Understanding Styes: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

The blocked meibomian glands can lead to styes, requiring prompt treatment to prevent complications.

### Understanding and Treating Styes: Prevention, Symptoms, and Solutions
* 👁 Styes occur when the **Meibomian glands in the eyelids become blocked**, allowing bacteria to proliferate, leading to **inflammation and infection**.
* 💧 These glands, numbering about 20 to 30, produce oil that **prevents tears from evaporating too quickly**; if blocked, they can cause **dry and irritated eyes**.
* A stye itself is not dangerous, but if untreated, it can lead to complications like **pus accumulation and potential scarring of the eyelid**.
* 🌡 Effective treatment begins with a **warm compress at 40 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes**, which helps to **melt the clogged oil and alleviate symptoms**.
* 💊 If symptoms persist, antibiotics may be necessary to eliminate bacteria, and it's crucial to **complete the full course to prevent antibiotic resistance**.
* 🧴 For chronic sufferers, eyelid scrubs containing **tea tree oil** can help **eliminate Demodex mites** and **improve overall eyelid hygiene**.
* 💡 Regular use of a warm eye massager can enhance the effectiveness of treatments by ensuring the **Meibomian glands remain unblocked and functional**.
* ⏳ Timely intervention is essential; untreated blockages can lead to **gland atrophy**, making future treatment **impossible** and worsening symptoms.

And if I really have an important appointment tomorrow, like a shoot, I want to quickly address any issues, right? You can actually play with the eyelid itself. Then, you can feel the change even in just one day. The reason is that there are about 20 to 30 oil glands in the eyelid, and when those glands get blocked, bacteria can enter and cause an infection, which leads to inflammation. The oil glands in the eyelid are called Meibomian glands, and when we blink, they release oil that coats the tear film, which is a component of tears. If the oil from the Meibomian glands doesn't come out, the tears evaporate easily, causing our eyes to become very dry, red, and more prone to inflammation. So, the reason our eyes look bright and beautiful is that they are well-oiled.

However, it is precisely because of the oil that comes from the meibomian glands. This oil is very clear and transparent, but some people have it blocked or it comes out yellow and thick like toothpaste. For those individuals, bacteria can enter and feed on the sebum, leading to the proliferation and reproduction of bacteria, which results in a stye. Ultimately, the first issue is the blockage of the meibomian glands, and the second is the proliferation of bacteria in that space. If both of these conditions are present, a stye can occur. A stye is not dangerous at all. If it causes a decrease in vision, it may only be a temporary issue when the eye is pressed. There is no risk of it entering the eye through the eyelids. Also, bacterial infections do not spread as easily as viruses. Therefore, it is not dangerous. However, the reason why treatment for a stye should be prompt is that a stye...

If inflammation occurs after it develops, the surrounding eyelid tissue begins to dissolve. The tissue turns red and melts away, transforming into pus. Initially, this pus may resemble water for about a week, but after a week, it thickens to a mucous-like consistency, similar to that of snot. At this point, even if a hole is made, it may not drain well and can become quite hard. It can swell up like a balloon, and while it is expected to improve over time, there are cases where it does not disappear even after six months or a year. If the inflammation continues to progress without taking antibiotics and the pus does not burst but keeps spreading, it can lead to the melting of the eyelid skin. When this happens, the skin may break open, and if the tissue dissolves completely, it could leave scars and result in a permanently uneven eyelid edge. If...

I developed a stye. Suddenly, my eyelid turned red, and when I touched it, it hurt. When I squeezed it, yellow oil came out, but sometimes it doesn't. This happens when it's completely blocked. The first thing you need to do is a warm compress. Many people know this, but it seems that not many do it correctly. How should you do it? Should I soak it in warm water? When I warm the water, it cools down in about five minutes, and I wonder if that's enough. However, a warm compress is quite tricky. You need to maintain a temperature of 40 degrees for 20 minutes. This is important because when you start the warm compress, it's not just the skin around the eyelid that gets warm; the heat also reaches deeper tissues, allowing the waxy oils in the meibomian glands to melt and turn into a clear liquid. This process takes a minimum of time.

The melting temperature of the oil in Mybom is 42 degrees. However, since 42 degrees can be too hot, we recommend using 40 degrees. If you use a warm towel, you probably have all experienced that it cools down within five minutes. There are various ways to apply warm compresses. There are disposable warm compress packs available, both from Japan and Korea, which warm up immediately upon exposure to air. If you place one of these on your eyelids, it will stay warm for at least 15 to 20 minutes, making them very beneficial. If these options are expensive, there are also eye massage packs that contain ingredients like rice bran or beans. You can heat this in a microwave for 10 seconds, and once it's warm, you can place it on your eyelids for 20 minutes.

