How to Treat Styes in the Eyes at Home

Learn how to treat styes in your at home in a few simple steps. Styes can be very uncomfortable, read on to help cure styes.

Reviewed and approved by the doctor José Gerardo Rosciano Paganelli.

Written by Katherine Flórez

Last update: 26 May, 2022

A stye is an inflammation of one of the glands at the base of your eyelashes – it’s not a serious condition but it can be quite painful and bothersome. Usually, styes are caused by a bacterial infection. In this article, you’ll find how to treat styes easily from the comfort of your own home.

An external stye is red, inflamed, and tender to the touch. It’s usually located on the edge of the eyelid. It can also suddenly disappear at any time. Additionally, anywhere there has been damage to the eyelid, a painful nodule might be found. An internal stye is usually found farther from the eyelid edge and can take much longer to heal compared to external styes.

How to treat styes

• Pressing, rubbing, or trying to pop styes or other types of inflammation of the eyelid is not recommended. It’s best to let them clear up on their own.
• Treatment for styes includes taking hygienic precautions to keep the affected area clean and prevent infection.
• Warm compresses can be helpful in relieving obstruction of the glands.
• The use of antibiotic eye drops is recommended if the stye occurred because of conjunctivitis or direct contamination.
• Using eye makeup is not advised, as it can worsen the condition.
• Chamomile tea contains calming agents that can help reduce swelling and pain, as well as draw out the fluid from the stye. Just place a bag of chamomile tea in hot water for a few seconds, then remove the tea bag and wait a few moments before squeezing the liquid and placing it directly on the affected area. Remove it when the bag cools and repeat the process as many times as needed.

Grandmother’s traditional recipes…

• Green onion: Cut along the length of the onion starting where the leaf begins, and apply the juice directly to the affected area.
• A hen’s egg that has just been laid (warm) can be placed directly on the stye for five minutes.
• Crush some mint leaves and apply them directly to the stye. Leave this on for five minutes before rinsing with warm water.
• Make a marigold tea using a tablespoon of dried petals per quart of water. Strain the liquid and then soak some gauze in it to apply to the affected eye until it cools.

Prevent styes

Rubbing our eyes when they itch is a common habit, especially when they are red or inflamed. Children also tend to rub their eyes when they’re tired, but this is responsible for the appearance of styes in most cases.

Another way to avoid getting styes is to be sure to consume enough vitamin A, which helps increases the immune system’s defenses. But because vitamin A is often lost during cooking, be careful when preparing foods that contain it, like eggs, red meat, carrots, tomatoes, pumpkin, spinach, lettuce, and others that can be helpful in preventing styes.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article on how to treat styes at home!