What are your options (self care) for a stye?

sillyvixen

jenniewb wrote: »

Thanks for the replies- I had already seen a pharmacist who'd decided it was a stye (I'd actually seen two). I didn't want to bother the Doctor because I know a Doctor wont do anything until it's been bothering me for a few weeks. I feel like I'm being really feeble- I'm normally a lot better with levels of pain. I've had styes before which tingled or felt 'heavy' on my eye lids but nothing like this, this thing is not easy to work around.

I wasn't thinking about putting TCP on my eye- sorry if my post wasn't clear- I was asking about products which I could put on my eye because TCP wasn't suitable.

Will see if I can ask another pharmacist, the previous said hot compresses was the best thing and I am trying with hot water on cotton pads but it's just not making any difference to the pain and/or itching. This thing is driving me mad!

i would suggest seeing your GP as this 'stye' does not feel like the previous ones you have had and is not responding to the pharmacists suggestions to treat it - maybe it does need looking at to confirm it is a stye and see if the Dr thinks it needs a more proactive approach to deal with it.

jenniewb

sillyvixen wrote: »

i would suggest seeing your GP as this 'stye' does not feel like the previous ones you have had and is not responding to the pharmacists suggestions to treat it - maybe it does need looking at to confirm it is a stye and see if the Dr thinks it needs a more proactive approach to deal with it.

Thanks for all the replies.


I have always been told the things (for want of a better term) on my eyelids were styes, both by GPs, opticians and beauty counter assistants and I've no reason to not trust what they told me- I will speak again to a pharmacist (when I can get myself the time and money which at the moment isn't looking like any time soon at least not this week.


I have had the styes which were causing me issues calm down slightly- the itching and pain is still there but far less and I'm now getting by on just the ibuprofen rather than needing the paracetamol, I do already have to take codeine for a different issue though so I've no idea if that is helping.


As they aren't as swollen as they were earlier in the week I can now see I don't just have the one; I have 4! Which may explain why they felt as uncomfortable- three are pretty close together with another a bit away but they don't look infected.


I know no one suggested it but I was at my wits end with this so applied a mixture of witch hazel and tea-tree oil on the edge of a cotton bud and held it over what I had thought was a stye (now I would say the main or largest one) and although it stung (nothing got in to my eye, I was pretty careful about that but the area on my eyelid/eyeline where the stye/s were, stung).
It has been the only thing I have done and straight away the this morning I saw the biggest difference.


Owing to the chances of getting anything in your eye either by being clumsy and missing what your doing or with it dripping or any liquid being accidentally squeezed from the cotton bud into even a closed eye, I would not advise what I have done. I did find it helped but it is a risk and unless your a bit of a dab hand with decades of experience at getting your makeup precise (so have a steady arm around the eye area) I would just stick to the medical professional approach.

AbbieCadabra

i had one come up last weekend, it's been really red & painful for the past couple of days but it finally developed a 'head' last night & the stuff came out (sorry! ). much better all round now, thankfully.

wonder if the weather being warmer & sweating helps with the conditions on your skin being right for the bacteria to breed for these horrible things?

jenniewb

AbbieCadabra wrote: »

i had one come up last weekend, it's been really red & painful for the past couple of days but it finally developed a 'head' last night & the stuff came out (sorry! ). much better all round now, thankfully.

wonder if the weather being warmer & sweating helps with the conditions on your skin being right for the bacteria to breed for these horrible things?

Not sure what caused mine- I was wondering if it was a moisturiser I'd been using as I needed SPF protection but the only stuff I had (no money to buy more atm) was full of ingredients which cause me spots. (But hey- reduced skin cancer risk...) I have had styes, still had styes before the current batch and they had been there for about 20 years without issue.


I think the pain and itchiness was due to where they were on my eyeline, that there were several (not just one) and that eyelashes were either prevented from growing or were growing though them (I say 'were' because I have since plucked them out- possibly the first and last time I pluck out eyelashes knowingly!) I did notice difference when I did this and then applied witch hazel/tea tree oil in small amounts every now and then.


They still niggle, still itch and at times itch like crazy, but the continuous throbbing has gone away and now I can fall asleep at night

AbbieCadabra

sounds like you might be through the worst Jennie, which is good to hear

think i spoke a bit too soon about mine as my eye was itching like crazy last night & hasn't stopped running now! driving me potty...

i've had them before, only the odd one perhaps every 5 years or so. perhaps some of us are just more prone than others, my dad used to get awful ones that seems to last forever.

i got a bit of a bargain spf30 face cream from onlinepoundstore the other week, only used it a couple of times but no redness from the sun, not greasy at all & no spots the day after. they do free delivery over £20 (but i soon filled up my basket with other stuff as i do love a bargain! real bargains too, not just the smaller sized stuff that can be sold in £ shops making you think you've got a bargain).