These days, really good machines are coming out. If you search for eye massager on Coupang or Google, you'll find a variety of eye massagers at different price ranges, starting from around 30,000 won to 200,000 won. I haven't tried all of them, so I can't compare, but I've noticed that the very cheap ones tend to break quickly. I think if you buy one for around 50,000 won, you can use it quite well, so that's what I recommend. You can also treat complete eyelid conditions with it. The first treatment involves melting the oil in the eyelids to help discharge clogged sebum. Continuous radiofrequency treatment is the primary method. If that doesn't work, unfortunately, you'll need to take antibiotics. This is necessary to catch the bacteria before it spreads further due to the infection. However, some people misunderstand antibiotics. When you go to an ophthalmologist and receive a prescription for antibiotics, many people...

If you don't receive a prescription, they say to come back in three days. However, many people feel a bit better after three days and choose not to go back. If you stop taking antibiotics before all the bacteria are gone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria can develop, which may require stronger antibiotics later on. Therefore, you must ensure that all the bacteria are completely eliminated before stopping the antibiotics, and it is clearly stated in the textbooks that they should be taken for a week. If you have an important appointment or a shoot tomorrow, you might want to get rid of the infection quickly. You can also use a steroid injection for eyelid inflammation, which can significantly reduce the symptoms within a day. Some people ask when they can expect to see improvements after the treatment. However, if the area is very firm, red, and painful, cutting it may lead to the accumulation of pus again. So, it is important to be cautious.

After the inflammation has completely subsided and becomes somewhat soft, it is good to drain the pus at that time. Doing it then is less painful. We can manage the inflammation with steroid injections or antibiotics, and when touched, it is not very painful, and the redness has improved a lot. However, if a lump remains, that is when it can be incised. When you visit the ophthalmology department, you may worry about scarring, but in most ophthalmology practices, it is done from the inside. Sometimes a hole is made for the pus to come out easily. If only a hole is made, it may come out within a week, but if it goes beyond a week, it becomes almost as hard as a nose. In that case, a needle larger than 2mm is used along with a very small spoon-like instrument to scrape it clean. Once everything is drained out, it will be clean, and because it is incised through the canal, there is no scarring. However, sometimes if the inflammation is too severe...

If the skin is already broken or if that's the case, it may appear on the surface. This can leave some scars, so you might want to apply the treatment a bit longer, or later on, if scars do form, you could receive steroid injections to remove them. If you've been doing warm compresses for a stye and it seems to be getting better on its own within two to three days, then of course, you don't need to squeeze it. Additionally, if you have a sterile needle at home, making a small hole can be beneficial. Instead of using a regular needle, if you use a very small sterile needle to make a tiny hole, you obviously don't need to squeeze it. Taking antibiotics early can also help reduce inflammation before pus forms, which may prevent the need to squeeze. A stye should only be squeezed when it is very noticeable on the surface, when it doesn't hurt to press on it, and when it feels very hard to the touch.

Sometimes, this can persist even after a year. In such cases, coming in for treatment is not very difficult and can be done quickly. It won't be noticeable on the surface, and there will be no scarring. The cost is also quite affordable, around 15,000 won. If you have the time, it would be good to get it treated. Some people are naturally prone to developing styes. These individuals have a condition related to the meibomian glands, which are oil glands located in the eyelids, numbering around 20 to 30. When you blink, oil from these glands spreads out to coat the surface of the eye. However, in some cases, there may be an overproduction of oil, or the meibomian glands might be elongated or twisted, which can hinder proper oil drainage. Such individuals are also likely to experience frequent styes.

There are very small individuals who, due to their constitution, tend to produce a lot of oil and may suffer from chronic blepharitis. In some cases, the oil has a tendency to solidify more quickly. The skin on the eyelids is around 34 to 35 degrees, and there are individuals whose oils solidify at 34 degrees when it gets a bit warmer. When someone experiences a lot of stress, their stress hormones can spike, leading to a sudden increase in sebum production, which can cause acne-like eruptions on the eyelids. Many people do not wash their eyelids properly, especially men. In fact, there are many who have a lot of Demodex mites in this area, which can lead to chronic blepharitis and result in frequent styes. When washing your face, of course, it's important to do it properly.

