STYES (Sty)

A Stye presents itself often as a pimple on the edge of or just under either the top or bottom eyelid.  It may or may not have pain associated with it.  There may be some crustiness in the mornings.  The overall condition of the eyelid may or may not be swollen.

A Stye is basically a gland that gets blocked and becomes infected or noticeably irritated by what blocks it. It is often caused by poor eyelid hygiene, diabetes  (mellitus or type 2),  stress and seborrhea.

Additionally, "Studies have shown that those who have high levels of blood lipids are more susceptible to blockages in the oil glands, including those of the eyelid and, therefore, are more likely to develop a sty." (http://www.medicinenet.com/sty/page2.htm)

The temptation to pop it or lance it should be resisted since this can spread the infection.  Only a trained medical person should do any lancing and only if it doesn't resolve itself with basic at-home care.   And there is an antibiotic-steroid ointment that should be applied first before any risky treatment like lancing.

It will usually goes away in a weeks time with proper treatment it is just a stye.   If it doesn't go away or if it happens repetitively have a doctor do an HISTOPATHOLOGIC examination to rule out cysts or cancer.

Terms also used to describe styes are Hordeolum and Chalazion.

TREATMENT OF A STYE:
1.  I use a Visine advanced formula to keep it clean. 
2.  And a regular application of a heat compress every day to reduce swelling.  How long one holds the compress on depends partially on tolerance.  There appears to be some disagreement as to how long to hold it, but 15 minutes is probably the maximum.  Less if a person has Diabetes (5 to 10).  And this should be repeated about 4 times each day until it diminishes significantly or altogether.

PREVENTION:
1.  Don't share a used nose tissue with the eyes.  There's a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus that is often found in the noses of humans and many animals which can promote a stye.
2.  Wash hands often.  After petting animals, rubbing nose, handling meat or other toxic or irritating substances are definite times to wash hands.
3.  Keep eyes clean.  On days where there is high pollen or debris in the wind, a simple eye wash helps.   Washing off make up before bed is also useful.
4.  Good blood sugar control by those who have diabetes is useful.