A stye is a painful, red bump on your eyelid that can hurt when you touch it and make blinking uncomfortable. While this frustrating condition can be quite bothersome, there are several effective methods you can try at home to speed up healing.
While you can’t completely eliminate a stye overnight, consistent warm compress treatment combined with proper eyelid hygiene can significantly reduce symptoms and accelerate healing within 24–48 hours. If your symptoms don’t improve, we can help you prevent complications and support proper healing.
What Is a Stye and Why Does It Happen?
To put it simply, a stye is a bacterial infection that affects the small oil glands in your eyelid. These glands normally produce oils that help keep your tears healthy. When bacteria block these glands, you can develop a painful, red bump.
A stye can be external or internal. External styes appear on the outside edge of your eyelid and can resemble a pimple. Internal styes develop deeper inside your eyelid and often result in more significant swelling. External styes typically heal faster because they can drain more easily than internal ones.
You’ll typically notice several symptoms when a stye develops:
- Red, painful bump on eyelid edge
- Swelling around affected area
- Tenderness when touching
- Possible discharge or pus
Styes develop when bacteria enter your eyelid glands. How can this happen? It could be as simple as transferring bacteria by touching your eyes with unwashed hands or using contaminated makeup products. Old mascara, eyeliner, or eye shadow can harbour bacteria that easily spread to your sensitive eyelid area.
This is why avoiding rubbing your eyes is so important for maintaining good eye health!
Home Remedies for Stye Relief
You’ll need to typically let a stye run its course. Instead, focus on soothing irritation and keeping your eyes clean with these methods:
Warm Compress
Apply a warm, damp washcloth to your closed eyelid for 10–15 minutes, 4 to 6 times daily. The heat helps soften any hardened oils blocking your gland and encourages natural drainage. Make sure the cloth is clean and comfortably warm, not hot enough to burn your delicate eyelid skin.
Reheat the compress when it cools down during treatment. You can also use a clean, warm tea bag as an alternative compress method.
Gentle Massage
After applying your warm compress, use clean fingers to apply very light pressure around the stye area. A gentle massage can help encourage drainage without forcing the infection deeper.
Don’t force it! Move your finger in small, circular motions for about 30 seconds.
Proper Eyelid Cleaning
Mix a few drops of baby shampoo with warm water to create a gentle cleaning solution. Use a clean cotton swab or soft cloth to carefully clean around your eyelid, removing any debris or discharge. This helps prevent additional bacterial buildup while your stye heals.
Rinse your eyelid thoroughly with clean water after cleaning. Pat the area dry with a fresh, soft towel rather than rubbing.
What NOT to Do When Treating Your Stye
Now you know what to do, but there is plenty of misinformation and poor advice that could worsen your stye. Here are some things to avoid:
Never Pop or Squeeze the Stye
A stye may look like a pimple, but resist the urge to squeeze it like one. Forcing it to drain can push bacteria deeper into your eyelid tissues, potentially spreading the infection. This can lead to more serious complications that require professional treatment.
Avoid Makeup and Contact Lenses
Skip eye makeup until your stye completely heals. Mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow can introduce new bacteria or prevent proper drainage. Contact lenses can also irritate your already inflamed eyelid and slow healing.
Throw away any eye makeup you used just before or during your stye development, as it may contain bacteria. This is similar to the safety precautions recommended for contact lens hygiene to prevent eye infections.
Skip These Popular But Ineffective Methods
Avoid using random tea bags or applying antibiotic ointments without professional guidance. While some people swear by these methods, they can sometimes introduce additional irritants.
When to See a Professional
Hopefully, you can say goodbye to your stye in a day or so, but some infections require professional treatment beyond home remedies. You should contact your optometrist if you experience any of these symptoms:
- Stye persists after several days of home treatment
- Vision becomes blurred or affected
- Fever develops
- Pain when moving your eye
- Stye returns in same location
- Bleeding from the stye
An optometrist can prescribe antibiotic ointments or oral medications to fight stubborn infections. In severe cases, we might need to drain the stye using sterile techniques. Professional treatment often resolves persistent styes much faster than continued home treatment alone.
How to Avoid Future Styes
Styes can be frustrating, that’s for sure, but with a few good habits, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing one.
Daily Eyelid Hygiene Habits
Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your eyes or face. Remove all eye makeup before bed using gentle, oil-free makeup removers. Clean your eyelids regularly as part of your daily routine, especially if you’re prone to styes.
Makeup and Contact Lens Safety
Replace your mascara every 3 months and other eye makeup every 6 months. Never share eye makeup with others, and avoid trying makeup testers at stores. Clean your contact lenses properly and replace them according to their wear schedule.
Schedule Regular Eye Exams
Regular comprehensive eye exams can help identify conditions that make you more susceptible to styes. Our eye care team can provide personalized advice for preventing future occurrences based on your individual risk factors and eye health history.
Put a Stop to Styes
When it comes to styes, you may not be able to simply sleep them off. But, when you look after your eye hygiene, you can get pretty close!
If you experience recurring styes or want professional guidance on proper eye care, our experienced team at Stoney Creek Optometry can help you maintain healthy eyes and prevent future complications. Contact us today to schedule your eye exam and say goodbye to the stye.
