Eye doctors frequently field phone calls and provide eye exams for individuals dealing with a stye. If you’re unfamiliar with this condition and how it affects overall eye health and vision, here’s some helpful information to review. 

What Is an Eye Stye?

A stye is a painful bump that occurs on your eyelid or at the base of your eyelash. Styes are caused by a bacterial infection. Early symptoms indicating you have one include redness, swelling, pain when touched, and general tenderness around your eye and eyelashes. 

How Do Eye Doctors Recommend Treating Them?

While uncomfortable and contagious, styes do not have a longlasting impact on your overall vision and should go away on their own. Eye doctors often remind patients to avoid touching or attempting to “pop” a stye.

Instead, let the issue heal on its own. Applying a warm compress over the stye for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day can help relieve pain and promote natural drainage in a timelier manner. When you have a stye, avoid wearing contact lenses and applying eye makeup. 

How Can You Prevent Eye Styes in the Future?

The best way to avoid styes in the future is to embrace healthy eye care habits. Avoid touching your eyes unnecessarily and wash your hands with soap and warm water throughout the day. Always remove eye makeup before going to bed and refrain from sharing eyeliner, mascara, face towels, and other beauty products.

In addition to keeping your eyes clean, replace eye makeup every six months to prevent the spread of bacteria. Should you experience a stye that lasts for more than three to five days or impacts your vision, call your eye doctor for a consultation. 

Are you looking for a full-service eye doctor that can provide preventative care through eye exams as well as treatment for eye infections and diseases? If so, Eric G. Stocker, OD is the right vision center for you. Based in Amherst, OH, this practice has been providing eye care, glasses, and contact lenses to residents throughout Lorain County for over three decades. Call today at (440) 988-4419 to schedule an appointment and learn more about their services by visiting this friendly, tech-savvy specialist online.