful, red bump that develops near the base of the eyelashes or within the eyelid.
Eye styes are typically caused by a bacterial infection and can occur on the inside or outside of the eyelid. It develops when one or more of the glands at the base of the eyelashes become clogged or infected.
These glands known as meibomian glands or the Zeis glands, produce an oily substance that helps lubricate the eyes.
When their glands are obstructed, bacteria, most commonly staphylococcus aureus, can accumulate, leading to an infection and the subsequent formation of a stye.
This article will cover homeopathic remedies for eye stye and its homeopathic treatment, the cause behind it, symptoms, risk factors, prevention, and management, and its associated complications in detail.
Types of Stye
Eye styes can be categorized into two types.
1. External stye
This type of stye, also known as an external hordeolum, forms at the base of an eyelash follicle. It presents as a painful, red, and swollen bump on the outside of the eyelid.
2. Internal stye
An internal stye, also referred to as an internal hordeolum, occurs when the infection affects the oil glands within the eyelid. It appears as a painful, red lump on the inside of the eyelid. This type may take longer to heal compared to an external stye.
Causes of Stye and How it Spreads?
Eye stye can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from infections to weak immunity, some common causes include.
1. Bacterial infection
The most common cause of eye stye is a bacterial infection, primarily staphylococcus aureus.
This bacterium is naturally present on the skin and can enter the affected glands, causing an infection and subsequent stye formation.
2. Poor hygiene
Insufficient aye hygiene practices can also contribute to the development of a stye.
Touching the eyes with unwashed hands, using dirty contact lenses, or sleeping with eye makeup can introduce bacteria into the glands and increase the risk of infections.
3. Blocked glands
The eyelid contains numerous oils-producing glands, and any blockage in these glands may lead to a stye.
Factors such as hormonal changes, excess oil production, or debris accumulation can block the glands and trigger an infection.
4. Compromised immune system
Individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those with autoimmune conditions, diabetes, or undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, have an increased risk of developing styes.
A compromised immune system may struggle to fight off bacterial infections, making it easier for styes to form.
Signs and Symptoms of Stye
- Red, painful bump on or within the eyelid
- Swelling around the affected area.
- Tenderness and discomfort when blinking.
- Sensitivity to light, discomfort with bright light.
- Puss-filled head on the stye
- Crustiness and discharge
- Eyelids get agglutinated in the morning
- Blurred vision due to discharge from eyes
- Irritation and excessive tearing
- Watering from eye
- Fever due to infection
- Difficulty in vision.
Risk Factors for Eye Stye
Several risk factors increase the likelihood of developing an eye stye. These include.
1. Age
Styes can occur at any age, but they are more common in children and young adults. This may be due to their relatively higher exposure to bacterial infection and subsequent stye formation.
2. Personal hygiene
Poor personal hygiene habits, such as infrequent handwashing or improper contact lens care, increase the risk of bacterial infections and subsequent stye formation
3. Cosmetic product usage
Individuals who frequently use eye cosmetics, such as mascara or eyeliner, are prone to stye, especially if proper hygiene practices are not followed, leading to bacterial combination of the products.
4. Contact lenses
The prolonged use of contact lenses, particularly when not cleaned and stored properly, can contribute to stye development.
Contact lenses can harbor bacteria if not handled or cleaned correctly, increasing the risk of infection.
5. Stress and fatigue
Chronic stress, lack of sleep, and fatigue can weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections, including styes.
6. Pre-exiting Eyelid Conditions
Conditions such as blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid) or rosacea can interfere with the proper functioning of the oil-producing glands, leaving the eyelids more prone to stye formation.
7. Close contact or sharing a personal item
Sharing personal items, such as towels or pillowcases, with someone who has an active stye can increase the risk of transmission and subsequent development of a stye.
Diagnosis of stye
When you visit a healthcare professional Ophthalmologist or optometrist, they will begin by taking a detailed medical history.
They will ask questions about your symptoms, any recent eye infections, eye trauma, exposure to dirty contact lenses, or any previous issues with your eyes.
The doctor will examine the eyelid and any associated symptoms to determine if it is a stye or another eye condition
In some cases, the doctor may use a magnifying instrument, called a lit lamp, to get a closer look at the stye. This can help determine the extent of the infection or if it has developed into a more severe condition, such as chalazion (a painless lump within the eyelid).
If there is a suspicion of infection, the doctor may take a maple of eye discharge for laboratory analysis. This examination can help identify the specific infection-causing agent and guide the treatment approach.
