Large stye - how to encourage it to pop/reduce?

[HorrorFan81]

Have included a pic, its so big and sore. Can see yellow head. Using warm compresses and gentle massage. Want it gone 😫

Ouch. Worth seeing a GP? Looks infected.

I think this requires medical professionals not mumsnet

Much as I love an explosive spot video, when it's a style, I really wouldn't squeeze. To state the obvious, it's rather too close to your eye. Go to the GPs, or at the very least speak to a pharmacist.

Have seen two pharmacists and they didn't seem concerned, just said keep going with warm compresses and I got some infected eye ointment which i am using. NHS says only need GP if it spreads or is affecting vision etc which it isn't so didn't think it was GP worthy 🤔

That's a whopper! But I wouldn't see a GP about it. It will eventually go the way of all styles and provide a joyful lessening of pain and a simultaneous fountain of gunk.

That's when we really need the photos

Hot compress and it will pop. I had a run of them once and used to blast with a hairdryer :D. You can get an eye mask that you heat in the microwave too. Doctor couldn't help. I think you just need to wait it out.

I don't know much about styes from a medical perspective but I wouldn't try and pop it without seeing a doctor. I had a small one on the waterline of my eye that popped and it's left a dent where it was! The dent is still there years later. Looks very sore though I hope it improves soon.

Decided to submit an online request to my GP who got back to me quickly. Based on the pic she thinks its a chalazion, which is a type of cyst. Self management for now, need to go back if it gets worse / doesnt go away on its own

Hot bath, lay head back and keep nose out of water for breathing, try to lure the gunk out.

I had one of these - I used a hot teaspoon on it several times a day. Did take a while but eventually it disappeared

My husband and I both had styes recently. I think it was the first time for both of us.

Really hot flannel repeatedly is the only thing that worked. Mine did end up with a head that was easy to squeeze.

I read in a book of old remedies that it’s quite good to bind a pad of material to a wooden spoon and then heat it (I think by dipping in v hot water) and holding the it over the eye - without touching it - as this heats
the whole eye area. No idea if it works but it sounds plausible.

How did you get it hot? Placed in boiling / v hot water?

I have no advice but that is a thing of beauty, ty for sharing.

Yes, you dip it in a cup of hot water. But it's important to then wrap it in tissue (dry it first) as hot metal will burn you!

Thanks 😃

I just used the hot spoon! It cools v rapidly so give it a few seconds

Update: its getting grosser

Dr thinks it is infected so got antibiotics. Hopefully they will help!

Ouch, hopefully it will pop soon.

What exactly is a stye? Is it just a spot on the eye? But I thought styes were caused by stress, no?

Either way, keep on the with warm compresses and hopefully you will have some relief soon.

Its now been diagnosed as a chalazion which is a type of cyst 😫 Caused by blocked oil gland i think

I had one even bigger than that and I can empathize. I'd seen my GP but it got so big and painful,I went to the Eye emergency walk-in clinic at the hospital. They checked it thoroughly, told me to massage it with a hot flannel as much as possible and that it would eventually go. It did. No spectacular burst or anything, it just gradually shrank. I think it just takes time and the warm massages.

Ooh - just read the update. Sorry! That's what I feared mine was as it looked just like yours. Hope you get it sorted soon.

I always thought a stye was a spot that came to a head on the eyeball side. This looks more like a cyst or boil that happens to be in the eyelid, but in the outer skin side.

DP used to get them, and was (still is) convinced that they are caused by stress, but it turns out that they are just a staph infection. Obviously stress doesn't help your immune response, but the stye is not "caused by" the stress any more than any other infection.

A teabag-as hot as you can manage and keep on until goes cold. Needs a few goes.Always squeeze a bit of the tea onto it as well. Has never let us down!