Yes I will go see a doctor, but first: questions about my eye
July 12, 2017 11:43 AM Subscribe
Where do styes come from? How can I make them go away forever? Why does God hate me?
First of all, I am terrified of the doctor. Very, very scared. I know for a lot of people reading this "go to the doctor" is as scary as going to the store or something, but for me it is much much much more.
About 6 weeks ago I got my very first stye, in tandem with a weird bump on my face (I thought it was a spider bite; it had two little holes and everything). Both things were treated with antibiotic ointment and hot compresses. Both things got very swollen and sort of exploded. I now have a divot on my forehead from what I assume was actually a staph infection. Yes I should have gone to the doctor, but I didn't. Now I have a big dent in my face, so yes I understand the severity.
My eye seemed better but last night I felt a telltale weirdness and this morning I woke up with a new stye in the same spot as the old one.
I have not had a lot of positive interactions with doctors, and I know doctors are not infallible so I would like anecdotal or factual help with the following:
1. Why did this happen?? I have read that styes are caused by staph--is that 100% of the time?
2. Is it possible this is somehow related to getting my hair cut & dyed? The last time this happened was within days of a salon appointment. I just had my hair done again Monday and now this stye has appeared. Coincidence or allergy? Or maybe my stylist has staph?!
3. How can I prevent this from happening again? I wash my hands frequently, I don't wear makeup, I am a very clean person so this has been pretty devastating.
4. What doctor do I go to? Eye or regular? If styes = staph then I don't know if an eye doctor can help with that, but I am a doctor newb.
5. Aside from the things the doctor will tell me, what are the best methods of treatment. I know warm/hot compresses are good and touching my eye is bad--anything else?
6. How can I make the doctor be nice to me? I am usually a capable adult but doctors turn me into a crying baby, and it is really not good or fun. I plan on bringing my husband with me so that I won't be as scared, but if there are any words or phrases that make doctors less mean that would be great. I totally admit I should be better about this, but medical stuff is scary and expensive and I didn't do a lot of it as a kid or ever so many of the regular things about going to the doctor are new/gross/intimidating to me. This has resulted in some deserved-but-unpleasant condescension from medical professionals, which I would prefer to avoid! So should I say, "I'm sorry, I'm emotional and might cry but please don't worry" or something?
7. This is another part of why I avoid the doctor: if I have to go on antibiotics, what is the best way to avoid a yeast infection? Even just thinking about antibiotics makes my body freak out. I have tried taking Diflucan before and it didn't help.
8. Doctor recs near Vancouver, WA if you got 'em?
Thank you!
First of all, I am terrified of the doctor. Very, very scared. I know for a lot of people reading this "go to the doctor" is as scary as going to the store or something, but for me it is much much much more.
About 6 weeks ago I got my very first stye, in tandem with a weird bump on my face (I thought it was a spider bite; it had two little holes and everything). Both things were treated with antibiotic ointment and hot compresses. Both things got very swollen and sort of exploded. I now have a divot on my forehead from what I assume was actually a staph infection. Yes I should have gone to the doctor, but I didn't. Now I have a big dent in my face, so yes I understand the severity.
My eye seemed better but last night I felt a telltale weirdness and this morning I woke up with a new stye in the same spot as the old one.
I have not had a lot of positive interactions with doctors, and I know doctors are not infallible so I would like anecdotal or factual help with the following:
1. Why did this happen?? I have read that styes are caused by staph--is that 100% of the time?
2. Is it possible this is somehow related to getting my hair cut & dyed? The last time this happened was within days of a salon appointment. I just had my hair done again Monday and now this stye has appeared. Coincidence or allergy? Or maybe my stylist has staph?!
3. How can I prevent this from happening again? I wash my hands frequently, I don't wear makeup, I am a very clean person so this has been pretty devastating.
4. What doctor do I go to? Eye or regular? If styes = staph then I don't know if an eye doctor can help with that, but I am a doctor newb.
5. Aside from the things the doctor will tell me, what are the best methods of treatment. I know warm/hot compresses are good and touching my eye is bad--anything else?
6. How can I make the doctor be nice to me? I am usually a capable adult but doctors turn me into a crying baby, and it is really not good or fun. I plan on bringing my husband with me so that I won't be as scared, but if there are any words or phrases that make doctors less mean that would be great. I totally admit I should be better about this, but medical stuff is scary and expensive and I didn't do a lot of it as a kid or ever so many of the regular things about going to the doctor are new/gross/intimidating to me. This has resulted in some deserved-but-unpleasant condescension from medical professionals, which I would prefer to avoid! So should I say, "I'm sorry, I'm emotional and might cry but please don't worry" or something?
