A stye is a common eye condition that results in a red, swollen lump on the edge of the eyelid. Styes are common eye conditions that affect millions of people. While a stye may not be a life-threatening condition, it is irritating, embarrassing, and occasionally painful. More often than not, you can use home remedies to get rid of styes, and this article aims to cover five remedies that experts recommend.
What Causes A Stye?
A stye is a bacterial infection that results in a swollen bump near the eyelashes on the eyelid. The reddish bump can look like a pimple and results from an oil gland infection in the eyelid. Researchers claim that the staphylococcus bacterium is typically responsible for the infection. Dead skin, dirt, or oil build-up can clog the oil glands around the eye and cause bacterial build-up. That’s why eye makeup, frequent eye touching, rosacea, or expired cosmetics can increase the risk of stye development.
In most cases, styes can be treated at home and they often go away within 7-10 days. To accelerate recovery, use the following home remedies.
Use A Warm Tea Bag
It’s helpful to use a warm cloth compress to provide relief, but it may be more beneficial to use a tea bag. Use a black tea bag because it contains antibacterial properties, and it may help reduce swelling. Add a black tea bag to a cup of boiling water and let it steep for one minute. Remove the tea bag from the water and allow it to cool for a couple minutes. Apply it to the affected eye and leave it on for 5-10 minutes. If you have a stye on each eye, use a separate tea bag for each eye. Do this twice daily to accelerate recovery.
Avoid Eye Makeup
It’s a natural instinct to want to cover the stye with makeup, especially if you go out in public, but do your best to avoid makeup. Not only does makeup delay the healing process, but it can also irritate the stye and make it worse. It’s possible that more bacteria can spread into the area by applying more makeup. Make sure to clean your eye with water at least five to six times per day. This will offer a cooling effect and it may reduce the severity of the infection.
Cucumbers Or Potatoes
One of the best things you can do to provide relief is to put something cool and refreshing on the affected eyelid. Apply a cold cucumber slice over the eye with the stye to help decrease inflammation and irritation. Cucumbers also work to enhance hydration and reduce possible swelling. Alternatively, you can apply a chilled potato slice on the eye if you don’t have a cucumber. It remains colder for a lot longer than a cucumber slice.
Rinse With Mild Soap And Water
Many health experts advise that people avoid harsh or synthetic soaps when it comes to cleaning the eye area. It’s best to choose soaps that are hypoallergenic and chemical-free. There are many natural soaps that have proven to be effective against bacteria that exists in the eyelid. OCuSOFT, for example, may be able to kill seven different bacterial strains. If you don’t want to use soap, you can use a gentle saline solution to help promote drainage. A saline solution will also promote the breakdown of bacterial membranes. The most important thing to remember is to use warm water, not hot water.
Massage & Coriander Rinse
Many people find that gently massaging the area with lid wipes is a great way to promote drainage. Don’t try to pop the stye, though! Before you get anywhere near your stye, make sure that your hands are clean. Once the stye drains, make sure to keep the area clean and avoid touching your eyes as much as possible. If it hurts to massage your eye, stop massaging right away. If you don’t want to massage, you can use a coriander rinse. Some sources recommend making a tea-like liquid by pouring boiling water over coriander seeds. Once the liquid cools, strain the seeds and use the liquid to gently cleanse the eye. The antibacterial properties may help naturally get rid of a stye quickly.
