sty

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Inflammation of one or more sebaceous glands of an eyelid.

[Alteration of Middle English styanye : styan, sty (from Old English stīgend, from present participle of stīgan, to rise) + eye, ye, eye; see eye.]

Definition

Also known as an external hordeolum, a stye is an infection or small abscess formation within the hair follicle glands on the free edge of the eyelid. These sebaceous glands are also known as Zeis's or Moll's glands.

Description

A stye may develop on or under the eyelid with an eyelash within a yellow point. The area becomes red, warm, swollen, and painful. It may also cause blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelid.

Causes & Symptoms

A stye is caused by staphylococcal or other bacterial infection of the sebaceous gland. This infection may be only on the eyelid, or may also be present elsewhere in the body. The presence of a stye may be a sign of the need for glasses, or indicate declining overall health status.

In addition to localized redness, pain and swelling, the affected eye may be sensitive to bright light. The individual with a stye may complain of a gritty sensation in the affected eye, and notice that the eye has increased tearing. Once the abscess drains, localized pain and other symptoms quickly resolve.

Diagnosis

Individuals can usually identify a stye from its accompanying symptoms. A laboratory culture of the drainage from the stye may be done to determine the causative organism, allowing identification of the appropriate topical antibiotic drop, ointment or cream, if necessary, to prevent bacterial infection of the rest of the eye.

Treatment

Application of a warm-water compress for 15–20 minutes several times daily will help bring the stye to a point. Most sties drain spontaneously, or with gentle removal of the affected eyelash. The affected individual should avoid hand-to-eye contact, and wash hands frequently, drying thoroughly with clean towels.

A somewhat unusual local treatment that was recommended by a pediatric ophthalmologist for sties that will not drain after several days of warm-water compresses is the application of a hot potato. The hot potato holds heat longer than a washcloth.

Because a stye may also be the result of overall poor health, intake of a well-balanced diet and other measures to strengthen the immune system are helpful in healing and preventing recurrences. Foods rich in beta carotene, along with vitamin C and A are beneficial in early stages of bacterial infection; herbal remedies include garlic, echinacea, goldenseal, calendula, and tea tree oil. Focus on a healthy lifestyle will also include getting enough rest, exercising regularly, and limiting negative stress. Yoga, meditation, and guided imagery may be helpful for stress reduction and relaxation. Eye irritation from smoking or other chemical or environmental factors should be avoided.

Allopathic Treatment

Self-care is often adequate in resolving a stye; however, surgical incision and drainage of the abscess may occasionally be necessary. While oral or injectable antibiotics are not usually needed, antibiotic drops, ointments or creams may be prescribed to hasten healing and prevent spread of the infection. A physician should also be consulted for any notable change in vision or pain in the eye.

Expected Results

A stye usually resolves completely within five to seven days after it has drained. Even with treatment, recurrence is not uncommon, especially in children. Patients with seborrheic blepharitis (nonulcerated inflammation of the eyelid) are also more likely to develop recurrent sties.

Prevention

Measures to improve overall health and strengthen the immune status will help prevent complications and recurrence. Crowded or unsanitary living conditions will predispose individuals to illnesses that can lower resistance to infections. Frequent exposure to dust and other chemical/environmental factors will irritate the eyes and can increase the risk of stye formation.

Resources

Books

Dillard, James, and Terra Ziporyn. Alternative Medicine for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1998.

Periodicals

Giusti, Robert. "Don't Pass This Hot Potato." Contemporary Pediatrics 18 (November 2001): 116.

Skorin Jr., Leonid. "Eyelid Swelling: What's the Underlying Cause?" Consultant 41 (October 2001): 1624–1630.

Other

Thrive Online. .

[Article by: Kathleen Wright; Rebecca J. Frey, PhD]

For more information on sty, visit Britannica.com.

Two traditional cures for a stye which do not have an obvious scientific basis are to rub the eye with a gold ring or a cat's tail, although in many cases there are further stipulations, as some authorities insist on nine strokes of the tail, a black cat, a full moon, and so on. The ring cure at least is of some antiquity, as shown by lines in Beaumont and Fletcher's play The Mad Lover (c.1622, V. iv): ‘I have a sty here, Chilax; I have no gold to cure it, not a penny’. Forbes also quotes a Middle English verbal charm to accompany the application of a lotion.

Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.

