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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffDon't try to squeeze the pus from a sty on your own. To relieve the pain and help a sty come to a point sooner, soak a clean cloth in warm water, wring it out and then apply it as a compress to your eyelid for 10 minutes, four times a day. Once the sty drains on its own, keep the area clean.
To prevent recurrent infections:
- Wash your hands. Keep your hands away from your eyes and practice good hand-washing techniques. If you have children, make sure they know and practice proper hand-washing techniques because they may be more prone to sties.
- Take care with cosmetics. You can help prevent recurrent infections by not using old cosmetics or sharing makeup with anyone.
- Make sure your contact lenses are clean. If you wear contact lenses, wash your hands thoroughly before inserting your contacts and follow your doctor's advice on disinfecting your contacts.
You may need to take special precautions, such as deliberately cleaning your eyelid, if you have underlying chronic blepharitis.
