Eye Care: What is a Sty?

Almost everyone has experienced a reddened area along the eye lid that is swollen and could be itchy. The area gets even more swollen in the morning and may even be painful. You’ve experienced a sty.

A sty is an infection, generally in a hair follicle that is caused by a bacterial infection. After a few days there can be a white head that forms and pus appears in the area. The individual may also feel as if there is something gritty in the eye and there may be more tears than usual as the body attempts to soothe the eye by producing more tears from the lacrimal glands located just above the orbit of the eye.

The sty can actually come out on the outside of the eye lid, in which case you will see the common white or yellow head that forms. In the other case it forms on the inside of the lid which prevents the common head from forming.

The bacteria that cause a sty are usually Staphylococcus infection. This is a strain of bacteria that commonly lives on our skin surface. Our bodies are actually covered with billions of friendly bacteria that coexist with us. These bacteria don’t often cause trouble unless our immune systems are compromised and we are no longer able to fight infections easily.