really painful and frequent styes. do i see my gp or optician?

[TheLadyOfTheGreenKirtle]

i get really sore styes in my left eye, i have 4 at the moment and its v swollen and painful, i think its been caused by my glasses. i got them about 6m ago and within a week the first stye appeared, andf theyve just not gone away. i now wear my crappy old glasses. do i need to see a professional? and if so wjo?

I would talk to my optician first if you're sure it's the new glasses. Also try 1 drop of t tree oil mixed with tablspoon filtered water wash twice or 3 times a day.

i think it was an allergic reaction, but they just havent gone away and have been getting worse. ive been trying to clean the area daily but its just getting sorer.

Do you have a gold ring? Roll it across your eye. I know it sounds bonkers but it does help....4 at once, ouch.

I had a lot of trouble with conjunctivitis once and the GP prescribed (over the phone) Optrex infection eye drops, they have a red cap and have to be kept in the fridge, also Optrex ointment. The drops felt soothing but the ointment was the only thing that worked. The prescription was a waste of time because I pay for mine and both the drops and the ointment were available over the counter more cheaply.

I would ring the GP and see what they say.

T tree oil is more than just a cleanser it can cure and soothe lots of viral and bacterial infections.

thanks, have tried the gold ring trick and it hasnt touched them, its v sore. and of course i googled which has freaked me out!

Do you wear eye make up? If so then make sure you give all your brushes a really good clean and get rid of any old eyeshadows and mascara. I was keeping a manky old mascara for the occasional use until it twigged I got a stye every time I wore it

i know, but it can also inflame delicate aea, especially if it is already sensitized, i have qualifications in aromatherapy and use lots of oils in my daily life, but wouldn't put teatree near my eye, espicially when it is already so inflammed

tired, dont wear make up, especially mascara. i don't wear it well

May I ask a couple of questions just to make sure we're talking about the same kind of thing?

Are you talking about raised nodules of inflammation along the lid margin (where the lashes)?
Clearly red and swollen
Possibly with what looks like a white head at it's centre?

If so, that's an external hordeolum (more commanly know as a sty) and is a bacterial infection of a lash follicle.
I'm not aware of any mechanism that could cause a new pair of glasses to form these but regardless of how you got them they repond best to hot compresses.
If the case is more severe (which it might be from you post), pluvking the lash associated with the sty and using baby shampoo to clean the lashs can aid resolution.

If I have misunderstood what you have, please post again and I can probably give you some better advice.

theres a hard lump close to the corner of my eye, a red sore lump on the inside of the lid further across and a red swollen lump on the actual rim. right in the corner of my eye there is what looks like a sppot. the top lid also get very swollen and itchy, a few mornings ive woken and my eye is glued shut.

oh, and the hard lump is very, very sore indeed. my eye is really puffy. i suppose the glasses couldve just been a coincidence though..

Thanks for the extra detail.

Sounds like you might have some blepharitis (and inflammation of the lid margins) and maybe a internal hordeolum (a blocked gland on the inside of the eye lid) as well.

The treatment for all these things is pretty similar though and is not very different from the strategies already mentioned.

Hot compresses (opening up the glands to facilitate drainage).
Lid hygiene (this is much more important in blepharitis) with baby shampoo.
Plucking of associated lashes (again, to aid drainage).
If these are ineffective (but give them a week or so) then a short course of oral antibiotics would likely help.

Sometimes an internal hordeolum can resolve a leave a hard painless lump behind.
If this happens, it can be removed under a local aneasthetic but it's pretty unlikely you'll need anything that invasive.

Does that make sense?

thank you so much. its really sore, as i said, some mornings i can barely open my eye. but am such a wuss when it comes to my eyes, my db lost his eye when he was 2 and i was 7 and it had quite an effect on me.