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Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

Until your sty goes away on its own, try to:

  • Leave the sty alone. Don't try to pop the sty or squeeze the pus from a sty.
  • Place a warm washcloth over your closed eyes. To relieve pain, run warm water over a clean washcloth. Wring out the washcloth and place it over your closed eye. Re-wet the washcloth when it looses heat. Continue this for five or 10 minutes. Repeating this several times each day may encourage the sty to drain on its own.
  • Keep your eye clean. Don't wear eye makeup until the sty has healed.
  • Go without contacts lenses. It's possible for your contact lenses to become contaminated with bacteria associated with your sty, so plan to go without contacts until your sty goes away.
References
  1. Mueller JB, et al. Ocular infection and inflammation. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2008;26:57.
  2. Fort GG, et al. Hordeolum (stye). In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/188483394-5/0/2088/0.html. Accessed March 11, 2010.
  3. Neff AG, et al. Benign eyelid lesions. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/188483394-9/0/1869/0.html. Accessed March 11, 2010.
  4. Chalazion/Hordeolum. In: Ehler JP, et al. The Wills Eye Manual: Office and Emergency Room Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease. 5th ed. Baltimore, Md.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&NEWS=N&PAGE=booktext&D=books&AN=01337416/5th_Edition/3&XPATH=/OVIDBOOK%5b1%5d/METADATA%5b1%5d/TBY%5b1%5d/EDITORS%5b1%5d. Accessed March 11, 2010.
  5. Eyelid lumps. EyeSmart. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/infections/eyelid.cfm. Accessed March 11, 2010.
  6. Safe use of eye cosmetics. Prevent Blindness America. http://www.preventblindness.org/resources/Non-Customizable/NC_FS15_08-076_Cosmetics.pdf. Accessed March 12, 2010.
  7. What you need to know about contact lens hygiene and compliance. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x8024.xml. Accessed March 12, 2010.
  8. Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 19, 2010.
DS00257 April 8, 2010

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