Styes... how did you resolve?

[reta2]

All of a sudden I have a new symptom. Styes (I think). And a number of them have appeared and are not resolving on their own. I'm assuming it is related to being hypo. I found a couple of hints searching online, but I wanted to ask others what they have learned.

[humanbean]

Have you seen a doctor about them? If you've had several then it suggests you have an infection which isn't clearing by itself and you need antibiotics.

The last time I had a stye I soaked a flannel in water that was quite hot, but not painfully so, and then used it as a hot compress on my eye, using a clean flannel every time I did it. The stye drained by itself and healed up quickly, and I didn't get any more, so I didn't need to see a doctor.

moorfields.nhs.uk/condition...

nhs.uk/conditions/stye/

The one thing you should not do is squeeze the stye - it will just spread any infection. You should also avoid sharing towels with anyone.

[reta2 in reply to humanbean]

I have not. Thanks for that info. I saw it online. I have not gone to a doc yet. I am constantly finding they just reach for the scripts like steroids instead of finding the root cause. This has resulted in even worse health problems and misdiagnoses for me. That is why I have not gone.

[humanbean in reply to reta2]

Well, I can understand your reluctance to see a doctor! They are so dismissive that it hardly seems worth the hassle.

In this link it suggests something I have done which helped.

patient.info/eye-care/swoll...

If the infection has formed in a hair follicle that an eyelash is growing out of, then pulling the eyelash out could result in instant draining of the stye which then relieves pain.

"Epilation of the eyelash

This is a treatment for an external stye. It means that the eyelash is plucked out. Epilation is briefly uncomfortable but it can help the infection from the hair follicle to drain."

Whether you fancy trying the above suggestion is entirely up to you - you do it at your own risk!

[reta2 in reply to humanbean]

Thanks. I will continue to try to ignore but they are irritating at times. There are not lashes where some of them are located.

[asidist]

Hi Reta2, I was getting sties chronically for a while years ago and my ophthalmologist had me use warm compresses and an eyelash/lid cleanser with boric acid in it (called Sterilid i believe) to resolve them. I wear eyeliner regularly and was also advised to clean my eyeliner tip with rubbing alcohol before each use, which I do religiously, and I don't get them anymore - maybe a tiny one very rarely. (Don't know if it matters, but for good measure I personally also avoid using waterproof products directly at my lashline or waterline so as not to clog any glands.) Blinking exercises (you can find these online) are also thought to keep the glands flowing. If you wear eye makeup and it's a type that can't be disinfected before each use (like mascara etc) it would probably be helpful to at least replace it very regularly, which you're probably already doing.

I don't know if hypothyroidism increases the likelihood of sties, though i wouldn't be surprised since we know it can cause increased acne and other skin probs. None of the above addresses that underlying issue of course but hope it helps to keep the sties at bay in the meantime. Best of luck!

[reta2 in reply to asidist]

Thanks for the reply. I had read about using baby shampoo as a cleaner but not the boric acid product u mentioned. So thank you for all the tips.

[asidist in reply to reta2]

yw! i think the sterilid is also good to use at anytime you feel like a new stye might be starting to form, and just remembered there are also pads you can get called eyelid scrubs that are more convenient but more expensive.

my ophthalmologist also mentioned the baby shampoo (specifically burt's bees with tea tree oil) as good to use as a daily maintenance eyelash wash. (i personally didn't keep up with that because it was one more product to use/carry and i wasnt convinced it was doing anything that my face cleanser wasn't, but that's just me. edit: i guess it would allow you to get closer to your eye and really massage the foam into the eyelash area, which a lot of face cleansers wouldn't, so don't mean to discourage it's use. sorry haven't thought about this for a long while)

[reta2 in reply to asidist]

No problem. I appreciate it.

Tea tree oil added sounds like it would burn. How would you apply/scrub? I have just been washing my face with wash cloth and soap with eyes closed rubbing over my closed eyes. I'm getting the feeling this might not be good enough huh???

[asidist in reply to reta2]

aw. yeah rubbing baby shampoo (or a cleanser that won’t irritate eyes) into your eyelash area is helpful for thorough cleaning but i don’t think will alone get rid of the sties. i wouldn’t use a washcloth to rub - seems like it might be a bit harsh and aggravate things, esp because eyelid skin is so thin, and also would worry the washcloth might begin to harbor bacteria unless you’re using a fresh one each time. just massaging very gently with your finger tips (or getting disposable pre-moistened pads like these ocusoft.com/eyelid-cleansers-2 - “scrub” is part of the name but they’re not harsh) would prob be best for the cleaning.

but i think the warm compresses several times a day and either something like Sterilid (amazon.com/TheraTears-Steri... or an antibiotic ointment from your doctor would be your best bet to resolve your sties. if your eyes are goopy or seem infected at all i would def see a doc for the ointment, as others have suggested.

as for the Burt’s Bees baby shampoo, the amount of tea tree oil in it was prob pretty small and well diluted, but just looked online for it and couldn’t find so they may have stopped making it unfortunately. sorry for the confusion - it’s been like 4 years since I dealt with sties!

hope they resolve for you soon!

[helvella Administrator in reply to asidist]

yeah rubbing baby shampoo

It might seem that baby shampoo would be OK - but it is actually baby bath products that are subject to particularly careful testing.

I found, for example, that Asda baby bath AND shampoo were fine, but Johnson's Baby shampoo caused my eyes to smart. Only then did I look further and realise the different testing regimes. Some baby shampoos might be perfectly OK.

[asidist in reply to helvella]

good to know, thanks! i think the burt’s bees one was also a shampoo and wash combined

[helvella Administrator in reply to asidist]

I am afraid that I only went as far as the two products I mentioned. It seemed ironic that super-cheap Asda baby bath was better (for me) than the "posh" Johnson's shampoo - though I only bought that on offer!

Good to post what you know was OK as well.

[phirestar]

I had one recently that was the result of some sort of infection. It initially looked like a regular stud but a couple of days later, I woke up and it was like my eye was going to the bathroom and all gooped up. I was given antibiotic drops. It resolved. I’ve never had many this might have been the second/third one but it certainly presented differently after a couple of days. If they are recurring, I’d still suggest you see a doc. My few resolved on their own. I’m 69. I don’t think mine was related to hashi.

[reta2 in reply to phirestar]

Ya today my one eye was like all watery and sight was blurry. Looks the same so I wiped it. Under both eyes (both have them) today it is swollen/puffy.

I've never had them before. They started about 3 weeks ago. They do not seem to be resolving so far.

Thanks for sharing.

[phirestar in reply to reta2]

Go see an eye doc. You might need antibiotic drops.

[Hidden]

I had loads of these when a teenager instead of spots. Nobody else in the family had them but me. My mother used to buy something called Golden Eye Ointment which was rubbed on also the use of a warm cotton wool. This was about sixty years ago I don't know what caused them, I had forgotten all about them until I saw your post. Yours sound horrible I only ever had one at a time.