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A stye can cause discomfort and pain right near the eye and seriously interfere with daily life. An eye stye, though, is usually a temporary condition that fades away in a few days. If it doesn’t, healthcare providers have an arsenal of treatments that will clear it up.
What is a stye?
A stye is a swollen red bump like a pimple on the eyelid near the eyelash line or inside the eyelid. It is usually painful and can fill with pus. In most cases, it clears up naturally in three to seven days. Gently applying a warm compress a few times a day is all the medical treatment that’s required.
In some cases, however, a stye may stubbornly persist or there may be more than one. An untreated stye that persists for too long could spread the infection to the surface of the eye or tissues further back in the eye socket. Persistent or multiple styes mean it’s time to see an eye doctor.
Styes are very common. We don’t know the prevalence—largely because most styes go unreported—but styes are commonly encountered by primary and urgent care physicians.
A stye, or hordeolum (HORE-dee-OH-lum), is caused by a bacterial infection that blocks the glands on the eyelid. The outer eyelid has sweat and oil (sebaceous) glands around the eyelashes. The inner eyelid also has sebaceous glands, called the meibomian (may-BOH-mee-an) glands, which secrete oils that coat and lubricate the surface of the eye. The infection may be caused by a blockage of these glands, or they may start in the eyelash hair follicles, but the end result is an infection and a blocked gland: a stye.
Most styes are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that abundantly populates every person’s skin surface. It normally is kept in check, but it has the potential to occasionally erupt into infections of the hair follicles or skin glands.
Sometimes, however, a meibomian gland inside the eyelid gets blocked and the area around it swells without an infection, forming a cyst. This is not a stye, but a chalazion. The two are often easily confused.
Unlike a stye, a chalazion is a chronic condition. Though painless, it can persist for weeks or months, and the swelling can steadily grow worse. As it grows, the swelling puts pressure on the surface of the eye and the cornea. Vision in that eye can start to blur. At that point, an ophthalmologist will intervene with minor surgery or a steroid injection to reduce the swelling.
How is a stye diagnosed?
As a skin infection, anyone can get a stye. Adults older than 30 are more likely than children to get styes because oils in the glands get thicker as we age. Conditions that make patients more vulnerable to skin infections or gland blockage also have a higher risk for styes:
- High levels of fat in the blood
- Scaling dermatitis
- Rosacea
- Diabetes
- Blepharitis, or swelling of the edge of the eyelid due to bacteria or a skin condition.
Patients usually visit a primary care or urgent care healthcare provider first who will make a diagnosis based on a history and a physical examination of the stye. Tests are not required unless there’s evidence of a more serious infection or condition.
The healthcare professional will examine the eyelid and may use light and magnifying glass. If the stye is an internal hordeolum, the physician will lift the eyelid to examine it.
In the examination, the healthcare provider is looking for the classic symptoms of a stye:
- Localized swelling
- Localized redness
- Pain or tenderness in the affected area
If there’s evidence that the stye is more complex or the patient has more serious skin or eye conditions, a healthcare provider will refer the patient to an ophthalmologist, an eye specialist. Typically, however, with the stye diagnosed, the physician will send the patient home with instructions on how to treat it at home.
Stye treatment options
In most cases, a stye clears up without medical treatment within a week.
Medications
Eyelid washes are the medication of choice for treating normal styes but they can be replaced by baby shampoo. For persistent or multiple styes, an eye doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics. Topical antibiotics are no longer commonly used to treat persistent styes except in certain circumstances.
Incision and drainage
In very severe cases of stye, your Ophthalmologists may also cut into the stye to let the oil, pus, and bacteria drain. This will provide immediate relief and speed the healing process.
Home remedies
The most effective treatments for stye are home remedies. When a patient receives a diagnosis, the healthcare professional will usually give the patient instructions on home remedies. See our section on home remedies later in the article.
