5 Easy Tricks for Treating Styes

4 minutes

Warm compresses, chamomile rinses, and other home remedies are very popular for treating a stye. In this article, we'll share the best remedies for this condition.

Written and verified by the doctor Grecia Morillo.

Last update: 26 September, 2022

A stye is a small bump usually formed along the eyelids. They are caused by inflammation in the sebaceous gland located on the edge of the eyelid. Getting rid of a stye sometimes requires medication, but there are also some simple tricks you can try at home to treat the problem.

Another possible cause of inflammation on the eyelid is something called a chalazion. These occur when there’s an obstruction in one of the small sebaceous glands on the edge of the eyelid, just behind the eyelashes.

Unlike a stye, chalazia don’t usually hurt and tend to be more prominent in the inner part of the eyelid.

Possible causes of styes

The most common causes of styes are:

Staph infections

Nine out of ten styes are caused by staph infections. Staphylococci bacteria live on the skin and nose and are not harmful under normal conditions. However, if they come in contact with the rim of your eyelid, they can cause infection.

Touching your eyes with dirty hands, changing your contacts without disinfecting them first, or leaving eye makeup on all night can cause staph infections.

Chronic eyelid inflammation

Also known as chronic blepharitis, this inflammation usually affects both eyelids and can cause irritation and redness.

Read more: 5 Home Remedies To Relieve Swollen Eyelids

Stye symptoms

The signs and symptoms of a stye are:

A red bump on your eyelid, similar to a pimple or whitehead
Pain in your eyelid
Swelling of the eyelids
Water eyes
Rheumy eyes
Sensitivity to light
Feeling like you have something in your eye

Tricks for treating styes

Have you ever had a stye? If you have, or if you get them often, keep reading. Here are some home remedies for treating styes.

Gold can supposedly help to remove a style. — People use gold rings and gold spoons to ‘remove’ styes naturally.

1. Gold

If you’re trying to treat a stye quickly, one of the most ancient methods, which actually works the pretty good, is applying heat to the affected area. People usually use gold jewelry for this.

Method

Rub a ring, or any piece of gold against a clean cloth or piece of clothing.
Keep rubbing until the ring is warm.
Place it directly on the stye.
Repeat 10 times in a row every day.

*According to scientists, the relief from this method comes from the heat, not the fact that the object is made of gold.

Please read: 9 Medicinal Benefits of Aloe Vera Gel

2. Topical aloe vera

Aloe vera gel is a popular remedy for styes because of its soothing, hydrating, and healing properties.

You need a spear of aloe vera and a piece of gauze. Peel the aloe vera and rinse the peeled piece with water. Then, use the gauze to apply it to your eyelid.
*This method has not been scientifically proven. Nevertheless, it continues to be a very popular folk remedy, as several medicinal properties are attributed to the plant.

3. Chamomile tea bags

Chamomile has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties and can help relieve the symptoms of a stye.

Prepare one chamomile tea bag in a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for five minutes, and then place the teabag on your stye. Leave it there for ten minutes, and repeat twice a day.

4. Chamomile essential oil

Just as there are those who resort to chamomile infusion to relieve inflammation and itching, there are those who apply a few drops of essential oil of this same herb, as it has similar effects.

In fact, studies on rodents have shown that chamomile essential oil has an anti-inflammatory effect.

5. Cucumber slices

According to beliefs, placing a slice of fresh cucumber (previously soaked in water) on the stye for a while helps relieve itching and inflammation. This is because cucumber is attributed with soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.

Read more: Do You Know the Best Natural Antibiotics?

Other tips

It’s not a good idea to constantly touch the stye with your hands (much less without having previously washed your hands with soap and water), nor should you try to ‘pop’ or ‘drain’ it with sharp objects or your fingernails, as this can only worsen the problem.

Instead, you can resort to washing the area with soap and water, the remedies mentioned above and the following tricks that we will discuss below.

Antibiotic creams

Antibiotic ointments can help a stye when the cause is a staph infection. A doctor will prescribe the medication, just follow the instructions they give you during the appointment.

Keep your glasses and contact lenses clean

If you use contact lenses, try not to use them until your stye is gone. They could be contaminated with the bacteria that caused your stye. Make sure they are clean and wash your hands well before touching them.

We also recommend you wash everything that might have come into contact with your eye, such as pillowcases, sheets, cushions, towels, etc.