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Barley on the eye is an inflammation in the hair follicle of the eyelash or sebaceous gland of Zeiss (external barley), characterized by suppuration. If it is in a meibomian gland lobule, then this stye is internal. Turning to the doctor about barley, you can see the entry “gordeolum” on the card. This is the scientific name for this pathology.
Barley on the eye may appear unexpectedly for a person. This problem is familiar to almost everyone, as it is widespread. Pathology develops quickly, its symptoms are simply impossible not to notice.
Often people consider the appearance of barley on the eyelid a problem that is not too serious. In fact, barley indicates that the immune system has failed. Therefore, the disease should not be ignored.
Self-medication is unacceptable, you can not follow the advice of “healers”, because barley affects the organs of vision. They, in turn, are located in close proximity to the brain, so experiments can end quite badly.
Styes rarely occur in pairs and in both eyes. Most often, inflammation is concentrated on one eye, and the barley itself is single.
An external abscess resembles an abscess in appearance, which is located on the edge of the eyelid outside the eye. Internal stye is an abscess on the inner eyelid, on the side that comes into contact with the eyeball. This disease can have a complicated course.
Barley Symptoms
Symptoms that accompany the appearance of barley on the eye:
The eyelid in the area of inflammation begins to itch.
When blinking and when trying to touch the eye, pain occurs.
The eyelid swells.
The tearing intensifies.
It seems to a person that something foreign has got into his eye.
A yellow blister appears on the eyelid. It becomes noticeable on the 3rd day from the appearance of the first signs of barley.
After 4-5 days, the barley opens, pus comes out of it.
If a person’s immunity is depleted, then body temperature may rise. Sometimes there are general symptoms of intoxication of the body. The patient begins to have a headache, the lymph nodes increase in size. A similar clinical picture develops in children and in people with frequently recurrent styes.
barley stages
Barley goes through the following stages of development:
infiltrative stage. At this time, a person experiences itching and burning in the area of u3buXNUMXbthe eyelid, it becomes swollen. This stage lasts no more than XNUMX days.
Suppuration stage. If barley is not allowed, then an abscess forms on the eyelid. It is round, transparent, filled with whitish contents.
Breakthrough stage. The capsule with pus either breaks through on its own, or the doctor opens it. Pus comes out, it can ooze for a few more days.
Healing stage. A crust forms over the barley, under which the skin regenerates.
Causes of barley
Barley appears on the eye due to the fault of Staphylococcus aureus. This microbe always lives on the skin and hair of a person, as it belongs to the conditionally pathogenic flora. Streptococci rarely cause barley. These microorganisms begin to multiply actively in the case when a person’s immunity decreases.
Therefore, the causes of barley may be as follows:
Prolonged exposure to cold.
Stress, illness, overwork, excessive physical activity, poor nutrition, adherence to strict diets. All these factors negatively affect the state of the immune system.
Deficiency of vitamins in the body.
Diabetes mellitus, in which the blood supply to the organs of vision occurs with disturbances.
Diseases of the digestive system. In this case, the body does not fully absorb the nutrients.
The presence in the body of Staphylococcus aureus species resistant to antibacterial drugs.
The presence in the body of a chronic inflammatory process, for example, caries, adenoids, tonsillitis.
Hereditary predisposition.
Infection of the body with helminths.
Errors in hygiene. The infection can be brought into the eyelid with dirty hands.
Use of contact lenses. By themselves, they cannot cause the formation of barley, but in combination with other risk factors, they can lead to inflammation.
First aid rules
If you take action immediately after the appearance of barley, you can quickly cope with inflammation. Therefore, treatment should be started when itching and pain occur in the eyelid area.
The use of antiseptics. A piece of cotton wool is moistened in an antiseptic. Then cotton wool is squeezed well and applied to the area of redness, to the base of eyelash growth.
Dry heat application. An ordinary towel is heated, applied to the sore eye. Heat helps to reduce symptoms and alleviate the course of the disease.
