224 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
STY (HORDEOLUM)
A red, swollen lump on the eyelid, usually near
its edge. To treat, apply warm, moist compresses
with a little salt in the water. Use of an antibiotic
eye ointment 3 times a day will help prevent more
sties from occurring (see p. 378).
PTERYGIUM
A fleshy thickening on the eye surface that
slowly grows out from the edge of the white part
of the eye near the nose and onto the cornea;
caused in part by sunlight, wind, and dust. Dark
glasses may help calm irritation and slow the
growth of a pterygium. It should be removed by
surgery before it reaches the pupil. Unfortunately,
after surgery a pterygium often grows back again.
Folk treatments using powdered shells do more
harm than good. To help calm itching and burning
you can try using cold compresses. Or use eye
drops of camomile (boiled, then strained, cooled, and
without sugar).
A SCRAPE, ULCER, OR SCAR ON THE CORNEA
When the very thin, delicate surface of the cornea
has been scraped, or damaged by infection, a painful
corneal ulcer may result. If you look hard in a good
light, you may see a grayish or less shiny patch on the
surface of the cornea.
If not well cared for, a corneal ulcer can cause
blindness. Apply antibiotic eye ointment, 4 times a day
for 7 days (p. 378). If the eye is not better in 2 days, get
medical help.
A corneal scar is a painless, white patch on the
cornea. It may result from a healed corneal ulcer, burn,
or other injury to the eye. If both eyes are blind but
the person still sees light, surgery (corneal transplant)
to one eye may return its sight. But this is expensive.
If one eye is scarred, but sight is good in the other,
avoid surgery. Take care to protect the good eye from
injury.