A sty is a common condition caused by severely infected or inflamed glands in the eyelids. The infection or inflammation is a result of a blockage within the glands in the eyelid. The blocked gland pushes up the oil produced by it, through its wall, in the form of an abscess filled with pus. This lump is red and painful and can cause intense discomfort. The blocked gland can also become infected with bacteria and this may aggravate the blocked gland causing itchiness and inflammation of the entire eye. The lump, usually resembling a large pimple, can point inward or outward and may even appear on both the eyelids simultaneously. To cure a sty therefore, it is essential to ease the block in the gland opening.
You can unblock the gland opening and help drain the pus in the sty with the help of a hot compress. Heat promotes circulation and this encourages the white blood cells surrounding the gland to battle the infection. Soak a soft cloth in warm water and place it on your eyelid two to three times a day. Soak a few cotton pads in warm chamomile tea and place it on your eyes to relieve pain and to drain pus. A used teabag placed over the sty helps drain accumulated pus from the blocked gland. Prepare eyewash at home with coriander seeds and water. Boil one teaspoon of coriander seeds in a cup of water and wash your eyes with this solution two or three times a day until the sty has subsided. Alum provides effective relief from pain and inflammation caused by a sty. Mix two or three granules of alum in a cup of water and use it to wash your eyes.
Boil a handful of acacia leaves and prepare an extract by straining the water and crushing the pulp. Use this extract as a hot compress for the sty. Guava leaves are also known to be effective in curing a sty. To prepare a hot compress with guava leaves, wrap a few leaves in a warm, wet cloth and place over the eye. Maintain good personal hygiene as the sty is contagious. Ensure that you do not share towels, make-up and soaps with others. Avoid wearing make up when your eyelid is infected with a sty as you may transfer germs on to it. Make sure that you don’t touch the sty or burst it as you risk infection and spreading it to your other eye. Wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading germs to your eye. To ensure that your sty does not return, always remove make up from your eyes before sleeping to avoid causing a block in your glands.