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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Seniors: Cysts and Sties

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Cysts and Sties

If you have something that looks like a pimple on or underneath your eyelid, you’ve turned to the right chapter. Never mind that you can’t quite decide what to call that pimplelike annoyance—neither can doctors. Eye doctors frequently use both names interchangeably—cyst or sty—or even fancier terms like chalazia or hordeolum. Naming this bump can be as tricky as getting rid of it.

In plain English, here’s what’s going on. You have 33 oil glands per eyelid. When all is running well, these glands secrete oil to prevent your tears from evaporating. But sometimes, a gland gets clogged. The oil can’t get out. So, it backs up and begins to swell and redden, becoming inflamed and sometimes painful. “It’s like a blind pimple that won’t come to the surface and pop,” says Joseph Kubacki, M.D., professor and chairman of the ophthalmology department and assistant dean for medical affairs at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Sties slowly come and go on their own. If they become big enough or painful enough to inhibit your daily routine, then you should see your doctor, who may be able to drain the sty. Regardless of why you have this bump or what you decide to call it, here are some ways to get rid of it and prevent future occurrences.

Try This First

Bathe it in hot compresses. Sties can sometimes stick around for weeks, no matter what you do. But you can shorten that time with some moist heat, which stimulates blood flow, hastens the healing process, and encourages the cyst to drain, says James Gigantelli, M.D., director of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Fill your sink with the hottest water you can stand. (Don’t boil water on the stove or in the microwave; you don’t want to burn yourself.) Immerse two washcloths in the basin. Wring out one washcloth and hold it across your closed eyelid. When it cools, place it back in the basin and swap it for the other, says Dr. Gigantelli.

Do this for 5 to 10 minutes four to six times a day. “If you do it any less than that, you won’t do any good,” he says. You should notice a difference within two to three weeks. Normally, sties could last for months.

Other Wise Ways

Clean your lids regularly. To keep your glands from getting clogged, first close your eyes and place a warm washcloth over your eyelids for a minute or two. Next, cleanse your eyelids with a cotton swab dipped in “no tears” baby shampoo and gently run it back and forth along your lids, says Howard Barneby, M.D., spokesperson for the Better Vision Institute and ophthalmologist in Seattle. Then, rinse with a warm washcloth.

Keep your eyes lubricated. When you have a sty, using artificial tears that are available at the drugstore can make you more comfortable. Use one drop four to six times a day if you have dry eyes, to prevent future sties, says Dr. Gigantelli.

Throw away old makeup. Discard mascara brushes and other cosmetic items that come in contact with a sty. They could carry germs that might cause you to reinfect yourself. Also, don’t share makeup with others, says Dr. Barneby.

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