Bintitan and Stress, Is There Really a Relationship? Here's the Explanation

Illustration explaining the relationship between bintitan and stress (Freepik/stockking)

YOGYAKARTA - Blepharitis often appears suddenly and makes the eyelid area feel painful, swollen, and interferes with daily activities. Many people believe that stress is the main cause of blepharitis. However, is the assumption true? Understanding the relationship between blepharitis and stress is important to maintain eye health while preventing the same problem from recurring later.

What is bintitan?

Bintitan or hordeolum is a small lump that appears on the edge of the eyelid due to bacterial infection in the oil glands or eyelash follicles. This lump is usually reddish, painful when touched, and sometimes contains pus. In most cases, citing Healthline, Thursday, June 17, bintitan only appears on one eye and can improve on its own in a few days to about a week.

Does stress cause tinnitus?

Although often associated with stress, experts have not found scientific evidence that stress directly causes blepharitis. The main cause of blepharitis is still bacterial infection, especially Staphylococcus bacteria that enter the eyelid area. However, stress is suspected to increase the risk of infection so that the appearance of blepharitis feels more frequent when a person is depressed or exhausted.

One of the reasons that explains the relationship is the influence of stress on the immune system. When stress lasts for a long time, the body's resistance can decrease so that the body becomes more vulnerable to infection. This condition makes bacteria easier to develop and trigger health problems, including infections on the eyelids that lead to blepharitis.

Illustration explaining the relationship between bintitan and stress (Freepik/18526052)

In addition to affecting the immune system, stress also often affects sleep quality. Lack of sleep is known to reduce the effectiveness of the immune system in fighting various germs that cause disease. Therefore, some people are more prone to getting a cold after going through a busy period, high work pressure, or insufficient rest time.

Stress not only affects physical conditions, but also daily behavior. When feeling tired or stressed, a person may become less attentive to hand hygiene, forget to remove eye makeup before going to bed, or not take good care of contact lenses. These habits can increase the chances of bacteria entering the eye area and causing an infection.

How to help relieve constipation

If a stye appears, a warm compress can be one of the simple steps that help relieve the complaint. Apply a warm compress to the affected eye for about 10 to 15 minutes several times a day. Avoid squeezing or trying to break the stye because these actions can worsen the infection and slow down the healing process.

How to prevent bintitan

Maintaining eye and hand hygiene is an important step to prevent conjunctivitis. Get used to washing your hands before touching the eye area, cleaning your makeup before going to bed, changing your eye cosmetics regularly, and maintaining contact lens hygiene. In addition, managing stress and getting enough sleep can also help keep the immune system optimal.

Blepharitis is not directly caused by stress, but stress can increase various factors that support the occurrence of infections on the eyelids. Therefore, maintaining eye health is not only related to cleanliness, but also to overall physical and mental health. With a healthy lifestyle, adequate rest, and good stress management, the risk of blepharitis can be suppressed while helping to maintain eye health in the long term.