• Black, 1883: 151
• N&Q 1s:2 (1850), 37; 9s:5 (1900), 104, 212-13; 9s:6 (1900), 134; 181 (1941), 344; 182 (1942), 23
• Forbes, 1971: 293-316
• ‘Queer West-Country Remedies of To-Day’, Cassell's Saturday Journal (17 May 1893)

Stye
Classification and external resources
A regular stye on a person's eye
ICD-10	H00.
ICD-9	373.11
DiseasesDB	12583
MedlinePlus	001009
eMedicine	emerg/755
MeSH	D006726

This article is about the infection of the eye. For the In Flames album, see Soundtrack to Your Escape.

This article or section appears to contradict itself. Please help fix this problem.

An external stye (pronounced /ˈstaɪ/) or hordeolum (/hɔrˈdiːələm/) is an infection of the sebaceous glands of Zeis at the base of the eyelashes, or an infection of the apocrine sweat glands of Moll.^[1] External styes form on the outside of the lids and can be seen as small red bumps. Internal styes are infections of the meibomiam sebacious glands lining the inside of the eyelids. They also cause a red bump underneath the lid with only generalized redness and swelling visible on the outside. Styes are similar to chalazia, but tend to be of smaller size and feel much more painful and usually produce no lasting damage. Styes are characterized by an acute onset and usually short in duration compared to chalazia that are chronic and usually do not resolve without intervention.

Contents 1 Causes 2 Treatment 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Causes

Styes are commonly caused by a Staphylococcus aureus bacterial infection and by outdated mascara. They are also caused by a blocking of the oil glands at the base of the eyelash. Although they are particularly common in infants, styes are experienced by people of all ages. Styes can be triggered by stress, poor nutrition or sleep deprivation. Using the same razor to shave hair near both the eyes and a mustache can also spread staphylococcus bacteria, potentially leading to styes or other eye infections. Neither types of stye are contagious. ^[2] Styes will last from up to 3 weeks to 2 years without treatment, and only up to 1 week if treated properly.^[3][4]

Treatment

While most styes will drain on their own, this process can be accelerated by the application of a warm compress. There is also a specialized Polysporin topical ointment for styes. With treatment, styes typically resolve within one week. Lancing of a stye is not recommended without technical expertise^[5] given its proximity to the eye.

A hot compress is the best way to relieve the eye; warmth and dampness encourage the stye to drain. A compress can be made by putting hot (not boiling) water on a wash cloth or by using room temperature water and a plastic heat pack. Also, using either a warm hardboiled egg, a heated tea bag or a baked potato wrapped in a moist paper towel or washcloth will create a useful compress. This increases the blood flow to the area and lets the white blood cells attack the infection.

Another way to accelerate the healing of a stye is to wash out the eye. The water must be absolutely clean and cold to prevent infections or additional pain, respectively.

Medical professionals will sometimes lance a particularly persistent or irritating stye with a needle in order to accelerate its draining. ^[6] A stye's expansion can also be fought with erythromycin ophthalmic ointment^[7]. Medical professionals may also treat stye with other antibiotics such as chloramphenicol or Amoxicillin^[8] Chloramphenicol is used successfully in many parts of the world but is not approved by the F.D.A. in the United States due to concerns about aplastic anemia, which on rare occasions can be fatal. Erythromycin ointment enjoys widespread usage and may add to comfort and aid in preventing secondary infections. However, it is poorly absorbed when used topically and usually requires oral dosing to reach the infection with therapeutic levels onside of a stye. Azasite, a topical eye drop form of Azithromycin, does appear to penetrate eyelid tissues fairly well and may be a topical treatment for styes used in the future.

If a stye bursts, care must be taken to cleanse the wound to prevent reinfection.

