The Best Method For Getting Rid Of A Stye

A stye, usually seen near or around the eye, is brought on by your eyelid's oil glands that get clogged up and infected, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Similar to the looks of a standard zit, it can appear like a red bump and feel tender to the touch. However, unlike your typical pimple, it can crust your eyelid, swell up, and lead to some tearing of the eye, among other things.

While a stye isn't deemed contagious most of the time, you should wash your hands consistently to prevent bacteria from spreading. With that said, people may want to treat it as soon as possible to avoid further discomfort seeing as it can stick around for up to two weeks. But before heading to the doctor's office, you may want to try getting rid of it from the comfort of your home. Here's how to go about it in a quick and pain-free manner.

In order to get rid of a stye, the best method involves a warm compress (via WebMD). In other words, this can be a towel soaked in warm water that was heated up in the microwave or an ice bag filled with warm tap water. However, before starting, wash your hands and make sure the infected eye is free of any dirt and crust. Once you've decided on your choice of compress, place it gently on the eye with the stye. Then hold it in place for a minimum of 10 minutes. After some time has passed, you'll want to carefully rub the bump in a circular motion. This will help the oil gland flatten out and may aid with some aching.

While a warm compress is deemed the best solution, the method is recommended to be done about two to four times a day for a number of days. Without any consistency, a stye can continue to cause pain and inflammation. However, if a warm compress is frequently being done and a stye continues to bring on several of its side effects, it may be time to see a professional.

Although a warm compress can help with a stye, certain signs may indicate it is time to seek help from your doctor to avoid further complications. Therefore, if a warm compress isn't helping and it's been more than two days, be sure to make an appointment with a professional, especially if the inflammation has spread to the area outside of your eye, as per WebMD.  

That being said, your doctor may provide you with an antibiotic lotion to apply directly on the affected eye for about 10 days or less (via Healthline). Now, if the prescribed ointment doesn't help and starts impacting your vision, they may need to extract the pus from the bump. However, you may need to find an ophthalmologist to take care of this. But whatever you do, don't attempt to squeeze the stye on your own, as this can cause the infection to spread.