Styes on my 2yr.old - Children's Health Message Board

mariann · 01-13-2005, 04:22 PM

My son is two and a half and he has been getting styes for a few months now. We have gone to the Dr. several times and all they kept saying was do warm compresses and gave us some eye drops (antibotics) to use 4 times a day. It is so hard to get those drops in his eye. They usually go away but now in his right eye I can see a red bump and when I look closer I really see a red bump. We have an appt in two weeks with a Ped Optomologist. There are only two where we live and that was the soonest they had. What else can I try. Have any of you experienced this?What do you think the Ped Optomologist will say? Does this sound like a chalization? I have never had any problems with styes and they do not seem to bother him but it is really hard to see him with this bump in his eye. Thanks for your help.

Happytoes · 01-14-2005, 04:15 AM

My youngest son, now 9 use to have quite a lot of eye infections up until he was about 4, eye drops are impossible to get into a child's eye but we use to get cream on prescription instead which was much easier as it had a fine point on the end and you just run it along the bottom eyelid, also if the worst came to the worst we could put it on just before he woke up and he would blink it in. The only other things we were told to do were what you are doing, dip cottonwool in previously boiled water, wipe from the inside to the outside and use a new piece every wipe so that you don't reinfect,always finish the meds even when it looks like it has gone. Don't panic he will be fine styes often spread, probably he reinfects himself when he rubs his eyes and there is still some infection left but ask for cream not drops it is so much easier. Hope this helps.
Best wishes Happytoes

Geoff B · 01-17-2005, 02:02 PM

Ever since I was a child whenever we were getting a stye my mother would rub a gold wedding ring on the outside of the affected area. For some reason it nearly always makes it go away. It still works for me as an adult. I know this may be very difficult to do for a boy of 2 though.
That said does your husband's family have any history of lack of tear ducts? My nieces have this problem. It is particularly bad when they are little.
Geoff

mlgable · 01-17-2005, 05:14 PM

At two years old he is probably rubbing his eyes more than you realize and is re-infecting his eye. Also be sure that you don't touch the tip of the eye dropper to his eye as this could re-infect it. It the dropper or tip does touch the eye you need to throw the bottle out and get a new one. Be sure you wash his hands with soap and water if you notice he has been rubbing his eye or touching it. Make sure that the washcloth and towel you use for him doesn't get used by anyone else and change those daily to help prevent the spread of infection. Good Luck.