Although a chalazion is technically not a stye, it’s very similar. It’s a chronic condition, so it’s usually treated by an ophthalmologist. The initial treatment will be home remedies similar to stye home remedies. If the swelling increases and starts affecting vision, the ophthalmologist will either surgically remove the chalazion or reduce the swelling with a steroid injection.
Stye medications
Most styes will resolve without drug treatment. Taking care of the eye, using warm compresses, and washing the eyelid are usually sufficient to heal the stye in a few days.
For a persistent stye, an ophthalmologist will usually prescribe an oral antibiotic. Topical antibiotic creams and gels are less effective but may be prescribed in some situations. The most commonly prescribed topical antibiotic for stye is erythromycin. Oral antibiotics are more effective, usually amoxicillin, cephalosporin, tetracycline, doxycycline, or erythromycin. The stye should clear in about two days, but the antibiotic should be taken for the full term prescribed, usually seven days.
What is the best medication for a stye?
For most patients, styes will resolve in a few days without medications. Those that don’t may require antibiotic therapy. Physicians follow a protocol for using antibiotics. There is no “best” antibiotic or medication for stye. Antibiotic treatment will be tailored to the nature of the infection, possible allergies, and the patient’s history.
| Best medications for styes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Name | Drug Class | Administration Route | Standard Dosage | Common Side Effects |
| OcuSoft HypoChlor (hypochlorous acid) | Eyelid wash | Topical | 1 spray per eyelid, wipe off as needed | Redness, itching, burning |
| Augmentin (amoxicillin-clavulanate) | Antibiotic | Oral | 1, 875-125 mg tablet every 12 hours | Diarrhea, nausea, skin rashes |
| Erythromycin | Antibiotic | Eye ointment | Apply a 1 cm line of ointment on the eye 6 times a day | Eye irritation, stinging, burning |
| Doxycycline | Antibiotic | Oral | 100-200 mg tablets 1-2x per day | Diarrhea, dizziness, stomach upset |
| Keflex (cefalexin) | Antibiotic | Oral | 500-1000 mg once daily for 7 days | Diarrhea, stomach upset |
Many of the standard dosages above are from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dosage is determined by your healthcare provider based on the nature of the infection, the patient’s medical condition, response to treatment, and allergies. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.
What are the common side effects of stye medication?
Oral antibiotics typically cause upset stomach, intestinal problems, and loss of appetite. Allergies, however, are a bigger concern. About one in 15 people are allergic to antibiotics, and allergic reactions could be severe. Topical antibiotics often cause site reactions, such as burning or irritation, on the skin they’re applied to.
Different classes of medications have different side effects. However, this is not a complete list, and you should consult with a healthcare professional for possible side effects and drug interactions based on your specific situation.
What are the best home remedies for styes?
The most universal treatment for a stye is home treatment. Patients can help relieve symptoms and speed recovery using just three home remedies: warm compresses, lid washing, and lid massaging.
Use warm compresses
Applying a warm compress to the affected lid four times a day is a proven, successful way to heal a stye. To work, the heat has to be applied continuously without a break for ten minutes or more. A warm washcloth won’t work because it will cool down too fast. There are commercial warm compresses for the eye sold at pharmacies, or you can heat a sock filled with cooked rice, or use a heating pad. The temperature must be greater than 108 degrees but not so hot that it will burn the skin. The heat does two things. First, it liquefies the oil blocked up behind the gland, which makes it easier to express. Second, the heat increases the blood flow to the stye, helping to fight off the infection.
Use a lid wash
A key component of the home treatment of a stye is to keep the eyelid clean and reduce the number of bacteria on the eyelid and around the eye. Baby shampoo applied with a clean washcloth or lid scrubs with saline are effective at reducing bacteria. Most healthcare professionals will advise an antiseptic lid wash, such as a hypochlorous acid lid wash. For an internal hordeolum, try using an over-the-counter eyewash or saline eye drops to keep the surface of the eye clean. If you get styes often, you should consider using lid scrubs daily. They are an effective way to maintain both eyelid and eye health.
