Finding a lump on your eyelid can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Wondering what that painful red pimple-like bump on your eyelid is? It is commonly called a stye. It occurs when the important oil-producing glands on the inside of your eyelids, known as the meibomian glands, get clogged. When this happens, bacteria begins to build up, eventually causing an infection and forming a stye.
Factors that may result in the formation of a stye include:
- Blepharitis
- Ocular rosacea (or rosacea of your face)
- Meibomian gland dysfunction
- Poor eye hygiene (not taking out contacts at night, not washing off makeup before bed, etc.)
- Changes in hormones (because of medicines, menopause, etc.)
- Along with styes, these same factors often cause significant dry eye symptoms due to the lack of oil from the meibomian glands, allowing the tears on the eye to evaporate too quickly. These symptoms may include red, dry, itchy, gritty-feeling or watery eyes.
In most cases, a stye or chalazion can easily be treated and will completely disappear following treatment. However, if non-invasive treatments don’t work, your eye doctor may need to remove it through an in-office surgical procedure.
At Pupila Family Eye Care, we work hard to help you see clearly for as long as possible. That’s why we offer cutting-edge treatments to help treat your dry eye caused by meibomian gland dysfunction to reveal your best self. Cynosure’s Icon™ IPL is just one of the many treatments we offer.
Icon IPL is a highly effective treatment for dry eye and styes. The Icon IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy is an effective treatment for the inflammatory component of meibomian gland dysfunction. IPL uses a spectrum of light to reduce the inflammatory blood vessels which cause irritation and destruction of the meibomian glands. This treatment is non-invasive and patients can expect very minimal social downtime. IPL has also proven to be an effective treatment for recurring styes.
Call our offices to schedule your consult. We also offer eye clean up sessions and meibomian gland expression. We recommend this for everyone over the age 8 twice a year, just like you would get your teeth cleaned every 6 months for good visual hygiene and crisp vision. This will also make contact lens wear way more comfortable and reduce fatigue and digital eye strain.
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