7. This is another part of why I avoid the doctor: if I have to go on antibiotics, what is the best way to avoid a yeast infection? Even just thinking about antibiotics makes my body freak out. I have tried taking Diflucan before and it didn't help.
8. Doctor recs near Vancouver, WA if you got 'em?
Thank you!
1-5) I get styes when I am stressed out, and have never found doctors particularly helpful on the topic. This thread about blepharitis, on the other hand, was extremely enlightening/helpful.
Regarding the "weird face bump" that happened in tandem, sorry, I got nothing... other than a deep seated fear of staph.
6) Can you practice your opening remarks with your husband or another person? A good doctor should recognize you're uncomfortable right away and try to make you more at ease. Maybe you can help them to do this by saying "I have white coat anxiety so please be patient - this is really hard for me".
7) Regarding the yeast infection-when-on-antibiotics, do you take anything like acidophilus to help balance out the beneficial bacteria that's being wiped out? I've heard from friends (who are not doctors) that it can be helpful.
posted by dotparker at 12:01 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Regarding the "weird face bump" that happened in tandem, sorry, I got nothing... other than a deep seated fear of staph.
6) Can you practice your opening remarks with your husband or another person? A good doctor should recognize you're uncomfortable right away and try to make you more at ease. Maybe you can help them to do this by saying "I have white coat anxiety so please be patient - this is really hard for me".
7) Regarding the yeast infection-when-on-antibiotics, do you take anything like acidophilus to help balance out the beneficial bacteria that's being wiped out? I've heard from friends (who are not doctors) that it can be helpful.
posted by dotparker at 12:01 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
How can I make the doctor be nice to me? I am usually a capable adult but doctors turn me into a crying baby, and it is really not good or fun.
You are absolutely allowed to bring another person right into the exam room with you, and have that person be your advocate and your voice.
posted by anastasiav at 12:14 PM on July 12, 2017 [10 favorites]
You are absolutely allowed to bring another person right into the exam room with you, and have that person be your advocate and your voice.
posted by anastasiav at 12:14 PM on July 12, 2017 [10 favorites]
I used to get styes from a barber who didn't sanitize carefully. So it may be that.
We treated them with antibiotic gel, for immediate pain relief we used hot washcloths.
posted by evilmonk at 12:20 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
We treated them with antibiotic gel, for immediate pain relief we used hot washcloths.
posted by evilmonk at 12:20 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
The phrase you want is "extremely high medical anxiety." Have your husband call ahead and tell the front desk that you have it, and that he intends to stay with you throughout the appointment. It's best to have it on your chart from the get-go, though don't be completely shocked if there's some pushback because of domestic violence concerns. They are real concerns, for some people.
Have your husband call an eye doctor and ask? I think there has to be an actual ophthalmologist to write scrips - if you even get one, you might just get told to do ointment and warm compresses - but it's often a lot easier to walk in to an eye doctor and get seen in a few minutes than to see a GP anyway. And that's a much less medicalized environment, so maybe it won't be so severe an anxiety trigger.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:26 PM on July 12, 2017 [8 favorites]
Have your husband call an eye doctor and ask? I think there has to be an actual ophthalmologist to write scrips - if you even get one, you might just get told to do ointment and warm compresses - but it's often a lot easier to walk in to an eye doctor and get seen in a few minutes than to see a GP anyway. And that's a much less medicalized environment, so maybe it won't be so severe an anxiety trigger.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:26 PM on July 12, 2017 [8 favorites]
If your insurance covers it, this is prime doc in a box territory. Like the doc inside CVS or Walgreens. They're usually Physicians Assistants and pretty chill. My schedule was bananas when I last got a stye so it was way easier. In and out in 5 min with antibiotic eye drops, easy peasy. And boom, you're already at the pharmacy.
posted by atomicstone at 12:27 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by atomicstone at 12:27 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: First, thank you all for being so dang nice. Even asking here was scary!
I actually thought about bad sanitization at the salon; I don't see my stylist soaking the clippers in Barbasol or anything, and I pretty much just get clippered when I go in.
I will definitely use all of the advice here, I REALLY appreciate it!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 12:31 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
I actually thought about bad sanitization at the salon; I don't see my stylist soaking the clippers in Barbasol or anything, and I pretty much just get clippered when I go in.
I will definitely use all of the advice here, I REALLY appreciate it!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 12:31 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
I get little skin infections all the time (styes sometimes, but ingrown hairs are also big one for me). Yes, they are probably staph. We are all covered in staph all the time, which is gross but generally not a problem.
