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A red, swollen lump found on the edge of the eyelid is often referred to as a stye. They are common eye problems which cause pain and irritation to the eyes, making the individual very uncomfortable. A stye is often unsightly and can be similar to a pimple on the skin.
A stye occurs when the glands that surround the edge of the eyelids (the meiboimian glands) are blocked by oil build-up or dead skin cells. When these glands are blocked, bacteria can grow inside and cause an infected stye to develop.
Some symptoms include:
Styes normally go away on their own when the pus inside them drains, without the use of any form of treatment, but if the swelling persists, there are ways to get rid of the stye fast, and many of these things can be done at home.
A warm compress tends to work a lot better than a warm wash cloth and is much simpler to use. You simply place the maskin the microwave for 15-20 seconds and, after testing the temperature, place the mask over your closed eyes for 10-20 minutes. Massaging the lids after using an eye mask is the most effective.
Some people don't have a microwave and cannot use a dry eye mask such as this. There are electric, plug-in masks you could use, or we would suggest trying a tea bag. Black tea has been found to have antibacterial properties so it will work better in this case.
Put some hot water into a teacup and insert the bag of tea into it (as if you were making a cup of tea for yourself). Allow the bag of tea to soak for about one minute, then allow the tea bag to get cool enough to a warm temperature (not hot!) and place the tea bag on your closed eye for about 5-8 minutes. The warmth will help the pus drain while the black tea's antibacterial action fights the bacteria.
CAUTION: Be sure to test both the tea bag and warm compress on your wrist BEFORE apply to your eyelid to make sure it doesn't burn your eyelids.
Click here to check price and purchase a warm compress.
RELATED ARTICLE: Top 5 Warm Compress Eye Masks
After using the warm compress, make sure your hands are clean and massage the affected area gently to improve drainage of the pus, but stop massaging if it hurts. Watch the video above for more details.
You should NEVER attempt to pop a stye, but the goal is to gently break up the material inside. This should NOT be painful and the process should be stopped if it is.
We recommend cleansing your face with a tea tree essential oil based soap, because tea tree essential oil is known to kill demodex, which can contribute to MGD, blepharitis, and styes. It's also a great antibacterial and helps keep everything hygienic and clean. The Heyedrate Tea Tree Soap is our choice, and we recommend using it in the shower so that you can use it all over and rinse well (tea tree oil directly in the eyes will burn if not rinsed thoroughly).
A hypochlorous acid eyelid cleanser, like Heyedrate Lid & Lash Cleanser will help keep your eyelids and eyelashes clean. Keeping your eyelids clean daily with a hypochlorous eyelid cleanser is also a great way to prevent a stye from happening in the first place, and we recommend using this spray after washing your face.
Just spray once in the morning and once in the evening to keep your skin clean. There's no need to rinse it off, and it's super easy to use!
If the stye persists after trying at-home treatments, it is important you visit your eye doctor for proper treatment. The doctor can also help you drain the pus out in some cases, if it is an external stye. A visit to the doctor is crucial if your stye is not improving, because an infected stye can quickly turn into a larger, more complicated infection.
Again, NEVER try to squeeze the pus out as this might lead to spread of the pus and further bacterial infection in other parts of the eye. This can be dangerous and much more difficult to heal!
A red, swollen lump found on the edge of the eyelid is often called a stye. They are common eye problems which cause pain and irritation to the eyes, making the individual very uncomfortable in some cases. A stye can be similar to a pimple on the skin. When the glands that surround the edge of the eyelids (meibomian glands) are blocked by oil build-up, bacteria, or dead skin cells, bacteria can grow inside and cause an infected stye to develop.
Even though a stye can usually clear up on its own within a couple of days, most people desire faster relief of the symptoms they are experiencing – and obviously, they want the bump that has developed to go away more quickly. We recommend seeing your eye doctor when you first notice the stye forming, but you absolutely need to pay a visit to the doctor if your stye persists beyond a week or is becoming worse.
Absolutely not! There are so many reasons to avoid doing this, but the most important reason is because popping a stye can spread the infection further into the tissue of your eyelids. This can cause a major infection, and it’s something you want to avoid. That being said, continue to use warm compresses a few times daily, and you will likely find that the stye drains on its own.
There is no research to show that styes are caused by stress, but it is well known that stress increases cortisol which can contribute to an increase in inflammation in the body. Because of this, it is possible that the increase in inflammation could cause an already blocked gland to become more inflamed and eventually infected, leading to a stye.
Gently massaging your stye after using a warm compress may be beneficial. After heating the stye, which works to liquify the impacted oils in your meibomian glands, a gentle massage may help further break up the impacted, stagnant oil and allow it to drain. However, this process should not be painful (if it is, avoid doing it). In addition, ensure that your fingertips are clean before massaging to avoid further contamination. Always massage toward the edge of your eyelid, which is where the oil will be expressed, and NEVER attempt to pop your stye.
