How you can treat a painful stye without special medication – and prevent another

How you can treat a painful stye without special medication – and prevent another

A stye in the eye can be irritating and painful. According to All About Vision, a stye is an infection in an oil gland at the edge of the eyelid. Ouch!

Styes can occur inside or outside the eyelid and often resemble a little pimple. The bacteria that causes styes is found in the nose, which is why it is important to wash your hands after blowing or touching your nose. If you happen to forget and then rub your eye, you are likely to develop a stye.

It is further important to know that styes are contagious. Therefore, if you have a stye, be extra careful not to share pillowcases or washcloths. And ladies, it's going to hurt, but you must toss all eye makeup. Your existing makeup is likely infected with the stye-causing bacteria and using it after the stye has healed will only cause another to occur.

According to Healthline, one of the best ways to treat a stye is to place adamp, warm washcloth over the eye for 5- 10 minutes. Continue treatment 3 or 4 times daily until the stye heals. An alternative method to this treatment is to sit back and relax with a teabag over the eyelid.Bustle say this works because tea is an antioxidant with serious anti-bacterial properties. Because styes are caused by bacterial infections, the tea is effective in fighting the infection.

Bustle further recommends treating the stye with a mixture of castor oil and turmeric. The solution is a potent anti-inflammatory that when applied directly to the stye can speed up recovery.

Healthline says you may also find it useful to clean the eyelid. To do this safely and pain-free, mix tear free baby shampoo with warm water. Use a cotton swab or clean washcloth to gently wipe the eyelid with the mixture