Mom Seeking Effective Way to Treat a Stye

I was always told to cut a potatoe in half and set it on the stye for a while and it's supposed to bring it to a head.

Hi N.,
I've suffered from "stye's" since I was very young. Something that may help are "compresses" of hot water (not too hot). Can do it with a clean rag or even cotton balls. You can do it 3/4 times daily for a few minutes a day. Hope they go away.

HI N.,

RUB YOUR INDEX FINGER IN YOUR PALM TILL IT GETS REAL WARM THEN PUT IT ON THE BABY'S STYE.

IF THAT DOESN'T DO IT TRY pediatrics.com

D. P.

I used to get a lot of Stye's in highschool. I found what was best was A LOT of hot compresses... Maybe 4 or 5 times a day until it wasn't hot anymore. I found tea bags with caffeine worked really well. If your 4 yr old is in camp during the day and can't do this, they sell "STYE" medicine in walgreens and you can put it on her during that time. I will say don't stop the hot compress until its completely gone, because sometimes it won't heal all the way and leave a small mass or become something else. Good luck!

I don’t feel comfortable telling you how to "treat" it everyone has a opinion on this one…lol...but to make him a bit more comfortable I put just a touch Vaseline/petroleum jelly on the sty and it really helps with the dry itchy feeling...

Hi N.!

Warm tea bags! You don't want to put anything harmful near your eye. Just give your pediatrician or pharmacist a call. The tanin (sp) in the tea soothes the itch and reduces the swelling, too. Make sure it's not hot. Good luck!

Just went through this about a month ago with my son. Luckily, my sister works for an optometrist! The doc gave us some antibiotic gel to put on there until it was gone, but I think what really helped was warm compresses (as warm as your daughter can stand it) as often as possible.
I do recommend taking her to your eye doc though...if you have one.

Warm compresses (you can use a wet washcloth, but make sure it's not too hot) and massage about 2-3 times a day for 5-10 minutes. The heat and massage will help break it up. I would have your optometrist take a look at it so they can monitor it. But, they'll give you the same advice and possibly a antibiotic cream on top. Sometimes these can take several weeks to go away.

I used to get styes all the time - I use heat to treat them (hot compress, etc). It breaks them up and helps them go away. Obviously be careful not to get whatever you use too hot near her eye.

Warm tea bags and warm, wet washcloths for compresses. That's what I do for my kids as well.

:)

Don't know medically, but I remember growing up my mom would make a strong tea (just the plain Lipton bags) and soak cotton pads (not dripping) in it (not piping hot, just warm) and put the soaked cotton pads on my eye for a few minutes - it always helped soothe it. Good luck.

Boric acid (can by it in Walgreens) diluted in hot water - use a washcloth. This always works. I've used hot teabags before too, and that also works.

Hi N.,

A stye usually is a sign of a deficiency in Vitamin A which is a sign that the immune system is not working at an optimum level. If your four year old is not on an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex (one that does not create free radicals) I would get her on one immediately. I can recommend one if you like. Food is a great source for nutrition, it's just not packed full of it like it used to be so you have to be a very diligent shopper. Short term, you can also go to the health store and see if there is any liquid or chewable vitamin A for her as well. I've never seen Vitamin A in another form individually than a gelcap...

All these ladies are right about the compresses (a warm Raspberry leaf tea is best)but compresses just attack the symptom really and not the cause. They are also soothing if your little one will sit still for it.

God bless!

M.

warm compresses is all i know. use a wash cloth and the warmest water safe to use and lay on the sty.

I agree with Becky. When I get one I run the hot water in the shower and run the water directly at the eye where the stye is. For my kids I get a washcloth and really warm water and put it over there eye!

my 4 year old has one, going on ten days now. she has a chalazion and a stye. yup, same eye. we were told to get a washcloth wet then put it in microwave for about 12 seconds then into a ziploc bag and then on the eye. as often as you can. she is allowing me to hold the washcloth on her eye about 10 min at a time. the eye doc. also gave us antibiotic ointment that goes inside the eye, you create a small pocket between the lower eyelid and the eye itself. i don't know if it's helping or not, she clearly still has them but they have not gotten worse. we're hoping for the best
good luck

Clean warm washcloth, and change baby's linen often. Styes are just oil buildup and dirt clogging a duct. I get them sometimes and I simply put a warm washcloth over it for a couple days till it goes away!