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Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

In most cases, a sty doesn't require specific treatment. A sty typically goes away on its own.

For a sty that persists, your doctor may recommend treatments, such as:

  • Antibiotics. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic eyedrops or a topical antibiotic cream to apply to your eyelid. If your eyelid infection persists or spreads beyond your eyelid, your doctor may recommend antibiotics in tablet or pill form.
  • Surgery to relieve pressure. To treat a pus-filled sty that won't rupture or burst on its own, your doctor or ophthalmologist may choose to lance and drain the sty to relieve pain and pressure.
Lifestyle and home remedies Tests and diagnosis
References
  1. Riordan-Eva P, et al. Vaughan & Asbury's General Ophthalmology. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=720. Accessed April 26, 2012.
  2. What Are Chalazia and Styes? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/chalazion-stye.cfm. Accessed April 25, 2012.
  3. What you need to know about contact lens hygiene and compliance. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x8024.xml. Accessed April 26, 2012.
  4. Chalazion and hordeolum. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/eye_disorders/eyelid_and_lacrimal_disorders/chalazion_and_hordeolum.html. Accessed April 26, 2012.
  5. Eye cosmetic safety. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm137241.htm. Accessed April 26, 2012.
  6. Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 3, 2012.
DS00257 June 13, 2012

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