Around 80% of the information our brain receives is visual. In fact, so much is the power of our sight and brain that the latter is capable of processing the images that come through our eyes in just 13 thousandths of a second, as demonstrated by a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published in the journal Attention, Perception & Psychophysics.
Paying attention and taking delicate care of our eye health, especially now that we are so exposed to screens and other factors that harm it, is essential. It is even more so when styes, inflammation and other eye infections appear in our eyes.
What types of styes exist?
There are several types of styes. As Dr. Elena Pardina, an ophthalmologist at HLA Clínica Montpellier, explains to elDiario.es, “the external one is a generally bacterial infection in the form of a small, red and painful bump at the base of the eyelashes, in the hair follicle and the Zeis glands. and adjacent Moll and that after a few days it can open spontaneously and drain pus, improving the symptoms.” The internal stye, for its part, “is an infection of the fat-producing meibomian glands. A red, painful bump appears on the inner surface of the eyelid, which externally can be seen as a generalized inflammation of the eyelid,” he continues.
Finally, adds the ophthalmologist, “chalazion is a non-infectious occlusion of a meibomian gland, the inflammatory symptoms are very mild, it can cause blurred vision and a painless nodule forms on the eyelid. They generally drain or reabsorb spontaneously within weeks or months.”
What are the most common eye inflammations and infections?
As Pardina clarifies, “in the eyelids the most common are blepharitis and dysfunction of the meibomian glands, which cause redness, flakes on the eyelashes, itching or stinging, and sometimes a sensation of dry eyes or as if they had grit.”
One of the most frequent reasons for ocular inflammation is conjunctivitis, causing “red, itchy, stinging and watery eyes or more or less dense rheumatoids for different reasons: allergic (especially now in spring) or viral (making it very contagious) “, emphasizes the ophthalmologist.
There are also other somewhat less frequent inflammations or infections: “Lacrimal duct infections or dacryocystitis, corneal abscesses (it is very important to use contact lenses correctly and not abuse them to prevent them), episcleritis or uveitis,” he explains.
Home remedies to cure them, yes or no?
There are countless home tricks to relieve or eliminate the symptoms of styes, chalazion, blepharitis and other conditions, but not all of them are equally valid and beneficial.
For example, applying a cotton ball with hot chamomile to the eye is one of the most common remedies, since multiple health benefits are attributed to this plant, such as its anti-inflammatory or disinfectant capacity. However, these are not sterile products and there are studies such as the one published in the Journal of the Faculty of Medicine of Mexico that affirm that their components can cause eye irritation and allergies.
In fact, this and other solutions such as applying a cotton pad with apple cider vinegar diluted with warm water or heating a teaspoon and putting it on the eye are remedies that “can work in some people due to the spontaneous resolution of the disease or because heat is applied. , which is beneficial,” explains the ophthalmologist.
Furthermore, it should be added that these and other measures such as using a cold hollow key, which apparently can relieve pain and inflammation, are counterproductive since, as Pardina states, “treating an infected area with an object that may not be clean is not recommended because we can aggravate the infection.”
How should we eliminate and treat these conditions?
Although according to Pardina “none of these mentioned tricks are recommended,” there is a traditional one that ophthalmologists approve to cure styes and relieve other conditions such as dry eyes, eyelid infections such as blepharitis and chalazions, etc.
We are talking about applying warm compresses, cloths or gauze to the eye. The benefit of this technique is because heat can serve as a drainer and help expel pus from the stye and improve other infections and inflammations.
To do this, we can apply heat to the eye dry or wet 3 or 4 times a day, making sure it is not too hot, leaving it for five to 10 minutes.
As Pardina recommends, “in this case it is important to ensure that the cloth is clean each time it is used, although it is preferable to use sterile gauze or compresses and discard them once the heat is applied.”
In the specific case of styes, in addition to the importance of not squeezing or pricking them, “we can improve their condition by gently massaging the edge of the eyelid, always washing our hands beforehand. This helps to open the clogged glands and dissolve the retained content, facilitating its elimination,” explains the ophthalmologist.
In practically all of these conditions it is advisable to “clean the eyelids daily with ophthalmic wipes and use artificial tears to keep the eyes hydrated and prevent or treat dry eyes,” he emphasizes.
To this we must add not touching our eyes, keeping our hands clean and not using contact lenses, although due to the delicacy of this area it is advisable to go to the ophthalmologist, especially in cases where we are not certain or certain of what it is that it happens to us.
Furthermore, in all cases it is essential not to use false eyelashes or any other type of cosmetic product on the eye, such as makeup. Regarding the latter, after suffering the outbreak it is essential to disinfect it or throw it away and, of course, not share it with other people.
In fact, there is research such as that published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in which sharing makeup products such as eyeliner or eye shadows was significantly associated with positive conjunctivitis.