
Have you ever had tiny, painful bumps on your eyelids or at the base of your eyelashes? They are nothing but styes or as your doctor might call it a hordeolum. Mostly, these bumps are harmless, except for how they look—buy buy hot date—and the immense pain that they cause during the course of their stay. If you are reading this to know what causes them and how to remedy them quickly, read on.
Causes Of Styes
Styes are caused when bacteria from your skin, or dead skin cells enter your eye. These can block and irritate your oil glands to form bumps. If you are suffering from recurring styes, make sure to keep a tiny bottle of baby shampoo handy and clean your eyelids gently when you shower and rinse thoroughly afterwards. Regularly cleansing the eyelids will reduce the risk of eyelash follicles getting infected, too.
A few other reasons you might be getting recurring styes could be if you are touching your eyes without washing/sanitizing your hands, not disinfecting your contact lenses, and using expired cosmetic products. Additionally, if you suffer from blepharitis, a chronic redness on the edge of the eyelid, you are more likely to get styes.
Do note, if your stye is not painful, it could be chalazion, the treatment for which is similar to that of a stye but may take a considerably longer time to heal.

Now here are some remedies that you could try at home to fix your stye

1. Apply Warm Compress
Your doctor, along with the whole of world wide web can vouch for this solution; A warm compress can help speed up the healing process of a stye. The warmth helps bring the pus to the surface and letting it out, thereby making the bump and the pain go away. This might sound gross, but it is the easiest, and the most convenient way to remedy a stye at home.
What you must do: Soak a clean washcloth in warm water, squeeze out all the water and place it on your infected eye for 30 seconds or till the warmth dies down. Repeat the process 10-12 times, every two to three hours. This also reduce the pain. If this seems too taxing, you could fill a dry wash cloth with a palm full of uncooked rice, tie a knot around it and place it in a microwave for 30-40 seconds. Make sure it is not very hot before placing it on your affected eye. Repeat the process till you get relief.
This will bring the stye to a head, very similar to a pimple. Do ensure you don’t pop it or squeeze the pus out with your fingers or any pointy object. Allow it to drain and heal on its own. Any meddling could worsen it and cause the infection to worsen.
2. Cleanse Thoroughly
Cleansing your eyelids with a baby shampoo/ a mild soap and water has proven to be an effective cure, particularly if you get stye attacks regularly. Make sure your shampoo is free of chemicals. Over-the-counter surfactant-based cleanser OCuSOFT is also effective against bacteria commonly found on the eyelid.
What you must do: Mix a tear-free baby shampoo in a bowl of warm water. Use a clean washcloth or cotton swab to gently wipe off your eyelids. Rinse with clear water. Repeat the process at regular intervals until the stye is gone.


3. Apply A Warm Tea Bag
Black tea is most effective in reducing swelling and has a few antibacterial properties as well. If a warm water compress is not satisfactory, you can opt for this method.
What you must do: Add a cup of boiled water to a mug. Dip your tea bag or add one teaspoon tea powder to the hot water and let it steep for a minute. Wait till your tea bag or washcloth cools down enough to be placed on your eye. Use it twice a day to reduce discomfort and swelling.
4. Antibiotics
Keep this as your last resort if none of the above seem to be helping. Antibiotics that you can get over-the-counter are known to kill the bacteria that helps the stye grow. It also helps in subsiding the pain and swelling. It is crucial to use the right antibiotic for the specific bacterium infecting the eye, so avoid reusing older antibiotics tubes.

Things To Keep In Mind If You Have A Stye
- Avoid wearing makeup and contact lenses
- Remove eye makeup every night before sleeping to ensure a stye does not reoccur
- Avoid sharing face towels with someone who has a stye