Stye (sty)

Your doctor will usually diagnose a stye just by looking at your eyelid. Your doctor may use a light and a magnifying device to examine your eyelid.

In most cases, a stye doesn't require specific treatment, but using warm compresses can hasten the healing. A stye typically goes away on its own. Recurrences are common.

For a stye 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. If your stye doesn't clear up, your doctor may make a small cut in it to drain the pus.

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

• Leave the stye alone. Don't try to pop the stye or squeeze the pus from a stye. Doing so can cause the infection to spread.
• Clean your eyelid. Gently wash the affected eyelid with mild soap and water.
• Place a warm washcloth over your closed eye. 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 loses heat. Continue this for five to 10 minutes. Then gently massage the eyelid. Repeating this two to three times a day may help the stye to drain on its own.
• Keep your eye clean. Don't wear eye makeup until the stye has healed.
• Go without contacts lenses. Contact lenses can be contaminated with bacteria associated with a stye. If you wear contacts, try to go without them until your stye goes away.

Start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner if your stye is painful or doesn't start to get better in two days. In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a specialist who treats eye diseases and conditions (ophthalmologist).

Because appointments can be brief, it's a good idea to be prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready.

What you can do

• List any symptoms you're experiencing, including those that seem unrelated to the stye.
• List key personal information you feel may be important for your doctor to know.
• Make a list of all medications, vitamins and supplements that you're taking.
• List questions to ask your doctor.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of your time together. For a stye, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

• What is the likely cause of my stye?
• When can I expect my stye to go away?
• Is this contagious?
• What kinds of tests do I need?
• Are there any treatments for my stye?
• What are the benefits and risks of these treatments?
• What can I do to prevent future styes?
• Can I continue wearing contact lenses?
• Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
• Do you have any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me?
• What websites do you recommend?
• Do I need a follow-up visit?