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Health

What are the Different Home Remedies for Styes?

Nicole Madison
By
Updated May 17, 2024
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There are quite a few home remedies for styes. Among the most popular are warm compresses, tea bags used as compresses, and solutions made with herbs such as parsley. Leaving a sty alone may allow it to get better on its own, but this method can take a significant amount of time to work and may not prove as readily effective for large styes. If a sty is large, particularly painful, or doesn't respond to at-home treatment, a doctor's help may prove beneficial.

Before a person can treat a sty with home remedies, he’ll need to make sure he really has one and not some other type of health issue. A sty is a lump or bump that usually forms on an individual's eyelid. They are usually reddened and sore, and some people mistake them for boils or pimples. In most cases, a person will develop a sty at the edge of his eyelid, but some people have them develop on the inner eyelid as well. Bacteria often cause styes to form, and chronic inflammation in the area may cause them as well.

There are many home remedies for styes, but some people find that the best treatment for them is no treatment at all. Leaving a sty alone may allow it to heal without additional attention. Unfortunately, however, this may take much longer than some people want to wait, and it may not be practical for styes that are very large or especially painful.

One of the most popular home remedies for styes involves using warm compresses. For example, a person can wet a clean, absorbent cloth with warm water and then ring it out to prepare it for use. Then he can place the still-warm cloth on the affected eyelid, keeping the eyelid closed during the process. An individual may keep the warm compress in place until the heat from it dissipates. He can then wet the washcloth once more and apply the compress to it once again.

Tea bag compresses are also among the common home remedies for styes. To use this home remedy, an individual can soak a tea bag in warm water and then apply it to the sty. Alternatively, a person can prepare a cup of hot tea and then allow the tea bag to cool until it is warm rather than hot and unlikely to burn the skin. An individual may then leave the tea bag in place until the heat from it dissipates.

There are also several home remedies for styes that can be applied using clean cloths and cotton swabs. For example, an affected individual can place fresh parsley in a bowl and then add boiling water to it. After allowing the parsley to steep for 10 minutes, he can soak the clean cloth in the parsley water. Finally, he can wring out the cloth, place it over his closed eye, and leave it in place for about 10 or 15 minutes.

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Nicole Madison
By Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGEEK writer, where she focuses on topics like homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. Her passion for knowledge is evident in the well-researched and informative articles she authors. As a mother of four, Nicole balances work with quality family time activities such as reading, camping, and beach trips.
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Discussion Comments

By Rundocuri — On Jun 06, 2014

@raynbow- I know what you mean, because I have had the same experience using warm compresses on styes. The heat seems to make the swelling and the discomfort worse, in my opinion.

The last time I had a stye I decided to try using cool compresses instead. To my surprise, this home remedy seemed to provide more relief. The cool sensation made the discomfort of the stye go away. The cold compresses also seemed to reduce the swelling that usually comes with having a stye.

Next time you get one, it couldn't hurt to try applying cold instead of heat. You shouldn't use anything too cold or frozen, but a cool, wet cloth works perfectly.

By Raynbow — On Jun 05, 2014

I get styes in my eyes frequently, though my doctor told me they are nothing to worry about. He suggested that I use warm compresses when I get a stye, but this treatment seems to only make them feel worse. Does anyone have a suggestion for a better stye home remedy?

Nicole Madison

Nicole Madison

Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGEEK writer, where she focuses on topics like...
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