What are the best treatments for a stye? Well a stye, also known as a hordeolum, is a common eye condition that occurs when one of the oil glands in your eyelid becomes infected. This can result in a painful, red bump near the edge of your eyelid. Styes can develop on the inside or outside of the eyelid. We have some home remedies as well as specific in-office treatments. Don’t wait too long before consulting your local eye doctor about treatments to make you feel better faster!
Home Remedies For Styes:
- Keep it clean: Use warm water to gently clean the affected area. You can do this by applying a warm, wet washcloth to your closed eyelid for about 5-10 minutes, several times a day. This helps to keep the area clean and may promote drainage of the stye.
- Avoid squeezing or popping: Do not attempt to squeeze or pop the stye, as this can spread the infection or make it worse.
- Use over-the-counter pain relief: You can take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help reduce pain and discomfort.
- Avoid contact lenses: If you wear contact lenses, it’s best to switch to glasses until the stye has healed. Contact lenses can irritate the eye and make the stye worse.
- Avoid eye makeup: Avoid wearing eye makeup while you have a stye, as it can introduce bacteria and further irritate the affected area.
- Warm compresses: Continue to apply warm compresses several times a day for about 10-15 minutes each time. This can help speed up the healing process by promoting the drainage of the stye. We strongly recommend utilizing an eye mask that can be warmed up. These masks retain the heat for much longer.
- Maintain good eye hygiene: To prevent future styes, make sure you wash your face and eyelids regularly, avoid touching your eyes with dirty hands, and replace old eye makeup.
In-office Treatments For Styes:
When you schedule an appointment in our office for a red, painful eye, we will do a comprehensive exam to make sure no other parts of the eye are involved.
While the home remedies can help resolve mild styes, oftentimes a doctors’ visit can provide more efficient treatments that speed up the process. Each patient is different and our doctors at Park Slope Eye and Optical Boutique will help identify which treatments are appropriate for you.
- Antibiotic/steroid ointment – Sometimes the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic to help reduce the inflammation and limit the infection
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) – IPL is a non-medicated, non-invasive procedure involving a series of short light bursts that work to break up the infection just below the surface of the skin.
- Radiofrequency (RF) – RF is another non-medicated, non-invasive procedure that works by applying the correct amount of heat to the specific location of the stye for the correct amount of time.
- Surgical removal – At last, if all other remedies fail, a licensed practitioner is able to make a small incision and remove the stye.
If the stye doesn’t improve or gets worse despite home treatments, or if you develop other symptoms like changes in vision or severe pain, it’s important to see a Park Slope Eye and Optical Boutique doctor as soon as possible.
