A stye is an infection of an oil gland at the edge of the eyelid. Styes appear as swollen, red bumps that are often tender and contain pus. Skin bacteria usually cause styes. Some herbal therapies have been used to treat them. Eyebright and goldenseal can be applied to the closed eye as a compress. Echinacea taken by mouth has been said to help clear up styes by stimulating the immune system. But it isn’t known whether any of these alternative treatments actually help treat styes. Always check with your doctor before trying an herbal therapy. Styes usually improve on their own in a week or two. To help a stye “ripen” and drain faster, apply a hot compress for five to ten minutes, three times a day, until the inflammation subsides.
Sources: Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. The Pharmacist’s Letter, 2000.The Review of Natural Products. Facts & Comparisons, 2006.Tyler’s Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. Fourth Edition. Haworth Press, 1999.This answer prepared 1/02/2001.This information updated 2/6/2007.
