Hey guys,
In this post, I’ll be answering the question ‘How exactly do you get a stye?’.
Everyone is vulnerable to getting a stye, although they are most prevalent in infants and middle aged folk.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, styes are caused by the staphylococcal aureus bacteria. This bacteria lives naturally within the body, particularly the nasal cavity, without causing any harm. However, if it manages to infect a gland or follicle on the eyelid it can develop into a stye.
Usually, the bacteria will have a hard time infecting areas of the eyelids because of the body’s natural defences, especially the skin which acts as a barrier to prevent foreign contagions getting underneath the skin. But when a follicle or gland gets clogged with debris such as dead skin or make-up, it can become more susceptible to infection.
So, to get a stye you have to to:
- Have a blocked follicle or gland on your eyelid
- Have the staphylococcal aureus bacteria come into contact with your eyelid
Blocked Follicles
Eyelash follicles are tiny holes in the skin that the eyelashes sprout from. Within the cavity are tiny glands that produce oils and other chemicals that keep the skin lubricated and the eyes moist.
They can become blocked if bits of microscopic debris become lodged in the follicle. Prime examples are dead skin cells from the skin’s surface or mascara that hasn’t been removed. When they are clogged with this matter, the glands continue to produce the chemicals, however they are unable exit the gland or follicle because of the blockage. This can lead to a lump forming on the eyelid, but unless it becomes infected the body’s immune system can sort this out very quickly.
To avoid glands and follicles getting blocked, it is important to wash your face and hair every day to clean away any dead skin cells. Also you should remove any make-up you wear every evening.
Staph Infections
Around 95% of styes are caused by the staphylococcal aureus bacteria but it must come into close contact with your eyelids to cause an infection.
Because this bacteria occurs naturally within the nostrils, touching your nostrils followed by touching your eyes can transmit the contagion. In fact, almost all infections occur from you or someone else touching your eyes after getting the bacteria on their fingers – and because the bacteria is so common, it can get onto the fingers in a variety of ways including touching doorknobs, keyboards etc.
To avoid spreading the infection, you should avoid touching your eyes as much as you can. And if you do accidentally touch them, wash your hands and face immediately. For those that get recurring styes, maintaining a high level of personal hygiene is of the utmost importance to preventing infections.
If you have a stye, check out my pages on how to get rid of styes quickly and easily and the best cure for styes.