It is important to note that self-diagnosis is not always accurate, so if you suspect you have an eye stye or are experiencing eye discomfort, it is recommended to consult a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Prevention and Management of Stye
- Clean the eyelids regularly using a mild soap or cleanse. Remove any eye makeup before going to bed, and ensure hands are clean before touching the eyes.
- Follow the recommended hygiene practices for contact lens use, including proper cleaning, disinfection, and storage. Avoid wearing contacts when the eyes are irritated or infected.
- Sharing mascara, eyeliner, or eyebrushes can increase the risk of bacterial contamination, leading to an eye stye. Also, avoid touching or rubbing the eyes because it can introduce bacteria and potentially spread the infection.
- Apply warm compresses to the affected eye for 10-15 minutes several times a day. This helps alleviate pain, reduce swelling, and promote drainage of the stye.
- Using a mild scrub or a diluted solution of baby shampoo and warm water to gently clean the eyelids can help remove debris and promote healing.
- In some cases, an antibiotic ointment or drops may be prescribed to treat the bacterial infection and prevent further complications.
- It is important to avoid squeezing or attempting to pop a stye, as this can lead to further infection or scarring.
- In severe or recurrent cases, oral antibiotics may be prescribed to eliminate the bacterial infection.
- In certain instances, such as a large or persistent stye, a healthcare professional may perform a minor surgical procedure to drain the stye under local anesthesia.
- If eye stye is recurrent or persistent, it is essential to address any underlying conditions that may be contributing to their development, such as blepharitis or skin conditions.
Best Homeopathic Medicines for Stye
Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine that treats not only the symptoms of the disease but also the man who is suffering from the disease.
So, after a complete detailed history of present and past disease and considering the family history, a drug is prescribed which will be based on the individualization of every patient.
In mild cases, improvement can be seen within weeks, whereas in severe cases of eye stye, the improvement will take a longer time. Along with homeopathic medicine, patients must follow a healthy regimen for optimum results.
Now, let us go through some of the homeopathic medicines that can help to treat eye stye. Some of the best homeopathic medicines for the treatment of this condition are mentioned below: –
- Aurum metallicum
- Apis mellifica
- Pulsatilla
- Staphisagria
- Graphites
- Sepia
- Sulphur
- Conium maculatum
- Lycopodium
1. Aurum Metallica: for eye stye along with profuse lachrymation
This medicine has a very good effect on mucus glands and membranes. It can be highly prescribed in treating eye-related conditions such as blepharitis, chalazion, or styes.
Aurum can be prescribed when patients complain about swelling in the lower eyelid along with pain that gets aggravated in the morning and becomes better by bathing the eyes with cold water.
There is also profuse lachrymation, burning, and itching of the eyelids along with stye. When a patient complains about violent pain in bones around the eye.
On the mental level, there is a feeling of self-condemnation and utterly worthless. There is mental derangement and patients talk of committing suicide.
Dosage and potency: 30c, 200c 4 globules (pills) dissolved in half a cup of water 2 times a day for 15 days.
2. Apis mellifica: for edematous swelling around the eyes.
Apis mellifica is a homeopathic medicine that acts on cellular tissue and is very effective in edema of skin and mucus membranes. This medicine is usually indicated to treat swelling or puffin of various parts, especially the eyes.
Apis mellifica can be indicated in patients having red, edematous eyelids with suppurative inflammation and profuse burning lachrymation.
The main indication of this medicine is that the burning in the eyes gets aggravated by looking at fire or in the armroom and becomes better by cold bathing.
On the mental plain, the patients of Apis are apathetic, indifferent, and unconscious. They are awkward and drop things readily.
Dosage and potency: 200c, 4 globes of Apis in half a cup of water thrice a day till the symptoms disappear. Take 15 minutes gap between meals and medication.
3. Pulsatilla: for bland and thick discharges from the eye
Pulsatilla is preeminently a female remedy and also a polychrest remedy that has action on almost every part of the body. It works very effectively in treating eye complaints especially when there is a stye on the upper eyelid and there is thick bland discharge coming from the eyes.
This medicine can be prescribed when there is itching and burning in the eyes with profuse lachrymation and secretion of mucus.
The patient complains that every morning their lids get agglutinated and inflamed. Also, it is an indicated medicine in treating blepharitis, styes, or chalazion.
On the mental plane, the patient is very emotional and sensitive. They weep easily and are easily discouraged. Their complaints become better after consolation
Dosage and potency: 30c, 200c, take 4 drops of dilution in half a cup of water twice a day, till the improvement is seen.