Barley treatment
To cope with the disease, you need to apply drops and ointments with an antibiotic. If the disease has a severe course, then systemic medication is required. Provided that the barley does not open on its own, it is sanitized in the hospital.
In the treatment, antibacterial eye drops are used (applied 3-6 times a day), eye ointments (placed in the eye at night, since during the day they negatively affect the state of vision). Before you start laying the ointment, you need to wash your hands well. The agent is applied to the finger. The eyelid is pulled back and the drug is placed in it. If a person receives treatment at home, then you can use ointments in the daytime.
Ointments with corticosteroids in the composition for the treatment of barley are not used. With purulent inflammation, they are contraindicated.
If the disease is severe, the doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics. Such therapy is most often required for patients with reduced immunity, as well as children. Only a doctor can prescribe them according to indications, self-medication is unacceptable.
What to do if the barley has not opened?
If the barley does not open on its own, then you need to consult a doctor. On the 6-7th day from the onset of the disease, the doctor will carefully open and sanitize the purulent focus. After such manipulations, scar tissue is not formed.
After the abscess opens, the patient’s eyes are washed with antiseptic agents.
What can not be done with barley?
With barley, the following actions are prohibited:
It is forbidden to crush barley, try to release pus from it.
Do not use eye makeup during treatment.
Wet lotions should not be applied to the eyes.
It is forbidden to heat purulent barley.
You can not go to the sauna and the bath.
You can not rub the sore eyelid with your hands.
You should not go outside during the cold season. If this is not possible, then the eye is covered with a dry, clean bandage.
Why is barley dangerous?
The main danger is that you may misdiagnose. So, if you can start treating barley incorrectly, then it simply won’t go away for a long time, and besides that, you can exhaust your body. If you start squeezing out the pus, it may turn out that on the contrary it will spread throughout the body, and you will get blood poisoning or brain damage.
And in any case, you will have to go to the hospital for treatment. With this in mind, you should be especially careful when washing your eyes with tea, in no case do not press during this action. Even more carefully it is worth approaching the diagnosis, in no case do not confuse barley with any other disease.
Possible complications:
Relapses of pathology. If the immune system is weakened, and the inflammation has not been fully controlled, then barley on the eye will reappear.
Purulent conjunctivitis. It develops due to the spread of infection to the conjunctiva.
Halazion. In this case, a cyst is formed on the eyelid in the area of the sebaceous glands. It will be filled with liquid.
Phlegmon of the eye. It is formed due to the merger of several abscesses. A person’s eye pain intensifies, the eyelid swells, pus begins to separate from the eyes, the body temperature rises, vision deteriorates. The eyeball protrudes, its mobility will be difficult.
Thrombosis of the cavernous vascular plexus. This complication rarely develops. The patient develops exophthalmos, the eyelids swell, become blue. The eye hurts a lot, the protein is filled with blood, vision deteriorates, it can double.
Thrombophlebitis of the vessels of the eye. This pathology develops due to damage to the veins by bacteria. The eyeball and eyelids are filled with blood, the person experiences severe headaches. Eyes get tired quickly.
Meningitis. If the bacteria spread to the brain, it becomes inflamed. This leads to an increase in body temperature, vomiting, intense headaches. A person can fall into a coma and die.
Sepsis. Blood poisoning is associated with a high probability of death. The body temperature rises to high levels, a rash appears all over the body, and the pressure drops. The patient is in an unconscious state. The work of all internal organs and systems is disrupted.
Prevention of barley
To prevent the formation of barley, the following recommendations must be observed:
Do not rub your eyes with dirty hands.
Wash your face in the morning and evening. Dirt from the eyes is removed with a sterile bandage in the direction from the outer corner of the eye to the inner. Natural tear drops can be used to clear the eyes throughout the day.
You can use only personal cosmetics, it is forbidden to wipe yourself with other people’s towels.
If barley appears on the eye often, then you need to consult a doctor. Correction of immunity, treatment in sanatoriums, etc. is required.
It is important to lead a healthy lifestyle.
All foci of chronic infections should be sanitized.