When you first hear the popular idiom “a beautiful sight for sore eyes”, do not completely believe that. The truth is, it is quite a challenge to look at anything beautiful with sore eyes. One of the causes for that is called eye stye. Still, how bad does eye stye affect your vision?

Before we carry on, what is an eye stye?

About Eye Stye:

Imagine having a red lump on your upper or lower eyelid. That red lump comes from an infection. Although it is often seen on the edge of one’s eyelid, sometimes it can also be found inside the eyelid, which requires more careful medical attention and treatment. This infection is called stye, but if the lump is found inside your eyelid, it is an internal hordeolum.

The red lump will probably remind you of an acne or a pimple when it is still small at first. Once it grows and swells, then you can see that it is not just an acne; it is an eye stye.

Where does eye stye come from?

Where does eye stye come from? How bad does eye stye affect your vision?

Bacterial infection is the cause of eye stye. According to where it is usually found, there are different causes, though. Before it starts infecting your eyelid, the bacteria starts growing from the root of your eyelashes or follicles. Then your eyelid will start getting all lumpy and heavy.

The stye inside your eyelid is caused by a different thing, though. Since the inside of your eyelid has tiny oil glands, the infection that starts from there causes the lump. Not only feeling lumpy and heavy, your eyelid feels like there is a tiny, alien object stuck within. Yes, that also hurts in some cases.

Staphylococcus is the common bacteria that causes eye stye. Seborrhea (a condition which overly produces oil the glands) is also another cause. Other causes that involve eye stye include:

• Not removing your makeup completely. The main cause in this case would be your eyeliner that sticks too long.
• Outdated cosmetics or makeup kits that are contaminated.
• Hygiene issues with your eyelids.
• Unclean or dirty sunglasses you often wear when you go outside.
• Inflammatory diseases like blepharitis, meibomitis, and also acne rosacea.
• Stress, which causes hormonal imbalance in your body.
• Being exposed to unclean environment repeatedly and excessively, often without proper protection like wearing sunglasses or goggles. For example: swimming in dirty pools or rivers.

The symptoms of an eye stye:

Since requiring healthy sight is important to all human beings, you need to pay attention to these signs when suffering from these symptoms regarding eye stye:

1. The red lump inside or on your eyelid grows and weighted that your eyelid swells. It also hurts and your eye waters. Sometimes, it can get worse. Your eye waters persistently that you cannot seem to stop crying.
2. The white parts of your eyeball get red.
3. Your eye stye usually swells for three days before it finally opens and drains, which is good news. Of course, it may affect your outer appearance and probably stir some serious concern from people around you when they see you.
4. Your eye stye will heal in about a week. Of course, it may heal faster if you take care of yourself well.

How bad does eye stye affect your vision?

1. One of the worst cases of eye stye is when it is even difficult for you to open your eyes. The red lump is so heavy that your eyelid gets swollen shut.
2. For the most part, you get blurry vision from having that stye in your eye. It is even worse if it hits both eyes. Not only blurred vision, you can also suffer from having a double vision.
3. In the long run, of course it affects your overall work performance and social interactions with other people. You cannot look at every thing clearly. The sight of your swollen eyelids might scare people.
4. It ruins your appearance too. Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, but staying healthy is critically important. Hiding that condition under a pair of sunglasses might do for a while, but medical treatment and taking care of yourself well work much faster in healing it.

What if your eye stye lasts longer than a week?

For starters, you can give yourself a warm, eye compression in three days. If the swelling heals and the lump disappears, then your eye stye is not so bad. However, if it lasts longer than a week and consistently waters, then you must seek medical attention for further treatment.

Once it is gone, then you can say ‘bye-bye’ to your eye stye. Do not let it ruin the joy of looking at what is beautiful in front of you, because it does affect your vision.