4. Staphisagria: for recurrent styes in children
Staphisagria is one of the most effective homeopathic remedies for treating styes and chalazion especially when it is recurrent in children.
This medicine is well-indicated for children who are very sensitive to what others say about them, they cry over silly things and prefer solitude.
This medicine can be prescribed when patients say there is itching on the margins of the eyelids and it gets agglutinated in the morning. The itching and burning of the eyes get ameliorated by rubbing.
Dosage and potency: 200c potency take 4 globules (pills) twice a day till the improvement occurs.
5. Graphites: for red swollen eyelids having a dry crust on it
Graphite is a marvelous homeopathic medicine best suited for patients who are stout, of fair complexion, with a tendency to skin affections and constipation.
This medicine also works wonders in treating eye affections whether it is dryness of eyelids, eczema, ophthalmia, blurred vision, or styes or chalazion.
It is effective in case of a stye in the eye when the patient complains about red swollen eyelids with dryness in them. Sometimes along with dryness, there is crust also seen over the eyelids. This medicine can also be prescribed in case of blepharitis.
On the mental plane, the patient is very timid, confused, apprehensive, despondent, and indecisive.
Dosage and potency: 200c or 1m potency of dilution, take 2-3 drops of Graphites in half a cup of water one time a day for 3 days.
6. Sepia: for aggravation of eye problems in the morning and evening
Sepia officinalis is a homeopathic medicine prepared from the ink juice of cuttlefish. It has marked action on git, portal, and female genital system but it is also very effective in treating eye infections.
This medicine can be indicated to treat styes when patients say there is inflammation on the upper eyelids with profuse lachrymation and burning stinging pain when they blink.
Sepia can be indicated when there is a yellowish-green crust appearing on the styes when there is an accumulation of pus on the head of the stye.
Mentally the patient is very indifferent to their loved ones, having a lack of interest in their surrounding and there are dreads to be alone.
Dosage and potency: 30c, 200c potency, take 2-3 drops of dilution in half a cup of water and take twice a day till the improvement.
7. Sulphur: for stye on eyelids with burning pain
Sulfur is a homeopathic medicine best known for its action on the skin. It is very effective in treating skin complaints and known as the king of antipsoric remedies.
Sulfur is indicated when a patient has a stye on the lower eyelid with a sensation as if a foreign body is inside the eye. There is also burning pain in the eyelid which gets aggravated in the morning.
It is best suited when there is burning in the margins of the eyelids that get aggravated in the daytime. There is also profuse lachrymation while reading or when doing work that requires more concentration.
Mentally the patient is very forgetful and full of delusion. The old grown-up people behave childish and peevish. They think they are great and are very selfish.
Dosage and potency: 30c, 200c, 4 globules (pills) of Sulphur twice a day till the improvement is seen. You can take dilution also. Take 10 drops of dilution in half a cup of water once a day for 10 days.
8. Conium mac: for itching of the eyelids
Conium Mac is a marvelous medicine for treating eye complaints such as photophobia, excessive lachrymation, dim vision, cataracts, etc. It is also effective in treating styes.
This medicine can be prescribed when the patient complains about a stye on the upper eyelid of the eye with severe pain in it that gets better with pressure. There is also redness in the margin of the eyelid.
Conium mac can be prescribed to a patient who is thermally chilly and has had recurrent problems with styes since childhood.
Mentally the patient of conium mac is depressed, timid, averse to society, and afraid of being alone. There is no inclination to business, work, and study.
Dosage and potency: – 200c, 1 M potency, take 4 globules directly on the tongue once a day for 15 days.
9. Lycopodium: for styes on the lids near the inner canthus
Lycopodium calavatum also known as club moss is an indicated medicine for cases having liver, urinary, or git pathology. It works very effectively on eye complaints when there is evidence of urinary or digestive disturbances.
This medicine is highly suitable in cases when the patient develops styes on the inner canthus. There is also discharge of the mucus from the eye and the eyelids get stuck in the morning.
Generally, there is aggravation in the symptoms from 4 pm to 8 pm and the patient feels better in the forenoon, and by walking in the open air.
Mentally the patient is very irritable, annoyed at little things, extremely sensitive, and doesn’t want to be alone there is a constant fear of breaking down in stress.
Dosage and potency: – 200c, 1 M potency of lycopodium, take 4 globules directly on the tongue once a day for 15 days.