The Occurrence of Styes in Ocular Rosacea

Sties may occur in ocular rosacea. Styes, sties or simply spelled “sty”, is a bacterial based pimple caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which is a type bacteria commonly found in the human nose. Sties may also be the result of a clogged pore or hair follicle. Styes are often mistaken for chalazions. Styes can be painful and are the approximate size of a regular acne pimple.

The best treatment for a sty is a warm compress. Apply a warm, moist washcloth to your lids for 5 minutes, four times a day. Within a few days the infection will either die down or come to a head and drain.

Other ocular complications of rosacea include blepharitis, keratitis, conjunctivitis, iritis, Iridocyclitis, Hypopyoniritis, Chalazian and dry eye syndrome. The ocular complications of rosacea are separate from the severity of facial rosacea. The most frequent symptoms of ocular rosacea are reoccurring inflammation in the corners of the eyelids with scales and crusts.

Treatment of ocular rosacea and styes, require a highly motivated patient. A dermatologist treats the direct impact of rosacea on the skin but is not trained in the treatment of rosacea involving the eyes. An ophthalmologist specializes in the treatment of eye conditions does not always link this to a co-coordinating treatment for rosacea manifestations of the skin. Many ophthalmologists feel that treating ocular rosacea conditions with antibiotics produce the same results in the same amount of time as not treating the ocular symptoms at all. For this reason there is a growing trend not to treat ocular conditions with medication but to simply let it run its course.