Eye Health

How to Get Rid of Stye at Home Using Warm Compress

There are several remedies available for treating a stye; however, a warm compress is the most effective one. The warmth causes the sanies to come to the surface and also helps dissolve the oil and sanies. This helps the stye can naturally drain out.

What is a warm compress?

A warm compress is a method of applying wet clothes on the affected part of the body. It is mostly used for treating a stye. However, it is necessary to make sure that the clothes used for this purpose are sanitized well.

This method requires to be repeated a couple of times during the day.

Importance of warm compress for stye

A warm compress is absolutely soothing remedial measures to treat a stye(1). It also serves some other benefits which include

1. Moisturizes the Skin Around the Eye

Clogged pores can also cause dryness on the skin surrounding the eyes. A warm compress works as a moisturizer and comforts your eyes.

2. Relieves Pain

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A stye causes irritation and discomfort for your eyes. A warm compress instantly offers soothing relief from pain.

3. Prevents Clogging of the Natural Oils

The glands around the eyelid yield natural oils. However, when the oils are produced in excess, it thickens and blocks the pores, eventually causing a stye. Your eyelid might swell (blepharitis)(2), or you could get a stye. The heat from a compress can thin the oil. This helps it drain easily.

[ Read: Essential Oils for Healing Stye ]

4. Relieves Muscle spasm

A stye can cause strain to the eyes, making them and experience more pain and dullness. A warm compress can be useful in relaxing your eyes.

How to make Warm Compress at Home for Stye

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Warm compress is considered to be the most effective way of enhancing the blood flow to different parts of the body. The increased flow of your blood helps reducing pain as well. You can treat a stye with two kinds of warm compresses, which are

Dry Compress

In this warm compress, heating pads or usual rubber hot-water bags are used. The basic concept of this type of compress is to transfer the heat from surface-to-surface.

[ Read: Home Remedies for Stye ]

Moist compress

In Moist warm compress, a warm liquid (water is most preferable) is used for applying on a stye. In this type of compression, a towel or a piece of cloth is soaked in warm water and applied directly to the stye.

However, moist warm clothes are most recommended in the treatment.

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The procedure to make a moist warm compress at home

  1. Wet two sanitized cloth with water and squeeze out the excess water from the towel.
  2. Put one towel inside a zip lock bag and keep the bag open. Leave the bag inside your microwave for around two minutes.
  3. Now remove the bag from your microwave safely and seal the bag. Following that, wrap the bag with the other towel.
  4. This heat would last for around 20 minutes, sufficient enough to cure a stye.

How to make it effective?

You can follow the given pointers

1. Use plain water

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It is better to stick with plain water. People also use teabags. It is highly recommended to avoid using Epsom salts as this could burn the affected skin causing further injuries.

[ Read: Tea Bag for Stye ]

2. Maintain the right temperature

Keep in mind to maintain the temperature of the liquid. You are supposed to use a warm compress and not a hot one. The skin around your eye is highly sensitive. Therefore, try to keep the water warm or tepis.

3. Use Different Clothes

If you have developed a stye in both of your eyes, avoid using the same compress for both the eyes. Use different cloths for both the eyes. This can effectively lower the chances of infections from being spread from eye to eye.

4. Use a Sealed Bag

If you prefer to use a hot bag instead of clothes/towels, make sure that the bag is properly sealed and leak-proof as the water could burn your eyes and the affected skin.

How long Can You Use a Warm Compress on a Stye?

The best thing about stye is that it can be treated at home. As recommended by the doctors, a warm compress is required to be applied to the affected part of the eyes for around 10 to 15 minutes.

Repeat this 3 to 4 times a day, based on its severity. After the compression, press around the bumps of the eyes to open up the glands.

Take Away

It is important to understand that stye is not a serious medical issue and is fully curable. Another interesting part of using warm compression for treating stye is that you can also add up some herbal extracts in the water to incorporate extra benefits. You can choose to infuse herbal teas with it as well. However, make sure to keep your eyes closed during the process.

[Read: Treat Dry Eyes Naturally ]


FAQs

1. Is stye contagious?

Similar to other related problems, such as pimples, stye is not contagious as well. However, if the problem grows severe, it can cause other skin diseases. Stye is not a serious medical issue.

2. How long can a stye last on an average?

On average, a stye can stay for around three to four days. After maximum swelling, the pores generally break out. However, using warm compresses can speed up the healing process.

3. Is it necessary to visit a doctor for a stye?

You should consider visiting a doctor, if

  • The home remedy of applying warm compression does not work out
  • Stye starts affecting your vision
  • The pain grows severe.