Hi, I just had cataract surgery done on my right eye with exfoliation glaucoma and everything went great. Now I'm due in two weeks to get the left one done and I suddenly came down with a stye. In the meantime, I had to see my retina specialist for another problem in my left eye and noticed the bump and told me it was a stye. I had told him some time after putting my last eye drops of Simbrinza in my left it started to burn and tearing like crazy. He gave me a small tube of an antibiotics and told me to put this over my eyelid and on my eye. I'm having so much trouble putting this on, I'm sure I'm not doing it correctly. I emailed the doctor's admin assistant who will do the surgery and she said not to worry that we still have two weeks to go. But it doesn't seem to be going away and I'm worried. I don't see any white at all, just a small bump but higher than the edge where the eyelashes are. I did pass my finger over and it seems to be sore at the edge but all I see is that small bump. The whole eyelid is red. Has anyone experienced anything like this? How did you manage to put the ointment from the tube onto your eye? I tried to pull my eyelid up but the line of ointment that comes out just won't go onto the eye. I'm scared to go ahead with the surgery with this. The doctors do not seem to be concerned at all. My retina doctor told me no need to have my cataract doctor see it before surgery.
Hi
I don´t know anything about that condition, but as I understand it, you have sort of gel like stuff that is difficult to apply to the eye.
I have used some stuff like that a couple of times before, when I had got something in my eye, that had made scratches.
The trick is to pull down slightly your lower eyelid with a couple of fingers, and apply a stripe at the edge at your lower eyelid, it is much easier than messing with the upper eyelid.
I don´t know if it is helpful or not, I understand your frustration, I hope things clear up for you.
I suggest you postpone the surgery because Stye is a bacterial infection cause due to blockage of the tear gland. If you want to get rid of it super fast you could get prescription for sulfameth tablets (antibiotic) for 10 days. It will be gone in a day or two after you start the meds but you will have to complete the course for 10 days. Otherwise hot water press for 15 minutes several times a day and that should provide some comfort until it is gone in a few days.
As Viking said apply a line on lower eyelid when it is pulled down.
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Also keep the nozzle away from the central region and aim for the area where eyeball and lower eyelid meet. My surgeon was telling me that lot of people end up scratching their central cornea, specially older people as they are all alone and vision not the best.
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Can anyone else apply it for you?
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The other option is. Wash your hands, specially the fingers thoroughly with anti bacterial soap. Rub the soap for 20 seconds..
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Then apply a thin line on your right index finger. Then pull your eyelid down with left hand. Then gently glide your gel lined right finger against the lower eyelid. Blink few times to let the eyeball spread the gel all over.
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Make sure your finger nails are completely cut back and sanded super smooth.
Basically aim for the white region of the eyeball and not central black region.
Hi Michelin - I have had styes in the past - painful. As others have mentioned and method I used was to pull lower lid down and squeeze ointment along the lower lid. If you have someone at home that could assist that would be a help in applying it.
If I were in your shoes I would contact the surgeon and postpone. The surgery definitely should not go forward until that clears up.
Good luck to you. Sounds like your first surgery went well.
hi sue. i have never had styes in my life until i had 5 about 4 months before cataract diagnosis and then 4 in the last 2 months when the other eye and pco worsened. almost makes me feel it is connected.
Hi Sue,
The odd thing is I put in my last drops Zimbrinza for glaucoma pressure before going to bed. Sometime later, I had what seemed like an attack of intense burning and excess tearing which lasted about 1/2 minute. The next day my lid was red but no pain. The only thing I felt was a little soreness or tenderness when my finger passed over that spot on the lid.
This morning I looked at the lid and it’s still red. The bump is higher up on the lid with a smaller one underneath it near the eyelash edge. I’ve been reading on the net and when it’s higher on the lid, it said it could be a chalazeon and not a stye. But surely, my retina specialist must know what he’s talking about?
Yes, my first surgery went well and this had to happen. I’m very diligent and follow instructions to the letter. I was told in the operation room to wash my hands always before putting drops in my eye. I read about it in the prep guide ad adhered to it faithfully.
Hi soks,
Thanks for the message. What does pco mean?
Thanks.
Thank you soks for the message. But it’s been since Oct 25 so it’s been a while, diagnosed on Oct 30 and started the Tobradex the retina specialist gave me and it’s still there today on Nov 3. He told me to use it twice a day for a week. I’m due for surgery on Nov 13. I think I won’t rest easy until the surgeon sees me, but I don’t know if she will see me. Yesterday I did the water press for 15 minutes before applying the antibiotic Tobradex. I’ve been massaging it also. The thing is if I do the water press several times a day, won’t that interfere with the effects of the Tobradex?
Yes well I’m one of those W-H, at 78 and being alone is not easy. At first I thought well ok I’ll just do the same as if I’m applying drops. So I washed my hands, put some on my finger being careful for the tip not to touch my finger, pulled on my lower lid with the other hand, and applied it in the pocket of the lower lid. Then I thought how can enough reach the inside of the upper lid? So I tried to put some directly from the tube onto my eye by pulling on my upper lid but it’s too hard to do. I end up with the string of ointment falling everywhere else. I’m glad to hear about the lower lid being ok, so that’s what I’ll do. But I think now I’m going to insist that the doctor or someone in that office sees me before surgery to decide what to do.
Hi Danish_Viking,
Thank you for your message. Yes, your comment with others indicate that applying it to the lower lid is the thing to do. I just hope that enough gets to the infected area.
you may want to wait at least an hour after applying the medicine so the hot presses do not dilute it.
Posterior capsule opacification (PCO)
Hi soks,
Ok thank you for that. What I do is only apply the hot presses only before applying the medicine twice a day. I figure this will soften the tissue and the meds might be better or more absorbed. I hope I’m ok doing it this way but I want to give the rest of the time for the meds to be completely absorbed. It’s bad enough I have to apply a wetting solution 4 times day for dry eye but I don’t even want to do that. Thanks for letting me know about an hour wait. I’ll make sure I go by that. I also have an Epiretinal membrane with lamellar hole in this eye and open angle glaucoma, which makes me even more nervous about the surgery.
Thank you.
I haven’t had many styes. High stress situations brought them on.
Maybe see your family doctor for diagnosis?
Yes thank you. I’m thinking of seeing someone, my GP, the pharmacist, or an optometrist. You need a referral to see an ophthalmologist but not for an optician or optometrist.
Well that would make sense Sue, because I have been stressed for this surgery. Very stressed and anxious.
Every time I got one of those (and eczema flare ups) I was in a stressful situation. But family doctor I found more helpful.