STYE
(sty)
An
inflamed swelling on the edge of an eyelid
Common
clues: Ophthalmologist's concern;
Eye sore; Eyelid problem; Ocular woe; Lid irritation
Crossword
puzzle frequency:
9 times a year
Frequency
in English language:
(sty) 56852 / 86800
Video:
Stye
Health Byte
A
stye (also spelled sty) or hordeolum is an inflammation of the
sebaceous glands at the base of the eyelashes. They are harmless
but can be very painful. They are generally caused by a
Staphylococcus bacteria infection. They are particularly common
in infants.
The
stye may form on either the inside or the outside of the eyelid.
An
external stye (external hordeolum) is a purulent inflammation of
infected eyelash follicles and surrounding sebaceous (Zeis) and
apocrine (Moll) glands of the lid margin. It shows as a tender,
red swelling on the edge of the eyelid and will tend to drain
itself quickly.
An
internal stye (internal hordeolum) will also be tender and may
show external red swelling. Internal styes often take longer to
heal because the abscess cannot drain as easily. These types of
styes can also cause blurred vision and irritation.
Most
styes will drain on their own though this may be accelerated with
a hot or warm compress. Styes typically resolve within
1 week with treatment.
Medical
professionals will sometimes puncture a particularly persistent
or irritating stye with a needle, to accelerate its draining.
Their spread or expansion can also be fought with the use of
antibiotic ointment akin to Neosporin (e.g. Erythromycin
Ophthalmic Ointment), a special version being available for
styes, which can be applied in a ribbon along the lid, on either
inside or out.
This
article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html).
It uses material from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stye.
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