Recurring Eye Stye & Menstrual Cycle?

[Cappi1976]

For the past few months (maybe 4-5), I have been getting at least one stye a month after only getting them 1-2 previously in my life. Last month, I suspected it was related to my menstrual cycle and sure enough my period just ended and the stye arrived.  Could these two actually be related?  The stye appears in different places on the eye (most often on the bottom lids) and in both eyes.  Last month, it was the inner corner of the left eye, previous to that it was the top inner corner of the right eye (that one was so bad - I went to the dr...he sd warm compress, etc), this month it is in the outer corner of the left eye.  I am not sure if I should see an eye dr or a gen dr or a naturapathic dr.  Help???

PS I have read that thyriod issues sometimes exacerbate eye styes.  I do have a nodule on my thyriod that has been benign for yrs, but intend on getting checked out ASAP.

Thanks.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Stye or hordeolum as it is medically called could be recurrent due to diabetes, recurrent touching of eye, poor hygiene, immunoglobulin M (IgM) deficiency, dry eyes, refractive errors of the eye like near sightedness or farsightedness and chronic infection of eyelids. Warm compress, topical antibiotics and good person hygiene usually does the trick.
In all probability the hormonal change during the cycle could be increasing the susceptibility to stye. Get blood sugar tested.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your doctor (eye specialist or PCP). Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[donjoe341]

I know this may sound crazy but it could also be an imbalance in blood sugar. Prior to your cycle is usually when women have a difficult time balancing there blood sugar, whether they are diabetic, pre-diabetic, hypoglycemia or insulin resistant. Styes can be a symptom from a blood sugar imbalance. I got this information from the American Diabetes foundation.
Several kinds of bacterial infections occur in people with diabetes:

Styes (infections of the glands of the eyelid)
Boils
Folliculitis (infections of the hair follicles)
Carbuncles (deep infections of the skin and the tissue underneath)
Infections around the nails
You don't have to have diabetes but, you could have a blood sugar imbalance. It is common to get many different kinds of infections when your blood sugar is not with in normal range.
If I were you I would see an Endocrinologist to have blood sugar and thyroid blood levels checked.