Though styes generally recover within one to two weeks, you can speed up the healing process with the followings:
1. Warm Compress
This is the most effective treatment of an internal stye. The warmth helps in liquefying the hardened material inside a stye. It also draws the pus to the surface in case of an external stye. This helps unclog the gland, drains pus and oil, and heals a stye naturally.
Step 1: Get a clean washcloth and wet it with warm water as per your tolerance.
Step 2: Wring this cloth, ensure it is damp and gently place it over your eye for five to ten minutes.
Repeat this three to four times a day for better results. However, try to avoid squeezing out the water on your stye.
Alternatively, you can do it with a warm tea bag.
Step 1: Add a tea bag to boiled water and let it steep for a minute.
Step 2: Wait till the tea bag cools enough for your eyes and place it over your eyes.
Repeat this twice a day for effective results. You can use black tea as it has antibacterial properties and reduces swelling fast.
2. Clean the Eyelids
While suffering from a stye, washing the eyelid with water and a mild soap is ideal. Ensure that the soap is non-irritating and hypoallergenic, as the skin around the eyes is much thinner than the rest of the face.
Step 1: Mix some mild soap or baby shampoo with lukewarm water.
Step 2: Take a cotton swab or washcloth and put it inside the mixture.
Step 3: Wring off the excess water and gently wipe off the eyelids.
Repeat this process every day till the stye is gone. You can also use the saline solution to break down the bacterial membranes and promote drainage.
3. Massage the Area
Massaging the area promotes drainage and fast recovery from a stye.
Step 1: Massage the affected eye gently with clean hands.
Step 2: Once the stye drains, keep the area dry; Stop in case massaging hurts the area.
4. Medical Treatment
Seek professional help if the condition persists after these home remedies.
- Doctors may prescribe antibiotic ointment for the stye or antibiotic eye drops.
- You may undergo a small incision under local anesthesia to drain the stye.
- Doctors also give steroid injections to get rid of the swollen eyelid.
Apart from these, they also provide oral antibiotics if the area around your eyes is infected or after an incision to drain an internal stye.