Barley on the eye (aka gordoleum) is a common ophthalmologic disease affecting a limited area of the upper or lower eyelid. At least once in a lifetime every person encounters this disease. In the high-risk group there are children and adults in the age group from 30 to 50 years.
Barley on the eye - the reasons for the appearance
This disease occurs as a result of penetration into the ciliary follicle of harmful bacteria. The causative agent of the disease is Staphylococcus aureus. This agent can even stay in the human body for a long time, without showing itself. However, under certain circumstances, rapid meibomite develops rapidly.
There are many factors that can make barley appear on the eye. One of them is the non-observance of the rules of personal hygiene. The conjunctiva is very sensitive: here, even with the slightest contamination, an inflammatory process can occur. These are the reasons that contribute to the development of meibomite:
- use of low-quality cosmetics or where expired;
- hit in the eye of a foreign body;
- poor lens cleaning;
- rubbing the eyelids with dirty hands;
- prolonged wearing of lenses.
In addition, barley on the eye can be formed due to hypothermia. Low temperature weakens the body's defense system, which increases the likelihood of developing the disease. The factors provocating this group include the following:
- long stay on the street in bad weather;
- absence of a headdress in a strong frost;
- procedures in too cold water (without preliminary preparation of the body);
- clothes not by weather;
- Blotting shoes when it rains or snow melts.
Also gordoleum of the lower eyelid or upper may arise because of the weakening of the immunity caused by such causes:
- poor environmental conditions;
- digestive disorders;
- excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
- smoking;
- constant stress;
- chronic fatigue;
- unbalanced nutrition.
Barley - symptoms
The disease got its name because of the similarity of a ripe furuncle with a grain of cereal. It also reflects how barley looks on the eye. The disease occurs with pronounced symptoms, which directly depend on the type of gordoleum. There are two types:
- outer;
- inner .
Outer barley
This type of disease is often accompanied with other ophthalmologic pathologies, for example, with blepharitis. Outer, like internal barley on the eye, begins with a slight burning or itching in the area of growth of cilia. Then other symptoms gradually appear:
- hyperemia;
- swelling;
- pain when pressing on the inflamed area;
- the appearance of a purulent head.
Inner barley
This type of disease is much less common than the external one. Such signs of symptoms are as follows:
- thickening of the eyelid;
- itching and burning;
- when the eyelid turns out, there is hyperemia;
- 2-3 days after the appearance of the first signs, a yellowish pus appears through the mucous membrane.
If during the period of infection the immunity was weakened, along with specific signs, the following symptoms can be observed:
- malaise;
- increased lymph nodes;
- nausea;
- headache;
- poor appetite;
- temperature increase.
What is dangerous for barley on the eye?
Problems arise from improper treatment. More often a complication occurs when the patient tries to squeeze out the contents of the abscess. In this case, the meibomite of the eye leads to the following consequences:
- The acute form passes into the chronic, which from time to time gets worse, causing unpleasant sensations.
- When secondary infection occurs multiple lesions of the eyelids. Barley on the eye (photo below) indicates that the abscess has begun. Without surgical intervention, this can not be avoided.
- Thrombophlebitis of veins of an orbit develops.
- Inflamed the meninges.
- There can be a complete loss of vision and even death.
Barley on the eye - what to do?
Fight this disease can be at home, but only after a preliminary consultation with an ophthalmologist. The expert knows exactly how to treat barley on the eye so as not to bring the situation to a critical one. He will carefully assess the condition of the abscess, and after that he will prescribe effective therapy. Complex treatment allows the use of medicines and folk remedies.
Ointment from barley on the eye
The pharmaceutical market provides patients with a wide range of antibacterial agents. They are effective when barley is formed on the eye, how to treat quickly at home - there is a question. Ointments accelerate the process of maturing gordoleum, eliminate inflammation and help prevent secondary infection. The most effective is a remedy for barley on the eye:
- Tobrex ;
- Tetracycline ointment;
- Foxal;
- Erythromycin ointment;
- Hydrocortisone;
- ointment Vishnevsky ;
- Levomekol;
- Synthomycin ointment;
- Blepharogel;
- Oxolin ;
- Ichthyol ointment.
Drops from barley on the eye
The assortment of such preparations is considerable. If barley is formed on the eye, the treatment can be carried out using such drops:
- Tebridex;
- Gentamicin;
- Albucid ;
- Levomycetin;
- Tsiprolet;
- Sofradex;
- Floxal.
However, even the most effective drops will not give the desired result if they are used inappropriately. For this reason, it is important to understand when there was barley on the eye, how to treat quickly and correctly. This will help the following recommendations:
- Before burying drops, the bottle needs to be held in your hands for a while, so that its contents will be slightly heated. It is inadmissible to use cold medicine.
- Before the procedure, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and wipe them dry. Do not recommend palms to handle alcohol, as its residues can get on the mucous membrane and cause a burn.
- When burying the head, you need to throw back and pull the lower eyelid.
- First you should drip a healthy, and then struck with barley eyes. This will prevent the spread of the infection.
- After instillation it is necessary to close your eyes and turn your pupils a couple of times, so that the preparation is evenly distributed.
- Frequency of instillations depends on the course of the disease. It can vary from 2 to 7 times.
Folk remedies for barley on the eye
Before using any alternative methods, you should always consult a doctor. If barley appeared on one eye, dry warming compresses will become an effective aid. You can do them in one of these ways:
- Boil a chicken egg or potatoes (it needs to be cleaned and kneaded). Turn into a clean cotton napkin and apply for a couple of minutes to the affected eyelid.
- Large rock salt or flaxseeds warm in a dry frying pan. Then place in a clean tissue napkin and tie a knot. Warm up should be just a couple of minutes.
- Cotton napkin warmed with an iron and attach to the affected eye.
- You can warm the barley with a blue bactericide lamp. The lighting device should be located at a distance of 50-60 cm from the face. Eyes during the procedure must be closed. The duration of the session is up to 10 minutes. The recommended number of procedures is 4 times a day.
However, before curing barley on the eye, it is important to understand that warming dry compresses can be done only at the initial stage of the disease. If there is already an abscess, the heat will exacerbate the situation. At this stage, washing with chamomile infusion prepared from 1 tbsp. tablespoons of raw materials and 200 ml of boiling water. This composition is kept in a water bath for 15 minutes, filtered and cooled. Wash your eyes preferably every 2 hours.
Massage with a meibomite
Such manipulation is carried out in the ophthalmology room by a doctor or a qualified nurse. The procedure involves massaging the edge of the eyelid. For this, a special sterile instrument is used. Before you get rid of barley on the eye in this way, the patient under the eyelid is instilled with an anesthetic drug. This procedure helps to cleanse the glands from the pathological alteration secreted by them.