UKC

Just had an incredibly stressful ten days working on the other side of the pond, so late nights/all nighters, long haul flights, and the added stress of obv's not being at home, and I've a mahoosive stye on my eye. This is a regular (but infrequent thankfully) symptom of stress in my case, so I can pinpoint exactly what makes it happen. Anyone else in this boat, any tips for getting rid quickly (that are not already available via Google-quackery, been there done that) and/or preventing, gladly received.

Trying not to go for antibiotics or steroid cream.

In reply to BRILLBRUM:

I had a few styes working nights. Warm saline washes regularly seemed to help. Did resort to Goldeneye (chloramphenicol) sometimes tho'. As to prevention, used general eye drops at night. Did seem to get fewer. Since leaving NHS, no more.Hope that's useful.

In reply to BRILLBRUM:

Sadly exactly same here. Stress always leads to big sty in the same place in my left eye. Bursting day is always a bit blurry!!

Only advice I was given once was to wash around  the eye and eye lids with baby shampoo. No idea if this makes any difference. 

In reply to Wainers44: God I love bursting day, the zit popping teenager has not left the building just yet 🤣

In reply to BRILLBRUM:

Stress doesn't cause styes, the behaviours associated with stress do - long hours, low blink rates, eye rubbing. Lots of people rub their face when stressed 

They're a bacterial infection.  So:

- wash your eyes regularly with water and a clean cloth

- don't rub your eyes.  You need to train yourself to notice when you do and stop.  Wash your face instead

- take breaks from screen to rest your eyes and reduce itching 

- wash your hands really well too

- saline or soothing drops.  Wipe excess with a clean tissue not your gritty handkerchief 

In reply to BRILLBRUM:

When I was a kid I used to get styes frequently - at least every few months. The doctor at the time recommended iron-rich tablets. No idea whether it was coincidence but after taking them for a while I never had another stye since.

In reply to Moacs:

Your list is good. But to add: as you say, it's a bacterial infection. Take some antibiotics OP! (via your Pharmacy/GP of course)

In reply to BRILLBRUM:

Thought you might like a gross update  

It all went a bit pear-shaped on Sunday morning, eyelid the size of a squash ball and as sore as hell, what followed was a 1pm to 2am journey through A&E courtesy of being bumped from Solihull, to Heartlands, to Birmingham City Hospital (eye hospital) where all said 'oooh you should have been seen as a priority' and 'ohhhhhh we're not touching that you need to see an ophthalmic Consultant' but at 2am at the eye A&E they countered this with 'yeah it's bad, eye A&E closed at 7pm but we're not getting the consultant out of bed because you're not about to die, so come back in the morning, clinic opens at 8:30 but there are no appointments, you'll just have to wait your turn.'

Up bright and early, looking like a freak, put the frit on the Uber driver who put his mask on (yep, he did) and I was in and out in half an hour, eyelid expertly anaesthetised, sliced the back of it open, gobbets of puss everywhere, cyst sack snipped out, and a mahoosive dose of antibiotics to cure everything. Subsequently as my eyelid has de-swollen the stretched skin on it and around it is sloughing off and I look like the Singing Detective.

An observation or two - don't get ill at the weekend. A&E is fantastic if you are at death's door but if it's anything else the NHS is shot to shit and you will be there for ever. Take a book, take a phone charger, hell take a picnic, you are always going to be in A&E for the long hall! Also, the racists really do come out after dark, and I've never been so ashamed to be receiving such fantastic service under such extreme pressure whilst hearing idiots saying the worst of things to the best of people who are ultimately only trying to do their best for those very same racists.

Finally - cherish our NHS, f@ck the Tories!
 

In reply to BRILLBRUM:

Uurrgh. Hopefully sorted. Agree with your impression of the NHS. Sad. I worked for 25+ yes there, but 4 months ago needed help post a bouldering fall. Spending 11 hrs in a wheelchair with a fractured vertebrae was painful. Waiting 4 days for another hospital to report on the MRI, worrying. The targets just screw it.