How to treat a sty on the upper outer eyelid?

From the Guidelines

To treat a sty on the upper outer eyelid, start with warm compresses applied to the affected area for 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times daily, as recommended by the most recent guidelines 1. This helps bring the sty to a head and promotes drainage.

• Gently clean your eyelids with mild, diluted baby shampoo or eyelid cleansers like OCuSOFT or SteriLid, using a clean washcloth.
• Avoid wearing eye makeup and contact lenses until the sty heals.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) 200-400mg or acetaminophen (Tylenol) 500-1000mg can help manage discomfort. Never squeeze or pop a sty as this can spread infection. If the sty doesn't improve within a week, worsens, affects your vision, or spreads to other areas, see a doctor who may prescribe antibiotic ointments like erythromycin or bacitracin, or oral antibiotics for severe cases, as suggested by 1. Styes are typically caused by bacterial infections in an oil gland or hair follicle at the edge of the eyelid, and most resolve within 7-10 days with proper home treatment. It's essential to follow the treatment plan and attend follow-up appointments to ensure the sty is fully healed and to prevent any potential complications, as emphasized in 1 and 1. In cases where symptoms persist or worsen, it's crucial to seek medical attention to prevent long-term damage or vision problems, as highlighted in 1 and 1.

From the Research

Treatment Options for a Sty on the Upper Outer Eyelid

• A sty, also known as an external hordeolum, is a common and painful inflammation of the eyelid margin usually caused by a bacterial infection 2.
• The treatment for a sty on the upper outer eyelid may include ear-apex blood-letting, which has been shown to be effective in relieving pain, reducing the size of the sty, and shortening the duration of the disease 3.
• Local application of hydrochloric levofloxacin and erycin ointment to the affected eyelid lining, as well as local warm compress of the affected eyelid, may also be used to treat a sty 3.
• Warm compresses and antibiotics may suffice for many eyelid conditions, including styes 4.
• It is essential to note that most eyelid disorders, including styes, are not vision-threatening or life-threatening, but they can cause irritative symptoms such as burning, foreign-body sensation, or pain 4.

Non-Surgical Interventions

• Non-surgical interventions, such as hot or warm compresses, lid scrubs, antibiotics, or steroids, may be used to treat a sty 2.
• However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of non-surgical interventions for the treatment of internal hordeola, and controlled clinical trials would be useful to determine which interventions are effective 2.
• Emerging treatments for eyelid margin diseases, including blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction, may also be relevant to the treatment of styes 5.

Additional Considerations

• The treatment for a sty should be chosen based on the cause, location, and severity of the disease 5.
• It is crucial to recognize and diagnose eyelid disorders properly to manage them effectively 4.
• Various methods, including taking off sutures, shifting of the septal fat or the pre-septal orbicularis muscle, transferring of pretarsal orbicularis muscle, grafting of autogenous fat tissue, and repairing or/and shortening of the palpebral levator, may be used to correct adhesive deformities from upper eyelid fold formation 6.