How to treat or get rid of a stye
An over-the-counter ointment designed for treating the eye area can help provide relief from a stye and promote faster healing. Using a clean finger or a cotton swab, apply a small amount of ointment on the eyelid of the affected eye.
10 home remedies for styes
When bacteria causes a stye — a painful, pimple-like bump — to form on your eyelid, it can be hard to ignore. While styes typically heal on their own, they can be treated at home to help speed up the healing process and prevent further infection.
To minimize how long your stye lasts, here are 10 stye home remedies you can try:
Stop wearing contact lenses
One of the first key steps in stye treatment is removing possible irritants in the eye area. Contact lenses and contact solutions can cause further irritation or dryness in the eyes, increasing discomfort and postponing the healing time.
Wear eyeglasses instead of contacts until the stye has healed to give the area room to breathe and avoid spreading bacteria. Once the stye has cleared, be sure to wear a fresh pair of contact lenses to avoid reinfection.
Clean the area (and keep it clean)
The area around the stye needs to be kept clean in order to heal properly. It is important to clean the area with products that are safe and mild enough to use in the eye area, such as:
- Mild, hypoallergenic soap
- Tear-free baby wash or shampoo
- Saline solution
Gently scrub the area around the stye with a clean finger, a clean washcloth or a fresh cotton swab as needed.
Pause your makeup routine
Avoiding cosmetics around the site of a stye can help avoid further irritation and prevent the spread of bacteria from makeup brushes and tools. Once the stye has healed, use clean or new brushes and products to resume your makeup routine.
With or without a stye, eyes are sensitive and should be cared for appropriately. To use makeup safely around your eyes, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends the following:
- Do not share your mascara, eyeliner or makeup brushes.
- Wash your hands before applying makeup.
- Wash or replace brushes and other tools regularly.
- Throw out makeup that is defective or expired.
Use a warm compress
A warm compress can help relieve pain and irritation caused by a stye, as well as encourage a stye to drain on its own.
To use, dampen a clean washcloth with warm water and place it over the affected area for up to 10 minutes. The warmth will help bring the pus to the surface of the stye and dissolve oil inside the stye.
Note: Only use warm water, as water that is too hot can damage the skin and cause discomfort. Use a clean washcloth each time and never try to pop a stye.
Try warm tea bags
Like a warm compress, a warm tea bag can help reduce swelling around the affected area of the stye.
To use, steep a bag of tea in boiling water for a few minutes and then remove. Let the tea bag cool until it is comfortable against your skin, then place over the affected area for up to 10 minutes.
Use this technique on one or both eyes, but be sure to use a separate tea bag for each. It has been suggested that black tea is one of the most effective varieties of tea to use because of its antibacterial properties. However, there is no medical evidence that a tea bag is more effective than a clean washcloth.
Avoid popping, squeezing or picking at a stye
Squeezing, picking at or popping a stye can lead to further irritation and infection, which prolongs the healing process. If a stye is overwhelmingly irritating or interfering with your vision, it may be a good idea to see a doctor for professional treatment.
Apply light pressure
While it’s important not to pop or squeeze a stye, but applying light pressure around the area can help encourage the stye to drain on its own. Using clean hands, gently massage the area around the stye. If you feel any discomfort, stop immediately.
If there’s any drainage from the stye, use a clean washcloth to gently clean the area with mild soap and water.
Apply ointment
An over-the-counter ointment designed for treating the eye area can help provide relief from a stye and promote faster healing. Using a clean finger or a cotton swab, apply a small amount of ointment on the eyelid of the affected eye.
When choosing an ointment, be sure to choose one that is safe for eyes and avoid any products with steroids or whitening agents. Can eye drops be used to treat a stye? Dryness or irritation that occurs after a stye has healed may be relieved with eye drops, but a topical ointment is more suitable for relieving discomfort caused by the stye itself.
Use an over-the-counter pain reliever
In addition to over-the-counter ointments, an OTC pain reliever can help improve the inflammation and irritation caused by a stye. Ibuprofen will reduce both inflammation and pain because it is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug. Either acetaminophen or ibuprofen may provide relief, especially when used in conjunction with the home remedies for styes above.
Seek medical treatment
If various stye remedies have not provided relief or if the condition worsens, schedule an appointment with an eye doctor. Styes can become infected and may require prescription-strength medication, including a steroid shot. If the condition is serious enough, your doctor may need to drain the stye.
How to treat or get rid of a stye
Home remedies for treating a stye include applying warm compresses, keeping the area clean, and taking over-the-counter medication. In other cases, a doctor may prescribe drugs or recommend surgery.
A stye, also known as a hordeolum, is a painful, inflamed bump that develops on an eyelid or at the base of the eyelashes. It occurs due to a blockage of an oil gland of the eyelid. Bacteria then grows in the blockage, causing an infection. A stye can cause pain, redness, and swelling and may have the appearance of an acne pimple.
A stye will usually resolve on its own within a couple weeks. However, treatments are available to help speed up the process. Typically, this will involve using a warm compress to help the stye heal faster. In more severe cases, a person may require medical treatment.
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The following home remedies may help ease the pain of a stye:
1. Warm compresses
To help speed up the healing process of a stye and reduce symptoms, a person can use a warm compress. Putting a warm, but not hot or scalding, compress on the eye and massaging the area can prompt the stye to open and drain.
To create a warm compress, a person can moisten a clean washcloth with warm water and gently place it over their eye. A person can apply the warm compress for 5 to 10 minutes, and repeat this process 3 to 6 times a day. However, it is important to change the washcloth frequently, especially once the stye begins to drain.
