What Is a Stye?
If you have seen some hideous pictures of a pimple with pus on an eyelid, then the chances are very high that you have seen someone suffering from stye eye. This can be healed by using essential oils for stye.
Although the name has a nice ring to it, a stye, medically known as a hordeolum, is a condition caused by a bacterial infection.
According to research published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “90% to 95%(1) of cases of hordeolum is due to Staphylococcus aureus with Staphylococcus epidermidis being the second most common cause.”
Styes are usually identified by observing the formation of an abscess, a collection of pus in layman’s terms, in the gland area of the eyelid.
The pus collects in the meibomian glands, which are responsible for producing the oils that keep the surface of the eyelid lubricated.
Because of the lubrication provides by the meibomian glands, our eyes can roll, rotate, and function effectively. The oil produced by these glands is known as meibomian. It creates a thin outer layer around the eyeball and prevents tears from evaporating.
Technically, a stye occurs when the meibomian gland becomes blocked and infected by a bacteria and develops a bump in the eyelid.
Medically speaking, there are two types of hordeolum or styes – the internal hordeolum and the external hordeolum.
The internal one simply occurs at a greater depth in the glands. It appears as a red, inflamed abscess without a white top. The external stye looks like a pimple with a white top. It occurs at a shallower level in the glands of Zeis.
In most cases, styes can heal with the correct remedies. This article focuses on helping you understand what is a stye, and learning the essential and carrier oil-based solutions that can be applied at home for faster healing from a stye.
A chalazion, which is a scarring of the glands sometimes leading to the formation of cysts, is an improbable but most common complication that develops from a stye.
How to Treat Stye Using Essential Oils and Carrier Oils?
Some essential oils and carrier oils have natural anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial, and antioxidizing properties which make them effective vehicles to fight infection, such as a stye, which is caused by a bacteria, and results in swelling, pus formation, and discomfort.
Essential Oils for Stye
1. Lavender oil
Why does it work?
Lavender oil is one of the best essential oils for eye stye. Its an essential oil derived from a flower known as the Lavendula Angustifolia. It is commonly used for stress and anxiety relief. Besides its anxiety-relieving characteristics, the oil reduces inflammation, thereby soothing swelling in the area affected by the stye. Its antibacterial characteristics prevent further spread of the bacterial infection.
How to use it and how much?
You can also mix 5-6 drops of lavender oil with any carrier oil such as coconut, and apply to the affected area. This process can be carried out 2-4 times daily.
2. Clove oil
Why does it work?
If you want to apply an essential oil for stye on eyelid, then clove oil is a great option. The oil possesses anti-inflammatory characteristics. Its application on the swollen eyelid reduces the swelling and alleviates the pain. Furthermore, similar to lavender, clove has antibacterial characteristics, which help stop the infection.
How to use it and how much?
Take a piece of clean cotton cloth, dip it in clove oil and apply on the affected area of the eyelid 2-3 times in a day.
[ Read: Natural Remedies to Cure Stye at Home ]
3. Tea Tree oil
Why does it work?
Tea tree oil for stye is a multi-faceted essential oil. It has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. The antimicrobial nature of tea tree oil helps it to fight the bacterial infection during stye, while the antiseptic nature prevents further infection spread during a time when the immune system is compromised. Tea tree oil also helps in reducing the swelling.
How to use it and how much?
You can take a mixture of 4-5 drops of the essential oil, mix it with a couple of tablespoons of water. Once the oil and water are mixed well, the mixture can be cooled in a refrigerator and applied on the affected area twice or thrice in a day.
4. Eucalyptus oil
Why does it work?
Eucalyptus globulus is the plant from which eucalyptus oil is derived. This essential oil acts as a great antibacterial, antioxidant and astringent, which enable eucalyptus oil to fight the infection, accelerate healing and decrease the swelling respectively.
How to use it and how much?
Eucalyptus oil is very powerful. Therefore, use it with a carrier oil only. Add 5-6 drops of eucalyptus to any carrier oil such as castor or coconut, and then gently apply to the eye. This routine can be followed once or twice daily.
[ Read: Treating Stye Naturally With These Home Remedies ]
Carrier Oils for Stye
1. Virgin Coconut oil
Why does it work?
Using virgin coconut oil for stye produces a soothing effect on the eye due to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic characteristics. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil have antimicrobial characteristics that can protect the affected area from harmful bacteria.
How to use it and how much?
Clean the eye area with water and apply an evenly thin layer of virgin coconut oil on the affected areas around the eye, and then leave the coating on overnight. This routine can be followed daily for best results.
[Read: Teabags For Stye]
2. Castor oil
Why does it work?
Castor Oil for stye is a great home solution, especially because of its hydrating and antimicrobial properties. It keeps the affected area hydrated, alleviates the pain, reduces the swelling and fights the infection.
How to use it and how much?
Take a clean cotton cloth, dip it in castor oil, and dab gently on the affected area without puncturing the stye. Leave the castor oil on the stye for about 15 minutes and then rinse it off with lukewarm water. This routine can be carried out 2-3 times daily.
A stye is a minor bacterial infection that is harmless in most cases. But, it can cause prolonged discomfort if you do not care for it well.
Fortunately, the time for healing the eye from a stye can be accelerated with the use of the right home-remedies, such as essential oils and carrier oils.
However, just knowing the right remedies is not enough, you must be aware of how to apply them the right way to heal fast from a stye eye.
FAQs
1. What causes a stye eye?
A stye, medically known as a hordeolum, is a condition caused by a bacterial infection. According to research published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “90% to 95% of cases of hordeolum is due to Staphylococcus aureus with Staphylococcus epidermidis being the second most common cause.”
2. How can I heal a stye eye at home?
There are many great home remedies to heal stye. Amongst the best are home solutions involving essential oils and carrier oils. If you are aware of the right techniques and application, then essential oils such as lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, and clove oil alongside carrier oils such as Coconut oil and castor oil are great home remedies for faster healing of stye.
3. Can stye turn into something serious?
Stye eye is usually not a serious or life-threatening infection. In most cases, it heals if you take the right amount of care. However, in rare cases, a stye can turn into a complication known as a chalazion, which is a scarring of the glands, sometimes leading to the formation of cysts.
