Styes
A sore, red lump on the edge of your eyelid that appeared overnight. Styes are common, rarely serious, and usually clear by themselves within a week or two. Warm compresses and patience are the聽mainstays.
What it is: a painful lump on or inside the eyelid, usually from a blocked oil gland or eyelash root that has become infected. It may have a yellow head of pus. The eye can be red and watery, but your vision should be normal.
Stye or chalazion? a chalazion is a firm lump in the eyelid that isn鈥檛 very painful. It can follow a stye and may take longer to settle.
Who gets them: anyone, but long-term blepharitis (inflamed eyelids) and rosacea make them more likely. They often come back.
The stye ladder
Most styes heal on their own. Warm compresses are standard advice, though there are no good trials of any treatment. A GP can help if one is very painful or won鈥檛 settle.
- Step 1 路 Self-careWarm compressHold a clean flannel soaked in warm (not hot) water against the closed eye for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can ease pain.
- Works
- The standard first step. A Cochrane review found no trials testing it, but it鈥檚 cheap and low risk
- Cost
- Free
- How long
- Usually 1 to 2 weeks
- Watch for
- Skip contact lenses and eye make-up until the stye has healed.
Patience and a warm flannel. Ancient, unglamorous, standard.
- Step 2 路 Self-careLid hygieneKeep eyelids and lashes clean, especially if you have blepharitis, and remove eye make-up before bed.
- Works
- May help prevent styes coming back; not well tested
- Cost
- Free to about $15 for lid wipes
- How long
- Daily, long term
- Watch for
- Replace eye make-up every 6 months and don鈥檛 share it.
Clean lids, fewer lumps.
- Step 3 路 GPDrainageFor a very painful or swollen stye, a GP may release the pus with a sterile needle or remove the eyelash at its base.
- Works
- Can ease pain quickly when a stye has a clear head
- Cost
- Medicare rebates for the visit
- How long
- One visit
- Watch for
- Never try this yourself.
Leave the needlework to the professionals.
- Step 4 路 Eye specialistReferralFor styes that don鈥檛 settle, keep coming back, or affect vision, or for a chalazion that persists.
- Works
- Can check and treat persistent lumps
- Cost
- Specialist fees vary; Medicare rebates with a referral
- How long
- Weeks
- Watch for
- Any change in vision needs prompt review.
Rarely needed, occasionally essential.
Save your money
Popular, heavily marketed or often asked about, but the evidence is weak or says no.
- Squeezing or popping itThis can spread the infection. Let it drain on its own.
- Antibiotic drops or ointment as routineA Cochrane review found no good trials showing they help a typical stye, which usually heals by itself.
- Pulling out the eyelash yourselfLeave that to a doctor; doing it yourself can spread infection.
What you can do
- Use a warm compress 3 or 4 times a day.
- Wash your hands before touching your eyes or contact lenses.
- Don鈥檛 share towels or flannels.
- Keep eyelids clean if you get blepharitis.
- If your eyes are often dry and gritty, see our dry eye fact sheet.
- If your eye is red and sticky without a lump, read about conjunctivitis.
See your GP if
- The stye is very painful or swollen
- It hasn鈥檛 improved after 1 to 2 weeks
- It affects your vision
- Styes keep coming back
- A firm, painless lump remains for weeks
See a doctor the same day if redness and swelling spread across the eyelid or around the eye, the eye is very painful, you feel unwell or feverish, or your vision changes.
Common questions
How long does a stye last?
Usually 1 to 2 weeks. Most drain and heal on their own.
Should I pop a stye?
No. Squeezing it can spread the infection. Use a warm compress and let it drain naturally, or see a GP if it is very painful.
Do I need antibiotics for a stye?
Usually not. A Cochrane review found no good trials showing antibiotics help a typical stye.
What is the difference between a stye and a chalazion?
A stye is a painful, red lump, often with pus, from an infected gland or lash root. A chalazion is a firmer lump that isn鈥檛 very painful and can last longer.
Helpful resources
- NHS 111 Wales: StyeSelf-care and when to see a GP. Free, UK.
- Dry eye fact sheetGritty, sore eyes and blepharitis. Free, from us.
- Conjunctivitis fact sheetRed, sticky eyes. Free, from us.
Evidence and more information
maladywise.com/styes/