The first time I ever got a stye on my eye, I was pretty convinced I was going blind. These tiny little bumps can do a lot of damage,but you don’t have to suffer while waiting for the stye to run its course or for an appointment with your eye doctor. Understanding what a stye is can make it significantly easier to treat. Sties are tiny, localized infections on or around the eye lid and are often the result of an inflamed tearduct. They start as generalized tenderness around the eyelid along with occasional pain and itching inside the eye. They then pop up as tiny pimple like bumps along the eyelid. Any number of things can cause them, from using old mascara to constant rubbing of the eyes, but they’re usually innocuous and will go away after a few days. If your stye continues to get worse, however, see your eye doctor. Here are some great home remedies for eye sties:
Warm Compresses
Warm compresses are the gold standard for treating any kind of skin swelling. Apply a warm washcloth to the affected area for fifteen minutes several times a day. The heat can help to bring the stye to a head, which speeds up healing time and lessens swelling.
Warm Tea Bags
Tea seems to cure a number of skin infections and can work well with sties. Boil a tea bag and wait for it to cool to a slightly warm temperature. Squeeze the teabag so that there is no excess tea and apply to your eye just like a warm compress for 10-15 minutes.
Cool Cucumbers
Cucumbers have a naturally soothing effect. They won’t treat or cure the stye on your eye, but they can help to temporarily reduce inflammation and ease the pain. For quick relief, put a cold cucumber on your eye for 20 minutes. The relief should last an hour or so.
Milk
The lactic acid in milk can help to draw out infection and minimize pain and swelling. Try soaking a washcloth in whole milk and applying to the stye several times a day. This can help to ease pain as well as speed up healing time by a day or two.
Aloe Leaves
Aloe has a cooling effect on the skin and can help with the burning sensation often associated with sties. However, aloe applied directly to the stye can irritate and burn your eye. Instead, try applying a cool aloe leaf directly to your eye right after using a warm compress.
Potatoes
Mashed potatoes can be made into a paste and applied to the outside of your eye. Apply to the outside of the eyelid rather than directly to the stye. This treatment helps to relieve swelling and can also help to dry out the stye so that it drains more quickly. Avoid getting the potato directly into your eye.
The Omega Fatty Acids in fish oil can help with a number of skin conditions. If you’re prone to sties, try supplementing your diet with fish oil capsules, which can both lessen the frequency of sties and speed up healing time.
Whatever you do, do not try to pop the stye. Unlike normal pimples, popping a stye can breed more infection and can be extremely dangerous to your cornea. If your stye has not drained on its own in 3-5 days, see your eye doctor.
Sources:
http://www.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=191&page;=2
