All About Styes
Styes are painful, red, swollen lumps on the eyelids that are common in kids. Although they can be irritating, they rarely require medication and can easily be treated at home.
What are styes?
A stye is essentially a pimple on the eyelid. There are glands that secrete oily protection onto the eyelashes. You never think about these glands until one gets clogged. When the edge of the eyelid gets irritated, it can lead to the glands clogging. The oil backs up and swells the gland, causing a stye. The key to curing a stye is to clear the blockage and allow the oil to flow naturally.
How do you prevent styes?
If your child gets styes frequently, there are a few steps to take. First, help them do gentle eyelid scrubs to keep bacteria under control. This is best done by using a drop of baby shampoo on a wet cotton ball. Excess bacteria on the eyelids can cause irritation and swelling that makes styes more likely to develop. Second, if you can get your child into a routine of using a warm compress on their eyes once or twice a day, this will also help.
Treat eye allergies to decrease styes.
Kids with allergies often have itchy eyes – and kids with itchy eyes tend to rub their eyes. The rubbing can cause inflammation, leading to the oil glands becoming blocked and causing a stye. So, treating your child’s eye allergies can help prevent future styes.
To stop the itching and rubbing, I recommend eye allergy drops. There are two main types of these – “relievers and controllers.” The “relievers” are over-the-counter antihistamine drops that relieve the itch immediately. However, repetitive use of antihistamine eye drops can dry out eyes – which makes kids rub their eyes even more. These shouldn’t be used often.
If your child needs daily eyedrops for itchiness, then ophthalmologists recommend trying a “controller” eye drop. One good example of this is the over-the-counter eyedrop Ketotifen. This kind of drop is slower to give relief, but when used daily (following package directions), it will keep your child much more comfortable, won’t cause drying, and will help prevent styes.
How do you put eyedrops in a child’s eye?
My brilliant wife taught me the best trick of my career when she had our 3-year-old lay on his back, close his eyes tightly, and then she put two drops in the little divots between his nose and the inner corner of his eyes. Then she told our youngest to blink and the drops washed right into his eye without any drama!
It’s important to know that almost all brands of eye drops can sting, but this can be greatly reduced by keeping them in the refrigerator. The cooling reduces the sting to almost nothing.
How do you treat a stye?
Styes rarely need medicine. The best treatment is to use warm compresses frequently. This will soften the skin and increase flow from the oil glands so that the stye will come to a head (just like a pimple) and drain.
We usually recommend you place a warm compress on your child’s eye for 10 minutes at a time 3 to 4 times a day. Easy, right? Well, one day, a tired mother heard my advice on this, and countered:
“How do I get a wiggly 3-year-old to sit still with a warm compress on their eye for 10 minutes? I think wrestling an octopus into a onesie might be easier!”
I don’t have any wrestling moves to recommend, but I can tell you that any object that holds and radiates heat for a while can work. You can use a hand towel soaked frequently in warm water or microwave a bean-filled warmer that people like to place on their feet, hands, or injuries.
An ophthalmologist once taught me a great trick using an unpeeled hardboiled egg! A hardboiled egg is easy to use, fits into the eye socket really well and can radiate heat for 10 minutes. The egg can even be cooled and reheated later. I just wouldn’t suggest eating it after a few times of heating and cooling!
Being patient and doing the warm compress consistently for a few days is the key to success. We know it’s a challenge; if you figure out how to put the onesie on the octopus, we’d love to hear what you recommend!
Resources For Parents:
My Doctor Online
Stye or Bump on the Eyelid
Styes
Featured Author
Dr. Jeff Gaborko's biograpghy reads: I grew up in Southern California but gained a love for the Vacaville area while attending UC Davis for my undergraduate college years. After medical school and residency took me to Houston, Texas, my family and I relocated to Vacaville in the summer of 1998. We have enjoyed our time in the Vacaville ever since.
I enjoy treating a wide array of pediatric problems, but especially appreciate the chance to take care of emergent injuries and sports-related problems. I love getting to know my patients and their favorite hobbies. When you get to know people, it is easier to partner with them during their tougher health times. Despite the seriousness of illness, I always attempt to make visits fun in some new way. That's my way of saying I love pediatrics because I am still a child at heart. Read more at https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/providers/jeffreygaborko. Disclaimer: If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder. This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.