Key takeaways
- Styes develop when certain substances build up and bacteria start to grow in the tiny oil glands around the eyelashes or in the eyelash follicle.
- Home remedies like applying a warm compress to the stye and cleansing the area with mild soap and water might help the stye heal more quickly. Never try to pop a stye.
- Most styes resolve in 7 to 10 days, but if it worsens or lasts longer than 2 weeks, it’s time to talk with a doctor.
Your eyelids have lots of tiny oil glands, especially around the eyelashes. Dead skin, dirt, or oil buildup can clog these small holes or the hair follicles. When this happens, the bacteria already present in your skin may multiply.
A warm compress is one of the most effective ways to treat a stye. The warmth helps bring the pus to the surface, dissolving it so the stye can drain naturally.
Wet a clean washcloth with warm water, making sure the water isn’t too hot. Wring the cloth, so it’s damp but not dripping. Then gently place it over your eye for about 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t squeeze or try to puncture the stye.
To keep the washcloth warm, reheat it every 30 seconds by dipping it in warm water and wringing it. Repeat the compress about four times daily for optimal results.
“Styes usually go away on their own within 7 to 10 days,” Dr. Michele Green, a New York-based cosmetic dermatologist, told Healthline.
Instead of using a warm cloth compress, you can also use a warm tea bag. Some teas, like green tea, may have antibacterial properties that could promote healing.
Add boiling water to a mug, then place a tea bag in the water. Let the tea steep for about one minute. Wait until the tea bag cools enough to place over your eye, then keep it on your eye for 5 to 10 minutes. Warm it up every 30 seconds by placing it in warm water and wringing it. Use a separate tea bag for each eye.
“You can use tea as a compress twice daily to reduce swelling and discomfort associated with a stye,” Green said.
However, the wetness might irritate the skin for some people, so you can also make a dry compress by placing a bit of uncooked rice in a sock and microwaving it for 20 seconds. Make sure to lightly press on the bump to help it drain.
You can do this three to four times each day.
Green advises avoiding harsh, synthetic chemicals when cleaning the eye area. Instead, ingredients should be hypoallergenic and nonirritating, she said.
“The skin around the eyes is much thinner than the rest of your face. Therefore, you need to be careful with products you apply to your eye area,” Green said.
Common, gentle eyelid scrubs like OCuSOFT can help cleanse the eyelids.
You can also choose a tear-free baby shampoo and mix it with warm water. Use a cotton swab or clean washcloth to gently wipe off your eyelids. You can do this every day until the stye is gone.
Cleaning your eyelids also helps prevent future styes.
If your stye is painful, try an over-the-counter (OTC) medication, like ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), to get relief. Follow the instructions on the package to make sure you’re taking the correct dose.
Avoid wearing makeup if you have a stye. Makeup can further irritate the eye and delay the healing process.
You can also transfer additional bacteria to your makeup and tools, which may lead to a secondary infection. Wash your reusable brushes regularly.
Throw out any eye products, such as mascara and eyeliner, that are over three months old. Also, throw out any products you’ve used while having a stye, as they may contain bacteria.
If you wear contact lenses, stick with glasses until your stye heals. Bacteria from the stye can get onto the contacts and spread the infection.
Change to a new set of contact lenses when the stye heals to prevent reinfection.
Keep this in mind
You should never try to pop a stye. Doing so could spread the infection and cause potentially serious eye complications.
Talk with a doctor if your stye does not resolve with home remedies, lasts longer than 2 weeks, or causes pain and interferes with your day-to-day activities. Also, visit a doctor if you have recurring styes, which may be a sign of an underlying condition like conjunctivitis, blepharitis, or cellulitis.
Other symptoms to talk with a doctor about include growing discoloration and swelling on the skin around the stye or inflammation and crusting in the eye area without a visible bump.
Contact a doctor immediately if you notice changes to your vision that don’t go away after you blink, or if your eye becomes sensitive to light.
If symptoms do not improve, you may need to see an ophthalmologist for more specialized treatment. They may need to drain it, especially if it’s affecting your vision.
The bacteria Staphylococcus aureus or Staphylococcus epidermidis cause almost all styes. Some doctors prescribe antibiotic ointments, such as erythromycin, to use for
To avoid getting a stye, wash your hands with soap and water before touching your eyes. Remove eye makeup before you go to bed. You can also clean your eyelids with an ear swab dipped in warm water and mild soap or shampoo.
Using warm compresses regularly can also help prevent another stye from forming.
Unless you’re cleaning or applying warm compresses to the stye, avoid touching it to reduce irritation and the spread of bacteria. If you must touch the stye, make sure you’re doing so with clean hands, and wash your hands afterward.
Frequently washing pillowcases and other fabrics that often come into contact with your face is another step you can take to prevent styes.
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to get rid of a stye overnight. They typically take a week or more to fully heal.
Applying a warm compress is the most effective way to speed up the healing process and soothe your eye.
Bacteria cause styes, so don’t pop, squeeze, or touch a stye. It might seem tempting, but squeezing will release pus or oil into the eyelid itself and may lead to a widespread infection or serious eye complications.
Talk with a doctor if home remedies aren’t effective.
Styes aren’t directly contagious. You can’t get a stye by coming in contact with a person who has one. It’s a condition involving local inflammation and irritation that can’t be spread to others through casual contact.
However, if you pick at the stye, you could spread the bacteria elsewhere. You could also introduce additional bacteria to the area, which can cause a secondary infection.
Styes typically resolve on their own in 7 to 10 days, but the home remedies in this article may help speed up the process a little and help you feel more comfortable. If your symptoms don’t improve, worsen, or persist longer than 2 weeks, contact a doctor.