The main reason we tend to get styes, etc., more often when we're stressed is that stress suppresses the immune system and allows the usually non-problematic staph (and other) bacteria that are hanging out on our skin to grow a bit out of control. The bacteria that caused your infection might not have come from anywhere in particular; they were very likely just hanging out on your skin/in your eyes forever, and only this time got out of hand. Other mild trauma like dry eyes (from the weather or whatever) can also give the bacteria a chance to get a foothold. And sometimes your immune system just lets something slip through, just like with a cold or a stomach bug or whatever.
In my experience (not a doctor, just a minor-skin-infection-sufferer for the last 20 years or so) hot compresses are usually the first line of defense for this kind of thing, then antibiotic ointment/eyedrops; this is going take care of the vast majority of cases. I try to get things early, as soon as I start to feel a stye or ingrown hair coming in I go straight for very hot compresses (I like to put a damp facecloth in the microwave for a few seconds, but be careful because they get really, really hot).
Anyway, this kind of thing happens to me and other people all the time, and your forehead divot will probably fill back in (mostly, eventually). You are pretty normal. I don't go to the doctor every time this happens to me, but I try to be proactive with the hot compresses (all else aside, they feel great). Getting a minor skin infection (even staph!) doesn't mean there's anything seriously wrong - it's just something that happens sometimes.
posted by mskyle at 12:47 PM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
The main reason we tend to get styes, etc., more often when we're stressed is that stress suppresses the immune system and allows the usually non-problematic staph (and other) bacteria that are hanging out on our skin to grow a bit out of control. The bacteria that caused your infection might not have come from anywhere in particular; they were very likely just hanging out on your skin/in your eyes forever, and only this time got out of hand. Other mild trauma like dry eyes (from the weather or whatever) can also give the bacteria a chance to get a foothold. And sometimes your immune system just lets something slip through, just like with a cold or a stomach bug or whatever.
In my experience (not a doctor, just a minor-skin-infection-sufferer for the last 20 years or so) hot compresses are usually the first line of defense for this kind of thing, then antibiotic ointment/eyedrops; this is going take care of the vast majority of cases. I try to get things early, as soon as I start to feel a stye or ingrown hair coming in I go straight for very hot compresses (I like to put a damp facecloth in the microwave for a few seconds, but be careful because they get really, really hot).
Anyway, this kind of thing happens to me and other people all the time, and your forehead divot will probably fill back in (mostly, eventually). You are pretty normal. I don't go to the doctor every time this happens to me, but I try to be proactive with the hot compresses (all else aside, they feel great). Getting a minor skin infection (even staph!) doesn't mean there's anything seriously wrong - it's just something that happens sometimes.
posted by mskyle at 12:47 PM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
As far as the cause of styes, it's basically a blocked/irritated pore. Eyes do all kinds of gooping around whether you like it or not, and if you have a little dip in your immune system - fighting off a cold, stress, bad night's sleep - maybe it opportunistically gets infected. Could be actual Staph, like mskyle says we're covered in it all the time, but it might just be plain old bacteria.
When I get any kind of warning - eye a little crusty in the morning, for example, or that tiny dot of soreness that may or may not bloom into an actual stye - I do the warm compress.
Also in the shower, I try to make sure that I am getting my eyes wet and rubbed a little. If you never use makeup/remover, you may not be cleaning all that much on your actual eyes, and they do get greasy and skin cells build up and all that. I make sure to just get my face good and wet, and I do a little gentle wiping with the corner of my towel when I get out. You could use a q-tip to just wipe the lashlines, if you wanted to be really careful of infection.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:55 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I get any kind of warning - eye a little crusty in the morning, for example, or that tiny dot of soreness that may or may not bloom into an actual stye - I do the warm compress.
Also in the shower, I try to make sure that I am getting my eyes wet and rubbed a little. If you never use makeup/remover, you may not be cleaning all that much on your actual eyes, and they do get greasy and skin cells build up and all that. I make sure to just get my face good and wet, and I do a little gentle wiping with the corner of my towel when I get out. You could use a q-tip to just wipe the lashlines, if you wanted to be really careful of infection.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:55 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I have been prone to styes before, from stress. This stuff (helpfully just called Stye and available at most drugstores) helps with the misery, as do warm compresses. On the package, it says you should go to the doctor if the stye lasts longer than 5 days, and I've never had to do that.
