Styes are pimple-like red bumps commonly caused by dead skin, dirt, or oil buildup clogging sebaceous glands outside or inside the edge of your eyelids. Styes are painful but usually go away on their own after about seven to ten days. They are not severe, however, our eye doctors at Valley Eyecare Center recommend the following four remedies to help subdue styes and avoid any scarring related to this condition.
Remedies for Styes:
- Heat Compress: Use a warm washcloth and place it on top of your eyelid—for at least 10 minutes each time. Keep rinsing the washcloth with hot water for continuous relief. Then gently massage the eyelid. Make sure to do this a few times a day for optimal results.
- Time: It is often said that time is the best remedy, and while it does not apply to every condition, it does apply to treating styes. Leaving the stye alone without trying to pop it or squeeze it can be the best way to go about the situation. By squeezing, you run the risk of spreading the infection.
- Teabag Compress: Instead of simply using a heat compress, you can expedite the process of healing by using green teabags. Green tea is a great addition to the hot water compress as it reduces swelling and has antibacterial properties. Place the teabag compress over your stye for over 10 minutes a few times every day, until the stye is treated.
- No Makeup: Keeping makeup away from your stye is very important to avoid further irritation and delay the recovery process. Our eye doctors at Valley Eyecare Center also recommend that you throw away any old makeup as it can be a breeding ground for bacteria and lead to future styes and other eye conditions.
For more information about styes or to schedule an appointment with one of our eye doctors, visit our website.
Black tea also works well. When I have stye’s or something else is irritating my eyes, I’ll use a very warm black tea bag. Basically I make myself a cup of black tea complete with milk and or sugar. But before I complete my cup, I pour a small amount of the black tea into another along with the tea bag itself. I don’t squeeze the bag out completely. I leave it to be slightly soggy. I put a small towel under my head and lie down and put the bag directly over the infected area allowing some of the tea liquid to be in direct contact with my eyeball. It stings slightly…and at first your eye might seem red but it goes away clearing any debris with it. As you lie there, turn your head so the liquid rolls out of your eye. For the stye itself if you can just use the warm tea bag placed over the infected area. One last addition…mix a very small amount of warm black tea with a tiny amount of regular honey. Take a clean napkin or paper towel and roll into into a small tube shape with a tapered or softly pointed end. Dip that into the liquid, put head back and use like an eyedropper into your eye. The honey acts as an antibacterial and anti inflammatory agent and the black tea has anti inflammatory properties. I do NOT suggest putting honey around or in the eye alone. The overall concoction is small but very soothing.