How to treat barley during pregnancy?

Pregnancy-related barley problems can be difficult to handle. Styes, commonly referred to as barley infections, can be uncomfortable and concerning, particularly if you are expecting a child. Your immune system changes during pregnancy, increasing your vulnerability to infections, including barley.

It is essential for your health and the health of your unborn child that you know how to handle barley safely and effectively. Gentle and safe treatment options are required, without the use of medications that may not be advised during pregnancy. It’s critical to understand which treatments are appropriate and how to reduce symptoms without endangering your health.

The best ways to manage barley during pregnancy will be covered in this article, along with helpful tips and safe treatment options to make you feel more at ease and guarantee a smooth pregnancy.

What is it?

What we usually call barley is called in medicine hordeolum. This is a purulent inflammatory process that is limited to a small area of ​​the eyelid. The main cause of inflammation is infection of the hair follicle of the eyelash or sebaceous gland. Hordeolum is a common problem, especially among pregnant women. Up to 75% of expectant mothers in the early or late stages are faced with a painful formation on the eye. Inflammation is always bacterial in nature, which means that the bulb of the eyelash or the lumen of the sebaceous gland is affected by pathogenic bacteria. It is foolish to consider hordeolum as a problem of purely cosmetic nature, temporarily spoiling the appearance of the expectant mother. This is a real disease, which, if not treated correctly, can result in quite serious complications: purulent-septic formation of a chronic pustular process in the eyelid area. Almost always, inflammation is caused by Staphylococcus aureus, only in isolated cases is the culprit of the inflammatory process a very small mite demodex, which lives on the eyelashes of any completely healthy person. The likelihood that a pregnant woman will develop barley increases if the woman neglects sanitation and hygiene: wipes face with not very clean towel, rubs eyes with dirty hands, uses low-quality mascara, eyeliner. Women with oily skin, anemia, and diabetes are more susceptible to the disease. Expectant mothers who strain their eyes during work are more likely to suffer from the development of hordeolum, as are women who are often in polluted air. Sometimes the cause of the disease is improper wearing and use of contact lenses.

Barley can be single or multiple, internal or external, if more than one pustule has developed concurrently.

Signs and symptoms

Barley usually appears on the eye quickly, in a short time. The eyelid begins to itch, turns red, swells slightly, and a feeling of pain appears almost immediately both when blinking and at rest. With severe inflammation, a woman sometimes cannot open her eye, since the eyelid increases several times and the organ of vision "swims". At the same time, a pregnant woman may experience headaches, fever, general malaise, enlarged lymph nodes in the ear and under the jaw. After two days, a purulent head appears on top of the stye, called a pustule, and from that moment the pain sensations decrease. From the moment of the appearance of unpleasant symptoms to the spontaneous opening of the pustule with the release of pus usually takes up to a week.

Pregnancy-related barley (a stye) treatment calls for extra caution to protect the mother and unborn child. Pregnancy should not be the reason to self-medicate with over-the-counter ointments or antibiotics, as some of them may be harmful. Rather, as a first step, warm compresses and good eye hygiene are usually advised. See a doctor if the illness gets worse or doesn’t get better. They can prescribe pregnancy-safe medications, like antibiotic eye drops, if needed. To prevent issues, always give expert advice top priority.

What is dangerous?

Attempts to treat stye with folk remedies, as well as the desire not to treat it at all, can play a cruel joke on a woman. Warming up the stye with boiled eggs and using other "grandmother"s" methods can lead to an aggravation of the purulent process. Independent squeezing out the contents of the pustule is dangerous due to infection with subsequent rapid penetration of the infection into the deep veins of the eye socket and face. This can cause more serious surgical pathologies: abscess, phlegmon, blood clots in the orbital eyelids. In severe cases, the spread of inflammation to the meninges is possible – meningitis occurs. The most dangerous complication of improper treatment of barley can be sepsis with a fatal outcome. If you do not treat the hordeolum, then a chalazion may develop, which will require surgical intervention.

Treatment

First of all, you should understand that any self-medication during pregnancy can be much more dangerous than the disease itself. Therefore, the question of how to treat a hordeolum in pregnant women should begin with a list of what you absolutely must not do. You should not heat or apply warming compresses to the affected eyelid. This will increase the amount of pus and can lead (especially with internal barley) to the outpouring of pus into the eye, into the lacrimal canal, etc. . You should not try to pierce or remove the pustule yourself. You should also not immediately start drinking all kinds of herbal decoctions and infusions – this is completely useless and dangerous during pregnancy. There is no need to talk about such a method as spitting in the eye: saliva, no matter who it belongs to, in no way prevents the reproduction of Staphylococcus aureus or microscopic Demodex. Thus, having felt the signs of the beginning of a hordeolum, it is necessary to treat the affected area with an antiseptic. Since staphylococcus is most afraid of brilliant green, it is worth choosing it. With a cotton swab, carefully lubricate the site of inflammation and continue to carry out such treatments up to 2-3 times a day. Sometimes this is enough for the process to be interrupted, itching and pain to subside, but in most cases a purulent pustule still forms after a few days.

It is essential to see a doctor if the hordeolum is severe and accompanied by a noticeable rise in temperature. It is advised to use an eye ointment with a strong antimicrobial effect or to instill drops containing an antibiotic in this situation. Usually, tetracycline ointment or chloramphenicol are prescribed; however, the doctor has the final say because he can base his decision on the gestational age. You need not worry that the child will suffer from the antibiotic. Antibiotics do not, in fact, have the best effects on fetuses, and many of them can cause teratogenicity. only when applied systemically.

You won’t inject antibacterial agents or take pills to treat barley; additionally, the local application of the active ingredient will be minimal, preventing it from passing through the placental barrier.

Sometimes ophthalmologists consider it necessary to appoint a UHF for a woman, a tubus-quarz, and in this case, do not refuse the procedures. In the process of treatment It is not recommended to apply wet and wet compresses, napkins to the place of inflammation, this can lead to the formation of new purulent abscesses in the neighboring sections of the century. After the pustule is opened itself, and the pus will leave it, the treatment should be continued, for this one is often recommended drops of “Tsiprofloxacin” for at least three more days. If the stye does not open within a week and continues to hurt, you should contact an ophthalmologist again. In this case, it is opened manually in the doctor"s office. After this, the woman will carry out daily treatment of the eyelid. To prevent the re-formation of the hordeolum and the chronicity of the process, the woman is recommended vitamin therapy, a complete diet rich in vitamins and proteins. Pregnant women with a severe course of the disease may need to use antibiotics in injections or tablets. In this case, the doctor weighs the risks and dangers of both the treatment itself and its absence for the fetus. If treatment is necessary, it is usually carried out with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

You are not allowed to wash or massage your sore eye while receiving treatment.

Although barley can be uncomfortable during pregnancy, you and your unborn child won’t be harmed if you take careful care of it. Warm compresses are a common home remedy, but it’s best to speak with your doctor before beginning any new treatment regimen.

It might be necessary to seek medical attention if the infection worsens or continues. Your physician is able to suggest safe drugs that won’t affect your pregnancy. Steer clear of self-medication to protect your infant’s health and wellbeing.

Barley can be treated safely and effectively if you follow your doctor’s instructions and practice good hygiene. Always put your health first, and when in doubt, seek expert advice.

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