For prevention, I've been told that carefully washing your eyelids, lashes, and brows thoroughly with something gentle twice a day helps. I've heard to use baby shampoo or baby body wash, but I've found that my sensitive skin face washes are also "no tears". I like the Bert's Bees sensitive skin cream face wash and the Aveeno Ultra-Calming foaming face wash, and neither irritates my eyes.
posted by hydropsyche at 12:55 PM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
For prevention, I've been told that carefully washing your eyelids, lashes, and brows thoroughly with something gentle twice a day helps. I've heard to use baby shampoo or baby body wash, but I've found that my sensitive skin face washes are also "no tears". I like the Bert's Bees sensitive skin cream face wash and the Aveeno Ultra-Calming foaming face wash, and neither irritates my eyes.
posted by hydropsyche at 12:55 PM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
You probably know this, but are you reusing towels? One of the major things I do when I have any sort of skin thing is not reuse ANY towels - even if it's on a different part of my body.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 1:02 PM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Ms Vegetable at 1:02 PM on July 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
When looking for a doctor, spend some time looking at reviews online/on your insurance website if you have insurance (some allow you to search for doctors in-network and also for people to leave reviews). You're looking for positive reviews, but especially look for things like "spends a lot of time listening to me", or "believes in making you a partner in your own care", or "I never feel rushed and s/he always takes time to ask me about my life or if I have any questions". If the doctor has a website themselves, look for phrases like "patient-centered care". This is how I've found doctors that I have been really happy with, who I feel are really listening to me and making sure I get the actual care I need versus what they think I need.
Definitely take your husband! That is a-ok.
Regarding yeast infections: have you ever tried putting plain, live-culture yogurt directly on/in your vagina? That has worked for me in the past. Another one that has always worked really well for me is putting a single clove of peeled garlic inside my vagina and replacing it every 4-6 hours. Do this from the first day you take antibiotics through the end of your course of antibiotics and it should help ease, if not completely protect against, yeast infections.
Good luck! I hope you find a great, caring doctor who helps you with your doctor fears.
posted by Illuminated Clocks at 1:24 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Definitely take your husband! That is a-ok.
Regarding yeast infections: have you ever tried putting plain, live-culture yogurt directly on/in your vagina? That has worked for me in the past. Another one that has always worked really well for me is putting a single clove of peeled garlic inside my vagina and replacing it every 4-6 hours. Do this from the first day you take antibiotics through the end of your course of antibiotics and it should help ease, if not completely protect against, yeast infections.
Good luck! I hope you find a great, caring doctor who helps you with your doctor fears.
posted by Illuminated Clocks at 1:24 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
My daughter had a problem with styes and finally, as a teenager, had one surgically removed. It was done by an ophthalmologist, and though it probably wasn't actually necessary to do it in the operating room, since it's location is so critical and since it probably would have been somewhat painful he went for doing it under light anesthesia. She was 16 and unwilling to walk around with what she thought was a disfiguring lump under one eye, and it had been frustratingly recurring so we went along with it. Her stye never recurred and there was no scar.
She was prone to them and things mentioned up-thread were all recommended by the pros. Clean towels, clean washcloths EVERY TIME. You will probably need a stack of washcloths or do laundry frequently with HOT water. Clean pillowcase every night. Wash hands often and keep them off your face and eyes. Keep lotions and cosmetics away from your eyes. If you have bangs, try to keep them out of your eyes and keep your bangs clean.
Soak a clean washcloth with hot water and with clean hands wring it out. Fold and place on your eye near the stye to encourage the pore to open and drain. As the cloth cools, repeat once or twice so that you are actually applying damp warmth for about 15 or 20 minutes, and repeat this about 4 times a day, especially before sleeping, since you won't wake in the middle of the night to repeat. When you wash your face make sure you're really washing the eye area and your lashes, where the clogged pores occur. Your aim is to get this to drain on its own.
You might find these measures help, and they had been tried and true methods to hurry along styes for my daughter, until this one occasion where a stye got larger and just would not go away. I have never heard of being prescribed antibiotics for a stye, though an infected stye might be different. Most often they are just clogged, not infected. I think seeing a doctor for a stye is a pretty low-impact interaction - I don't know that he'd even need to touch your eye in order to give you good professional advice. I hope that lessens your anxiety.
posted by citygirl at 2:03 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
She was prone to them and things mentioned up-thread were all recommended by the pros. Clean towels, clean washcloths EVERY TIME. You will probably need a stack of washcloths or do laundry frequently with HOT water. Clean pillowcase every night. Wash hands often and keep them off your face and eyes. Keep lotions and cosmetics away from your eyes. If you have bangs, try to keep them out of your eyes and keep your bangs clean.
