Help please! Keep getting styes in my eyes

[AntsDeck]

Hi,

I have, over the last year, had about 15 styes in my eyes. They are not on the rim of my lower eyelid, but actually inside it, quite deep down.

My GP gave me antibiotics a few times, but obviously I can't keep taking them.

I just don't understand why I keep getting them and they are so, so painful.

I now have another one and just want it to go quickly, so if anyone can suggest some treatments, I would be grateful. I have tried brolene drops, bathing in salt water, golden eye, etc. I don't wear contact lens or glasses.

TIA.

They are horrible aren’t they? The only thing I’ve found that actually works is a hot compress.

Also throw out all your eye makeup.

Could you ask for a referral to a specialist since this is an ongoing thing?

@Fantail thank you for your reply and the sympathy

I have thrown away all make up, several times. Good job I don't buy really expensive stuff

Not sure where I could be referred to - do eye clinics cover things like this, as I assumed it would just be actual vision?

I would have thought that they would. It is worth asking your GP.

I also have anti-bacterial eye wipes that I use to clean my eyes. These help too. I got them from the chemist.

Hi AntsDeck. Do you eat a lot of dairy food? I find that I am prone to styes and also cold sores if I eat too much cheese or yoghurt. Definitely worth cutting down on it (if you do eat lots of dairy) and see if that helps.

I had to stop wearing eye makeup and I have now been free of them for longer.

Thank you - the antibacterial wipes are a good idea.

I don't eat a lot of dairy at all, apart from an occasional bit of cheese, so not sure if it's that?

So fed up of feeling like I have a rock in my eye, every time I blink and also having what looks like a black eye

I would love to go make up free, but I am deathly pale and people keep asking if I am ok, without it

I kept getting very sore eyes a couple of years ago. Little blocked ducts that would get infected.
One of them became a chalazion cyst.
I saw an opthalmic physician who said it was caused by an allergy.
I eventually figured out that make up and skincare with SPF triggers it.
Since I cut that out my eyes have been perfect.

I have had styes all my life, and have recently had to have a chalazion cyst removed from my lower eyelid. What I have found to help is using an occusoft scrub wipe in the evenings to really cleanse the eye areas, and at the first hint of a stye coming use a hot eye mask, as hot and damp as you can bear and for a good 10-15 minutes. I have a microwaveable one from Boots which stays hot for a good while.

I used to get these all the time, like you, to the extent that I kept golden eye stye ointment in my make up bag to try and catch it as soon as I felt it,

I changed my eye make up, conincidentalky, and I've never had them since, I know you say you don't use expensive stuff, but are you using the same stuff when you replace? I was using yves st LAURENT concealer and mascara, and I changed to Lancôme and not had one since. So there could be an ingredient in your eye make up you're reacting to.

@Bluntness100 that is a valid point, thank you. I have changed brands a few times, in terms of mascara, which is all I wear on my eyes, unless going out out

I usually get what is on offer, but not really cheap stuff either, so Maybelline, L'Oreal, etc.

Could I have developed allergies to all brands perhaps?

DH has the same problem and he doesn’t wear eye make up as far as I know he has a careful regime of cleaning with blephasol, daily hot eye masks and using artificial tears, which helps most of the time.

Sometimes it flares up worse and he needs medicated drops, which were originally prescribed after he saw a specialist at the eye hospital a couple of times.

I would try self-care first but if it doesn’t help you can certainly go to your GP and ask for a referral.

I'm not sure op. I'd say it's likely an allergy though.

As said, I moved to Lancôme and haven't had one since touch wood. Mascara is one of those things you don't know the ingredients of so it's hard to tell what it is that's causing rhe problem.

Occusoft wipes or foam, a game changer for my eyes that had awful blepharitis and blocked glands leading to huge lumps on my eyelids and swollen lids. My eyes are back to normal now and I use only once a week if they begin to itch again.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to offer advice

I will try hot compresses, wipes and changing mascara to the one suggested.

If all of that doesn't help, I will ask my GP for a referral.

Just thought - could it be caused by a deficiency of some sort, does anyone know?

I get this. I'm pretty sure it's related to my rosacea & it means I can't wear any makeup to hide my rosacea because then my eyes flare up & sting/water so much that I look like I've been crying for a week. Drinking lots of water & using rice in a bit of old tights & a sock for softness seems to help, usually. I often have to cancel plans when it flares up though.