See also

Look up stye in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Blepharitis
• Chalazion

References

1. ^ Eyelid lumps, on, inside or under the eye lid. Retrieved March 19, 2007
2. ^ http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/are-styes-contagious.html
3. ^ VisionWeb
4. ^ BBC - Health - Ask the doctor - Styes
5. ^ Styes
6. ^ Sty (Stye, Hordeolum) Causes, Infection Symptoms and Treatment by MedicineNet.com
7. ^ eMedicine - Hordeolum
8. ^ eMedicine - Periorbital Infections : Article by R Gentry Wilkerson, MD

External links

• More information on Stye on Yahoo Health
• 409665546 at GPnotebook
• 20-228f. at Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Home Edition

v • d • e Eye disease · pathology of the eye (H00-H59, 360-379) Adnexa eyelid: inflammation (Stye, Chalazion, Blepharitis) · Entropion · Ectropion · Lagophthalmos · Blepharochalasis · Ptosis · Blepharophimosis · Xanthelasma · Trichiasis · Madarosis lacrimal system: Dacryoadenitis · Epiphora · Dacryocystitis orbit: Exophthalmos · Enophthalmos Eyeball Conjunctiva Conjunctivitis (Allergic conjunctivitis) · Pterygium · Pinguecula · Subconjunctival hemorrhage Fibrous tunic sclera: Scleritis cornea: Keratitis (Herpetic keratitis, Acanthamoeba keratitis, Fungal keratitis) · Corneal ulcer · Snow blindness · Thygeson's superficial punctate keratopathy · Fuchs' dystrophy · Keratoconus · Keratoconjunctivitis sicca · Arc eye · Keratoconjunctivitis · Corneal neovascularization  · Kayser-Fleischer ring · Arcus senilis · Band keratopathy Iris and ciliary body Iritis · Uveitis (Intermediate uveitis) · Iridocyclitis · Hyphema · Rubeosis iridis · Persistent pupillary membrane · Iridodialysis · Synechia Lens Cataract · Aphakia · Ectopia lentis Choroid Choroideremia · Choroiditis (Chorioretinitis) Retina Retinitis (Chorioretinitis, Cytomegalovirus retinitis) · Retinal detachment · Retinoschisis · Retinopathy (Bietti's crystalline dystrophy, Coats disease, Diabetic retinopathy, Hypertensive retinopathy, Retinopathy of prematurity) · Macular degeneration · Retinitis pigmentosa · Retinal haemorrhage · Central serous retinopathy · Macular edema · Epiretinal membrane · Macular pucker · Vitelliform macular dystrophy · Leber's congenital amaurosis · Birdshot chorioretinopathy Optic nerve and visual pathways Optic neuritis · Papilledema · Optic atrophy · Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy · Dominant optic atrophy · Optic disc drusen · Glaucoma · Toxic and nutritional optic neuropathy · Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy Ocular muscles, binocular movement, accommodation and refraction Paralytic strabismus: Ophthalmoparesis · Progressive external ophthalmoplegia · Palsy (III, IV, VI) · Kearns-Sayre syndrome Other strabismus: Esotropia/Exotropia · Hypertropia · Heterophoria (Esophoria, Exophoria) · Brown's syndrome · Duane syndrome Other binocular: Conjugate gaze palsy · Convergence insufficiency · Internuclear ophthalmoplegia · One and a half syndrome Refractive error: Hyperopia/Myopia · Astigmatism · Anisometropia/Aniseikonia · Presbyopia Visual disturbances and blindness Amblyopia · Leber's congenital amaurosis  · Subjective (Asthenopia, Hemeralopia, Photophobia, Scintillating scotoma) · Diplopia · Scotoma · Anopsia (Binasal hemianopsia, Bitemporal hemianopsia, Homonymous hemianopsia, Quadrantanopia) · Color blindness (Achromatopsia, Dichromacy, Monochromacy) · Nyctalopia (Oguchi disease) · Blindness/Low vision Pupil Anisocoria · Argyll Robertson pupil · Marcus Gunn pupil · Adie syndrome · Miosis · Mydriasis · Cycloplegia Eye infections Trachoma · Onchocerciasis Other Nystagmus · Glaucoma/Ocular hypertension · Floater · Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy · Red eye · Keratomycosis · Xerophthalmia · Phthisis bulbi See also congenital

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - bygkorn; infektion på øjenlåget

Français (French)
n. - (Méd) orgelet

Deutsch (German)
n. - Gerstenkorn

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ιατρ.) χαλάζιο (κν. κριθαράκι)

Italiano (Italian)
orzaiolo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - chiqueiro (m), terçolho (m)

Русский (Russian)
ячмень (на глазу)

Español (Spanish)
n. - orzuelo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - vagel

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
麦粒肿, 睑腺炎

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 麥粒腫, 瞼腺炎

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 다래끼, 맥립종

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 豚小屋, きたない家, ものもらい, 麦粒腫

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮שעורה בעין, דלקת בעפעף‬

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