How to Prevent Styes

Imagine this. You wake up the morning of a very important day. Maybe it’s the first day of school or the day of a very important presentation you’re giving. You’ve laid out your clothes the night before and are ready to eat a good breakfast to have energy to be at the top of your game. You get out of bed and stumble into the bathroom to turn on the shower and glance into the mirror. What is that on your eye? A stye.

Helping It Heal

Part of helping your eye heal quickly from a stye is not causing any more trouble. Resist the urge to pop the stye, since that will likely cause the bacteria to spread and cause more problems. Keep your eyes clean and press a warm, wet washcloth on the infected eye at least three times a day for five to ten minutes at a time. This will help open up the stye and encourage it to drain faster. Wash your hands before you go near your eyes, and keep them away from your eyes as much as possible.

Preventing Styes

Styes can come from all sorts of small, innocus places. If you’ve blown your nose and then touched your eye later in the day, the bacteria in mucus might find its way into your eye. When in doubt, wash your hands. Money, cell phones, and TV remotes are all breeding grounds for germs, since we rarely think to disinfect them.

Old cosmetics that are past their expiration date or have been loaned to friends can also encourage styes. Mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and brushes that you use to apply cosmetics should be cleaned or disposed of after the date on the package. Many cosmetics have a symbol on them that tell you how long they will last after you open them, so take a look and toss anything that has been lying around for too long.

Prevent styes by keeping your eyes clean and reducing risk of contamination through products or germs on your hands. Change your contact solution daily and disinfect your contacts properly. If you have a stye that is getting worse or is affecting your vision, give us a call at (757) 484-0101 to schedule a consultation.