What is a stye?
A stye is a common eye infection of the hair on the lashes of the lids. It can be treated with appropriate drops/ointments and occasionally oral medications may be required. Recurrent styes maybe a sign of undetected underlying diseases like Diabetes Mellitus.
Why has my stye has not gone for the past few months?
A persistent and yet non-painful swelling on the eyelid is called a “Chalazion”. These are often mistaken for a stye. This kind of eye infection is a sign of chronic inflammation and can be treated medically. If no improvement occurs, then rarely they maybe required to be incised and the accumulated material can be removed by a simple and short surgical procedure.
My eye is red, why can’t I just take a medicine from the pharmacy?
Red eyes may not always imply an eye infection. They may also be a sign of allergies and immune reactions in the eye. Even conditions like raised eye pressure may present with redness and pain in the eye. The treatment of each of these conditions differs drastically, and so a red eye always requires an eye check up by a Doctor.
I have conjunctivitis, but why is my vision now blurred?
Often, red eyes are self – diagnosed by people as Conjunctivitis. Typically, infective conjunctivitis is an infection of the thin layer covering the white portion of the eye. It is accompanied by watering and/or yellowish discharge from the eyes.
Occasionally, a viral Conjunctivitis may also involve the cornea of the eye. This is called Keratoconjunctivitis. In this eye infection, vision also may get blurred, and may take few days to weeks to completely clear even after the redness settles.
Any eye infection treatment first requires a complete eye check up.
Dr. Kareeshma Wadia routinely performs all these procedures. Speak to her for more details on what is the best option for you.