sties?

[Tammie]

Lately I have been getting a ton of sties, and am just wondering if anyone has this problem.....since they are basically tiny infections in the eyelids, it would make sense that PWCs would get them more often than the general population, but I have never seen anyone post anything about this

also wondering if anyone has any good treatments.....I know about using warm tea bags as a compress, but otherwise most places I have looked for info have not had much to offer except to say that they are harmless (which may be true, but they still hurt)

 

[Sing]

I've been getting them too. I've read, warm compresses, or Neosporin ointment (any kind is safe), which kills the strep behind some sties. I think I read the herb goldenseal can help but I am not sure how you'd use it.

 

[Karin]

Oh my, there were a couple years after I gave birth to my first child when I constantly had sties and chalazions. Three times I had to have surgery on my eyelids because the chalazions were not healing within a couple months on antibiotics and were getting necrotic. Usually, styes would go away with topical antibiotic gels applied into the eye and on the eyelids. Chalazions on the other hand usually required oral antibiotics and even this way, I had to have surgery three times. Oh my, I hated those.

Then they stopped happening. I don't know why exactly they stopped, but I did two things coincidentally:

First, I started biomedical intervention with diet and nutritional support, which probably beefed up my immune system. I used to have pap smears every six months with an active HPV infection and changes in my cervical cells for several years, HPV and abnormal cells disappeared around the same time than chalazions and styes disappeared.

Second, I started wearing mineral makeup, prior to that I was never wearing any makeup. When I started wearing this makeup everyday is when my eyes got better (my skin too, BTW). So I don't know if the zinc oxide in the makeup, and/or the other minerals, was helping keeping the bad bugs at bay (I use the mineral powders to line my eyes too). Or it could also have been that every evening I have to toroughly rub my eyes with soap to get my eye makeup off. I use an organic face soap with aloe and other natural herbs to rub my eyes, maybe that is also helping.

In any case, i am really really happy and relieved that I have not had one sty or one chalazion now in almost two years.

 

[Sing]

Karin,

Thank you for telling us! Now I want to know what type of mineral makeup you have benefited from?

Sing

 

[Karin]

I use Bare minerals (Bare Escentuals), available on-line or at Ulta and Sephora. I use their foundation (the Matte version because it does not have bismuth) and their eye shadow powders. The only items from their line I don't use are the Mineral Veils, because they all contain corn starch and I am sensitive to it. But the other items just have minerals.
http://bareescentuals.com/

Then to remove the makeup, I use this soap, which works on the eyes as well (no irritation): Devita Aloe Cleanser
http://www.betterlife.com/prod_home_page.asp?prod_id=30581

I love this line and use their mosturizer and toner as well. My local health food store has this brand but not my Whole Foods.

 

[Sing]

Thanks, Karin. Are these products unscented? I need that usually.

 

[Karin]

Yes, they are unscented. I hate scented products as well.