2. Eye hygiene
It is important to pay attention to good hygiene and keep the eye area clean. Styes are contagious, which means that it is possible to spread the bacteria to other people and to other parts of the eye. Bacteria that get into the stye can worsen the infection and slow healing.
Following these tips can help prevent the infection from getting worse:
- Avoid sharing any eye care products, including eye drops and eye makeup.
- Do not try to pop or squeeze the stye.
- Avoid rubbing or touching the eyes, unless to apply medication or compresses.
- Wash the hands with soap and water before and after touching the eye to apply medication or compresses.
- Gently rinse the eye if dirt or dust gets under the eyelid.
- Avoid wearing contact lenses until the stye heals.
3. Pain medication
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication may also ease the pain of a stye.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can reduce inflammation and might therefore help with burning and swelling.
4. OTC stye remedies
Many drugstores sell ointments, solutions, or medicated pads that may help relieve the pain of styes. These remedies will not heal the stye, but they may help ease the pain. Ensure that a person only applies these remedies with clean hands.
Very large styes and those that do not go away on their own may need medical treatment. A doctor may recommend one of the following options:
5. Antibiotics
An eye doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to further treat and prevent recurrences. Antibiotics can kill the bacteria that cause a stye to grow. This prevents the stye from spreading and eases the pain.
It is important to use the right antibiotic for the specific bacterium infecting the eye. As such, a person should not reuse old antibiotics. In most cases, a doctor will recommend antibiotics in the form of eye drops or eye cream.
In rare cases, a stye can cause a systemic infection that spreads to other areas of the body. People with weak immune systems are more vulnerable to such infections. When this type of infection occurs, a person may need oral or intravenous antibiotics.
6. Steroids
Steroids can help the body heal itself more quickly. A doctor may inject a steroid into the stye to promote healing and reduce pain.
Steroids in the form of topical creams and eye drops may also help, but a person should talk to a doctor before trying these remedies.
7. Surgery
When a stye does not go away or turns into a chalazion, a doctor may recommend surgery. A chalazion is similar in appearance to a stye and often develops from a stye. However, a stye usually occurs due to an infection in an eyelash root, while a chalazion typically develops farther back on the eyelid due to a clogged oil gland.
A simple procedure, which a person usually undergoes under local anesthetic, can drain the stye. Draining it may also prevent the stye from coming back.
An external stye develops when one of the hair follicles of the eyelashes becomes infected. Internal styes affect the underside of the eyelid.
The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus causes most styes , though other bacteria, including other types of staph — such as Staphylococcus epidermis — can also cause styes.
Anyone can get a stye, because most people carry the type of staph that causes the infection.
Anything that causes these bacteria to spread to the eyes can increase the risk of developing a stye. Some potential risk factors include:
- having a weak immune system due to diabetes or another medical condition
- having blepharitis, a condition that causes skin irritation on the eyelid
- having a previous history of styes
- having high serum lipids
- having a skin condition such as rosacea
- sharing eye makeup with someone who has a stye
- using makeup or eye care products that irritate the eyes or block the hair follicles of the eyelids
Read on to learn more about eyelid bumps.
A stye is a painful bump or lump near the eye. However, it may take several days for the bump to grow large enough to be visible. Some people notice pain, burning, or irritation in the eye area before the bump appears.
Some other symptoms of a stye include:
- a red bump or lump that may resemble a pimple at either the base of the eyelashes or under the eyelid
- a sensation that something is in the eye
- sensitivity to light
- difficulty fully opening the eye, especially if it is very swollen
- oozing or irritation
A similar condition called a chalazion appears when the oil glands of the eyelid become clogged. Some chalazia are painless. These bumps can grow very large, and they sometimes appear after a stye heals.
A person should consult a doctor if:
- a stye does not get better with home treatment
- other signs of an infection, such as a fever, develop
- a baby or very young child has a stye
- a person with a stye has a recent history of eye injuries, such as being poked in the eye
- a person frequently gets styes or often experiences eyelid irritation
- a person with a stye has trouble seeing
- the eyelid swells shut
- there is blood oozing from the eyelid or the stye
Although most styes do not require medical treatment, a doctor can often prescribe antibiotics or pain relief medication to ease the symptoms and quickly clear the infection.
If symptoms interfere with daily life or become very painful, it is advisable to contact a doctor.
Some FAQs about styes may include:
Can you pop a stye?
No, it is not advisable for a person to pop a stye. Doing so can release bacteria and spread the infection to other parts of the eye. Instead, a person should try to manage the stye through warm compresses, pain medication, and OTC treatments. If the stye is large or does not improve, a doctor may prescribe medication or recommend surgery.
How do you know if stye is healing?
A stye will usually heal on its own within a few weeks. A person can monitor their healing progress by noting changes to the stye. For example, reduced swelling, reduced pain, and drainage of pus indicate that the stye is healing.
What happens if a stye is left untreated?
Without treatment, a stye can lead to possible complications. These can include the stye developing into a chalazion, the infection from the stye spreading to the entire eyelid surface, and cosmetic problems. Additionally, if a person does not maintain sufficient eyelid hygiene, it is likely a stye will reoccur.
Styes can be painful, but they are not usually dangerous. Home treatment is usually safe and effective. Typically, this will involve practicing good eye hygiene and using warm compresses.
For larger styes, surgical and antibiotic treatments may be necessary. Sometimes, a more serious condition may appear to be a stye. Therefore, if the symptoms do not improve or seem very severe, do not delay consulting a doctor.
- Eye Health / Blindness
- Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
- Pain / Anesthetics
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