Soak a clean washcloth with hot water and with clean hands wring it out. Fold and place on your eye near the stye to encourage the pore to open and drain. As the cloth cools, repeat once or twice so that you are actually applying damp warmth for about 15 or 20 minutes, and repeat this about 4 times a day, especially before sleeping, since you won't wake in the middle of the night to repeat. When you wash your face make sure you're really washing the eye area and your lashes, where the clogged pores occur. Your aim is to get this to drain on its own.
You might find these measures help, and they had been tried and true methods to hurry along styes for my daughter, until this one occasion where a stye got larger and just would not go away. I have never heard of being prescribed antibiotics for a stye, though an infected stye might be different. Most often they are just clogged, not infected. I think seeing a doctor for a stye is a pretty low-impact interaction - I don't know that he'd even need to touch your eye in order to give you good professional advice. I hope that lessens your anxiety.
posted by citygirl at 2:03 PM on July 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
I had a small chalazion (similar to but not exactly like a stye) that was frustratingly slow to respond to antibiotic treatment. The ophthalmologist went in and removed it surgically in the manner described on that wikipedia page. It was quick and painless. On the other hand I have no medical anxiety so I understand that this option might not be your first choice, but just anecdotally it was really no big deal. That was about 4-5 years ago and no recurrence since, though I do try to be more careful now to wash around my eyes.
posted by Wretch729 at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Wretch729 at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
You are absolutely allowed to bring another person right into the exam room with you, and have that person be your advocate and your voice.
It sounds like you have already taken this on board but I want to underline it. I have been the other person at various points and would have done better to have someone in the room with me at various junctures.
posted by PMdixon at 3:41 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
It sounds like you have already taken this on board but I want to underline it. I have been the other person at various points and would have done better to have someone in the room with me at various junctures.
posted by PMdixon at 3:41 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I go to the dr about 2x/week on average for a host of annoying maladies. I'm really good at it - but even then stuff falls between the cracks.
I've learned to make lists of all the things I want to talk about. While I'm there - depending on the doctor - I even check off each point.
Try that. If you still are concerned, make the doctor his/her own copy and just hand it over at the beginning of your appointment.
Every doctor I've ever had appreciates my lists. Even doctors who I don't like or who don't like me that much (bedside manner isn't always that important). I started doing this when I had a doctor I thought was glossing over issues - but of course I didn't realize it until I got home and thought about it.
So make a list as detailed as you can. Give a copy to your husband and one to the doctor. Everyone will be literally on the same page.
(I've told doctors that I'm overwhelmed. I have a running joke with my dentist about how much I hate and fear dentists - and that he earns my trust incrementally. As a result, I don't fear him, though I do fear other dentists. Being honest has lightened the mood. So give that a try. The good doctors will treat you gently.)
posted by crankyrogalsky at 7:04 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've learned to make lists of all the things I want to talk about. While I'm there - depending on the doctor - I even check off each point.
Try that. If you still are concerned, make the doctor his/her own copy and just hand it over at the beginning of your appointment.
Every doctor I've ever had appreciates my lists. Even doctors who I don't like or who don't like me that much (bedside manner isn't always that important). I started doing this when I had a doctor I thought was glossing over issues - but of course I didn't realize it until I got home and thought about it.
So make a list as detailed as you can. Give a copy to your husband and one to the doctor. Everyone will be literally on the same page.
(I've told doctors that I'm overwhelmed. I have a running joke with my dentist about how much I hate and fear dentists - and that he earns my trust incrementally. As a result, I don't fear him, though I do fear other dentists. Being honest has lightened the mood. So give that a try. The good doctors will treat you gently.)
posted by crankyrogalsky at 7:04 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I could be you! After recently getting a recurring stye in the same spot, I went to the eye doctor. So you don't (necessarily) have to.
The ophthalmologist said that heat from hot compresses is the main going he recommends for styes, because the heat opens up the pore and lets the gunk drain. He said to get a wet washcloth as hot as I can stand in the microwave and put it on my eye. I now do this when I feel the stye coming on, and it works great.
He also mentioned a brand of eye cleaner wipe called ocuscrub that I could use. I got some and I can't tell if they help because I'm too lazy to use them daily.
posted by medusa at 9:22 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
The ophthalmologist said that heat from hot compresses is the main going he recommends for styes, because the heat opens up the pore and lets the gunk drain. He said to get a wet washcloth as hot as I can stand in the microwave and put it on my eye. I now do this when I feel the stye coming on, and it works great.
He also mentioned a brand of eye cleaner wipe called ocuscrub that I could use. I got some and I can't tell if they help because I'm too lazy to use them daily.
posted by medusa at 9:22 PM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I have nothing useful to add for your other questions.
posted by phunniemee at 11:52 AM on July 12, 2017 [1 favorite]