Treatment and When to See an Eye Doctor
Treatment Options for a Stye
Most styes heal on their own. A clean washcloth soaked in warm water and held on the closed lid several times a day is the first step, warm but not hot enough to burn the skin. Clean the lid gently and keep your hands off it in between. Skip eye makeup until it heals, and ask your eye doctor whether to take a break from contact lenses. Do not squeeze it or try to make it burst, because pressing on it can push the infection further into the lid. When the infection needs more than home care, an eye doctor can prescribe an antibiotic ointment or drops. If a stye lingers or starts to affect your sight, it may need to be drained in a minor procedure with the area numbed.
When to See an Eye Doctor
Book a visit if warm compresses are not helping or the bump is getting bigger or more painful. Styes that keep coming back, a lid swollen shut, bleeding or pus from the bump, or any change in how well you see are also reasons to come in. Redness that spreads from the lid to the cheek or elsewhere on the face is a reason to call an eye doctor right away.
