Q Dear Auntie Pearl, I am a 66-year-old woman and I have something that looks like a puisie in the corner of my eye.
It’s been there for more than a week and it’s so sore and I really don’t want to go to the doctor because of this Covid-19 thing.
I’m diabetic so I’m scared to get sick.
My granddaughter wants me to pop it, but just now it’s something serious.
I’ve been drinking Disprin for the pain.
A Aai hartjie, if your puisie is red, sore, close to the edge of your eyelid and looks like a boil or a puisie then it might be a stye.
Now a stye forms when one of the pores in your skin become clogged with dead skin cells, dirt, or even build-up from your oil glands.
This causes bacteria to form and then you sit with the kind of painful, uncomfortable situation you are dealing with.
Now usually if you keep the eye clean and don’t touch the area it goes away within a week or two, but sometimes it gets really bad and then you need an antibiotic.
Remember, Auntie’s not a doctor, so if it’s as bad as you say then it might be time to put on your mask and gloves, grab the sanitiser and go see a doctor.
You can also try these huisraadjies for some relief hartjie:
Soak a clean lappie or cotton wool in some boiled water and put it on your eye.
Soak a clean lappie or cotton wool in some tea – green tea if you can.
You can also use the actual tea bag for this. Make a cup of tea and once the tea bag has cooled off, you put it on your eye. And drink the tea.
All of these you can keep it on for five to 10 minutes a time, a few times a day.
Don’t wear any eye makeup! It will make things worse.
You can also grate a potato, and wrap it in a clean, thin cloth.
Put this poultice on your eye for 10 to 15 minutes, two to three times a day.
You can ask your granddaughter to get some aloe vera gel from the chemist.
It’s a cool gel made from aloe plants that you can put on the eyelid and leave there.