Gently massage the eyelid
A very gentle massage of the eyelid will help push out the oil backed up behind the gland, particularly for an internal hordeolum. A good time to massage the eyelid is when you apply a warm compress. Having been warmed by the compress, the oil in the gland will be more liquid. For an external hordeolum, you can focus on the affected area by gently rubbing in a circle. For an internal hordeolum, you should massage vertically towards the edge of the eyelid. The meibomian glands inside the eyelid are vertically-oriented, and the oil comes out at the lid margin whenever you blink your eyes. Think of them like a tube of oil – if you start at the opening and squeeze backward, not much will come out. Start at the end of the glands away from the lid margin and gently roll towards the edge of the eyelid.
Avoid these things if you have a stye
Do not use eye makeup. It covers the skin and will prevent oil from getting out. If you wear contact lenses, give them a break until the stye heals. There is a danger that the bacteria might spread to the lens and infect the eye or other tissues around the eye. Finally, do not “pop” a stye or try to express it. The infection could spread deeper and cause a more serious infection, such as cellulitis in the tissues surrounding the eye or the surface of the eye itself.
Frequently asked questions about stye
How do I get rid of a stye overnight?
A stye is an infection and the body will heal it naturally. You can speed up the process dramatically by applying a warm compress for at least ten minutes four times a day or more. Lid massage and lid scrubs will also help.
How long does it take for a stye to go away?
A stye will resolve itself in three to seven days.
How can I treat a stye in my eye?
The gold standard for stye treatment is warm compresses, lid washing, and lid massage. Warm compresses are a proven method to speed the healing process. To work, warm compresses should be applied continuously for more than ten minutes. A warm washcloth will not work because it cools down too fast. Lid scrubs help reduce the bacteria on and around the stye. Lid massages help push out the oil blocked up in a stye.
What is the best medicine for stye?
Styes will most often resolve on their own without medications. For persistent or multiple styes, the medications of choice are prescription oral antibiotics.
What antibiotic is used for a stye?
An ophthalmologist will typically prescribe an oral antibiotic, though some situations may involve a topical antibiotic. Physicians follow a protocol and their own experience when prescribing antibiotics, which must be tailored to the infection, the patient’s medical condition, and any allergies the patient might have.
What over-the-counter medicine is good for a stye?
Ophthalmologists will often suggest using a lid scrub for reducing the bacterial load on the eyelid. Many of these are sterile saline solution scrubs, but some have hypochlorous acid, a powerful antiseptic. You can use a topical over-the-counter antibiotic, such as Polysporin, but research has shown that they may have no effect on the time it takes to heal a stye.
Are there eye drops for styes?
An internal stye can be hard to treat at home. Lid scrubs may help but, for good reason, they don’t reach the inner eyelid. The only eye drops for internal styes are homeopathic remedies which may or may not have an effect on the stye. Other remedies are lubricants to protect the surface of the eye. However, keeping the eye lubricated with over-the-counter saline eye solution should be enough to protect the surface of the eye.
Are eye styes caused by stress?
Styes are caused by a bacterial infection and involve the blockage of glands on the eyelid. There is no evidence stress causes styes, but there is evidence that stress can weaken the immune system.
Should I stay home from work if I have a stye?
Staying home will not heal the stye faster. If the discomfort from the stye is preventing you from doing work, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, or take some time off until the condition is less distracting.
Can you put Neosporin in your eye?
Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Neosporin, makes Neosporin Ophthalmic for use on the eye or eyelid. It is safe to use, but most ophthalmologists believe topical antibiotics do not have much of an effect on styes unless the patient also has blepharitis.
Can apple cider vinegar get rid of a stye?
Apple cider vinegar is a powerful disinfectant. It can be used to partially sterilize surfaces and utensils. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. There is little evidence, though, that it has any effect on an active infection. Moreover, all vinegar is caustic, that is, it destroys organic tissue. Vinegar should never be used around the eye. If apple cider vinegar gets on the surface of the eye, it can cause redness, irritation, and may cause corneal damage.