Hi, our son has had a small lump under his eye lid for just over a month. We took him to his pediatrician and she recommended we see an eye specialist. The doctor said it was a non infectious stye (spelling?) so we were relieved. But b/c he's had it for so long the doctor was not hopeful that the drops would shrink it. Has anyone ever had this happen with a toddler? Our son will not sit still for a warm compress and I am so worried that the drops won't work and he will need surgery. Is this not that big a deal, is it common? Any reassuring advice would be great.
I am so grateful for all the advice and reassurance I have received from all of you GREAT MOMS! We still have another week of drops, so its too soon to really say how it will end up. I just wanted to say thank you for all of your responses.
Good morning S.,
My daughter used to get them all the time when she was 2-4 yrs old. It was tough to get her to sit still for the compresses but they really do work. We always got her to sit for them when we were reading a book to her. Hey if its only 5 minutes that is better than nothing! Keep trying it will all work out!
I am a mother of 2: an 8 yr old daughter and 5 yr old son
J.
My neice starting getting them when she was 9 and she seems to get one at least once or twice a year.
They have tekan her to specialist and they recommended the compress and some drops also.
But from what my sis-law has said it's a dry eye that is causing them. So they gave her the drops for when one starts to come. I know that she has had a few lanced and it was not a big deal.
Maybe you could try a washcloth or buying one of those compress shaped as spongebob. We have one for booboos.
Good Luck
Hi S.,
I first want to commend you for being at home with your children. It is not an easy job but in my opinion THE most important of all. Your concern for your child is heartwarming.
A sty is usually caused by a bacteria; there are external and internal ones. The hot compresses are suggested to get the sty to "point" or "come to a head" as with a pimple so it can be incised, drained and the little one relieved of pain. Early antibiotic ointments can sometimes clear the sty and occasionally they will "absorb themselves'.
Hot compresses basically increase the circulation to the area.
You can make the compresses "fun" by incorportaing them in a play bath, using a clean warm washcloth. You can also " play pirate" and use a patch to hold the compress in place. Making contact or a snuggle time while reading a book and leaning the affected side near your breast can make the little feel 'special' and it can be something to look forward to.
Sty's are common in some children and they often recurr especially if the child is prone to rubbing eyes when tired.
Since you have already seen a pediatrician and a specialist I would give it a bit more time. A month is not very long and it may take two.
Hang in there girl! ALL WILL BE WELL.
JUSTINE
Dear S.,
While I can't speak from personal experience, my mom is a nurse, and she worked in an opthamology office for about two years, I think. Anyway, I believe where she worked this was not an uncommon practice/procedure for adults. However, I don't know about for children. In south-central PA, Dr. Klombers is an EXCELLENT source. He has an office in the Reading area, and also commutes to Campus Eye in Lancaster once a week, I think. However, be warned ~ bring plenty of distraction for the kids, as you usually end up spending awhile in the waiting area before seeing him. That said, he is good at what he does, and he DEFINITELY knows his stuff. Any other questions, feel free to e-mail me.
Hello,
My daughter had a lump on her eye lid for almost 3 months. Her doctor said she seen it before and didnt think it needed more than a warm compress. Of course my daughter didnt like it either. I had taken her to the pool, summer time, and the next morning it started to shrink and the next day I again went to the pool, and 2 days after that, the lump was gone. I had called her doc and she said she never heard of pool water doing that. I have a friend that his daughter had same thing and it went away after being in a chlorinated pool. Good Luck!
I know that when I had a stye as an adult--touching it with a penny produced vanishing results in O. day. My stye was on my lash line. Not sure about doing it on a toddler...that might take some fast talking! Did you ever see those little cloth bags filled with grains that you can microwave & use as a warm compress? They are in cute prints and maybe you could find O. he likes the looks of. That might be less intimidating and less messy than a wet warm compress.
Good luck!
Hi S.,
I had what sounds like the exact same thing in my early twenties. It is a clogged gland under the eyelid called a chilazian (not sure of the spelling). An ophthalmologist was able to clean it out. I wouldn't call it surgery, but he did have to flip my lid and cut. No stitches were required. Hope that helps.
-K.
Try and have him play pirate with an eye patch? My mom told me that worked for me. She put the compress under the eye patch and it helped a lot.
~meg
Wills Eye Center in Philly is the best place on the East Coast. People even in NYC come out there to go
Well, it is not exactly surgery. Although at his age, they would probably give him anesthesia. What they have done when my sister has had this is scrape the inside of the eyelid. There is no way a child that age will sit still for that. Plus doing it while he is awake would probably traumatize him.
As for the warm compresses, the eye specialist for my 6 month old son (he has a blocked tear duct) said to try to put the compresses on after he has fallen asleep. They will still help but he won't fight them that way.
Hope this helps.
