How to Get Rid of a Stye
If you’ve ever had a stye you know how painful and frustrating they can be. For the most part, styes will heal with time, however, they can be quite irritating until they disappear. There are a few things you can do to help get through that time period and prevent them from happening again. Read on for tips and home remedies you can try when a stye suddenly pops up.
Warm, Moist Compress
For 10 or 15 minutes at a time, around three to four times a day, apply a warm compress to your eye. Some people use a warm teabag, but you can simply use a washcloth dipped in warm water. Be sure to use warm and not piping hot water as it can cause burns to the eye.
Be sure to use the warm compresses a few times each day. This will help the stye to open up and release the gunk that has built up. However, you may get the urge to squeeze the area if you notice a white head appearing. Do not do this as it can cause damage to your eyelid or spread infection, making the situation worse.
Keep the Area as Clean as Possible
When it comes to helping a stye heal, you should keep your eyelid area as clean as possible. It is recommended that you do not wear any eye makeup throughout the duration of the stye. Take a gentle shampoo, such as baby shampoo, and cleanse your eye, then rinse with warm water. Be sure to avoid getting the soap in your eye while cleansing.
You can also purchase premoistened eyelid cleanser pads at your local pharmacy or beauty store. This can help you to clean the eyelid area on a daily basis and ensure that the area is free from extra dirt or grime that would aggravate your condition.
Put Off Wearing Contacts
If you wear corrective lenses, be sure to wear your eyeglasses instead of the contacts while dealing with the stye. Removing and putting in your contacts every day can irritate the condition and make it worse. Be sure to stick with your eyeglasses for the duration of healing time so you can prevent further aggravation.
See the Eye Doctor for Stye
You can also make an appointment with your eye doctor if the pain is severe or you just want some assistance in taking care of this problem. They may prescribe a medicine to help the stye heal a little faster or they can give you other advice that may help it to reduce and go away.
If your stye has not reduced within a week, you should seek medical attention. It could become a much bigger problem and your optometrist can assist you in getting it cleared up before it causes damage. If you want to learn more about tips and remedies for common eye problems, such as pink eye or allergy eyes, check out our solutions.
