A stye usually occurs as a result of inflammation and poor oil flow in the oil glands around the eyelid margin.
There are 2 main approaches to treat a stye.
Performing warm compress twice a day for 10 to 15 minutes helps soften the contents in the stye and can resolve the stye gradually. In addition, maintaining lid hygiene by scrubbing the lids with mild soapy solution or lid wipes will help reduce the risk of infection.
Often, incision and drainage (I&D) of the stye can be recommended when there is little relief from the above-mentioned after a couple of weeks. However, I&D does not prevent a stye from recurring. One should continue to maintain regular lid hygiene and warm compress even after the stye has resolved as a form of preventative measure.
It is strongly recommended to visit an ophthalmologist when there are persistent and frequent occurrences of styes to establish the root cause as well as to exclude other serious causes such as eyelid tumours.