There are people who have this issue. Even if you use soap here, more than 99% of bacteria and viruses are eliminated, so you don't need to scrub too hard; just gently clean your skin several times, removing dead skin cells. Among women, those who commonly wear contact lenses tend to blink less. When we cover our eyes with lenses, we don't blink enough, and some people develop a habit of not fully closing their eyes. The oil on the eyelids is released when we blink, but if we don't blink properly, the glands can become blocked. This can lead to problems for those individuals. There are also people who frequently touch their faces and eyes. These individuals often have a lot of bacteria on their hands, which can cause issues when they touch their skin.

It is important to note that the red irritation occurs when there is a bacterial infection present. Touching the area with your hands is the most dangerous as it can spread the infection. I always advise people not to place their hands above their necks. If you have this type of condition, I recommend two things. One is that you may not be cleaning your eyelids thoroughly enough, so I suggest using an eyelid scrub. The scrub contains tea tree oil, which is effective in killing demodex mites. One of the most well-known products on the market is an eyelid scrub that has tea tree oil and is labeled for demodex. This basic scrub is widely sold in ophthalmology clinics, but there are many other options available as well. You can create a lather with it and gently clean your eyelids. It is recommended to do this twice a day for more than two weeks to effectively eliminate the demodex mites.

Sometimes, things can disappear, and for women, makeup can be easily removed. If you have acne bacteria on your face, it's okay to wipe your face as well. You can manage it sufficiently at home. The first step is to use eyelid scrub properly and clean your face thoroughly at home. The second step is to use a warm eye massager, applying it at a temperature above 40 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes is very important. Of course, you must ensure that it does not cause any burns. I highly recommend using an eye massager twice a day for at least 2 to 3 months. If you do this, I can show you the changes in your meibomian glands, and patients will feel significantly more comfortable with their symptoms. Even after 2 to 3 months of daily warm compresses, there are cases where it does not improve. If it has become too hardened, it needs to be expressed manually. So, for the meibomian glands...

You need to individually squeeze each meibomian gland with a dedicated instrument, and you have to do this more than ten times a week for it to be effective. Therefore, it is quite challenging to treat, but once treated, you won't easily get it again. After treatment, symptoms like dry eyes improve, the redness in the eye pads decreases, inflammation is reduced, and even the morning crusting of the eyes is lessened, which is very satisfying. So, while it requires time and effort, I strongly recommend that you receive treatment. If the blocked meibomian glands are left untreated, they can harden and lead to atrophy of the meibomian glands. At that point, treatment becomes impossible because, due to atrophy, even if you treat the oil glands, no oil will be produced anymore. Therefore, we encourage you to seek treatment before it reaches that stage. When it first appears, the oil glands in the eyelids...

I understand that you're feeling blocked, and if you release that, you may feel better without antibiotic treatment. So, please try to do the hot compress quickly. If it becomes more swollen after a day, you can come here for treatment. If you found today's video helpful, please subscribe and like it. This has been Kwon.

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Styes occur due to the blockage of Meibomian glands in the eyelid, leading to bacterial infection and inflammation.

The oil from these glands is crucial for maintaining tear film and preventing dry, red eyes.

Prompt treatment with a warm compress is essential to melt the waxy oils and alleviate the blockage, preventing further complications.

Effective Warm Compresses and Eyelid Treatment

The recommended melting temperature for oil in Mybom is 40 degrees, with warm compresses available in disposable packs or eye massage packs.

Eye massagers range from 30,000 won to 200,000 won, with a recommendation to buy one for around 50,000 won.

For treating eyelid conditions, continuous radiofrequency treatment is primary, with antibiotics and steroid injections as additional options for infection and inflammation.

Draining pus from a stye is less painful once the inflammation subsides, and it can be managed with steroid injections or antibiotics.

Incision may be necessary if a lump remains, with the procedure done from the inside to minimize scarring.

Individuals prone to styes often have issues with their meibomian glands, leading to overproduction of oil and hindering proper drainage.

Managing Eyelid Oil Production and Blepharitis

Some individuals produce excess oil, leading to chronic blepharitis and acne-like eruptions on the eyelids, particularly during stress.

Improper eyelid washing and the presence of Demodex mites can exacerbate the condition, causing frequent styes.

It is recommended to use an eyelid scrub with tea tree oil to eliminate mites, with gentle cleaning twice a day for over two weeks.

Makeup removal and face wiping are okay for managing acne bacteria at home.

Using a warm eye massager above 40 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, twice a day for 2 to 3 months, can improve meibomian gland function.

If symptoms persist, manual expression of the glands may be necessary, and early treatment is crucial to prevent gland atrophy.