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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffStart by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner if your sty is painful or doesn't go away on its own in a week. In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a specialist who treats eye diseases and conditions (ophthalmologist).
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information you feel may be important for your doctor to know.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Take a family member or friend along. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For a sty, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What is the likely cause of my sty?
- When can I expect my sty to go away?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Are there any treatments for my sty?
- What are the benefits and risks of these treatments?
- What can I do to prevent future sties?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Can I continue wearing contact lenses?
- Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
- What will determine whether I should plan for a follow-up visit?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask questions as they come up.
- Mueller JB, et al. Ocular infection and inflammation. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2008;26:57.
- Fort GG, et al. Hordeolum (stye). In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/188483394-5/0/2088/0.html. Accessed March 11, 2010.
- Neff AG, et al. Benign eyelid lesions. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/188483394-9/0/1869/0.html. Accessed March 11, 2010.
- Chalazion/Hordeolum. In: Ehler JP, et al. The Wills Eye Manual: Office and Emergency Room Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease. 5th ed. Baltimore, Md.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&NEWS=N&PAGE=booktext&D=books&AN=01337416/5th_Edition/3&XPATH=/OVIDBOOK%5b1%5d/METADATA%5b1%5d/TBY%5b1%5d/EDITORS%5b1%5d. Accessed March 11, 2010.
- Eyelid lumps. EyeSmart. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/infections/eyelid.cfm. Accessed March 11, 2010.
- Safe use of eye cosmetics. Prevent Blindness America. http://www.preventblindness.org/resources/Non-Customizable/NC_FS15_08-076_Cosmetics.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- What you need to know about contact lens hygiene and compliance. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x8024.xml. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 19, 2010.
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