Best eye drops for stye

In this article:

• Stye symptoms
• When to see a doctor for a stye
• Do you need antibiotics for a stye?
• What are the best eye drops for stye treatment?
• Compare the best eye drops for styes
• Stye treatment at home

In this article

• Stye symptoms
• When to see a doctor for a stye
• Do you need antibiotics for a stye?
• What are the best eye drops for stye treatment?
• Compare the best eye drops for styes
• Stye treatment at home

We use our eyes constantly, so when you have an eye health issue, it’s hard to ignore—especially if it’s an inflamed, itchy bump on the eyelid. These are called styes. They often stem from infected oil glands on the eyelid’s edge, and they can be pretty uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are plenty of eye care treatments to help relieve styes, including over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription eye drops or ointments. But which ones are best for your situation? Read on for an overview of several reliable options. 

Stye symptoms

Our eyelids contain a handful of tiny oil glands called meibomian glands, which produce an oily film that keeps the eye lubricated. When one of these glands gets blocked because of something like chronic dry eye, blepharitis, or contact lens irritation, a bacterial infection can occur. This may cause an eyelid bump similar to a pimple: a stye. Also known as hordeolum, styes can cause a range of symptoms.

Besides the physical bump, symptoms of a stye may include:

• Eyelid swelling
• Redness
• Itching
• Eye pain or tenderness
• Eyelid crusting
• Sensitivity to light
• Discharge
• Watery eyes
• Feeling like there’s something in your eye

In more severe cases, a large stye can also cause vision issues, fever, blisters, or difficulty keeping the eye open. These symptoms aren’t nearly as common, but it’s important to seek medical attention if you notice them.

When to see a doctor for a stye

Most styes are little more than an inconvenience, and they may go away on their own (or with at-home treatment) after a week or so, as long as you keep the eye area clean. But according to Meenal Agarwal, OD, optometrist and podcast host of “Uncover Your Eyes,” you should see a healthcare provider if:

• The stye doesn’t improve after seven days of at-home care.
• The swelling or redness spreads to other parts of the eyelid or face.
• The stye becomes increasingly painful or affects your vision.
• If you experience recurrent styes.
• You have other symptoms, such as a fever, which may indicate a more serious infection.

In many cases, a primary care provider can diagnose a stye with a visual eye exam, sometimes even via a telehealth appointment. However, more severe, persistent, or recurring cases might require an in-person office visit with an ophthalmologist. These eye doctors specialize in diagnosing and treating eye diseases.

“Your eye doctor can accurately diagnose the condition and come up with a specific treatment plan,” says Jovi Boparai, MD, eye surgeon and founder of CorneaCare. “It’s important to differentiate styes from other conditions that may present similarly, such as cellulitis, chalazion, milia, allergic conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and others.”

Do you need antibiotics for a stye?

Not necessarily. As we mentioned, many styes subside on their own, or with home remedies like warm compresses or OTC eyelid wipes. But they might require antibiotic treatment “if the stye shows signs of secondary infection (e.g., significant pus, increased redness, warmth, or spreading); if there is associated preseptal cellulitis; if the stye is not responding to conservative treatments; or if the patient is at higher risk for complications,” Dr. Agarwal says.

Typically, these come as topical antibiotics like antibiotic eye drops. Oral antibiotics usually aren’t necessary, but might work for certain cases where the infection has spread to nearby tissues or in immunocompromised patients.

A study from 2023 suggests that antibiotics don’t work better than other treatments for resolving a stye. But in moderate to severe cases, antibiotics may be effective for preventing secondary infections.

Either way, your healthcare provider will work with you to determine the best treatment for your particular situation.

What are the best eye drops for stye treatment?

Eye drops are a common option for stye relief, as well as for similar conditions like a chalazion, which forms on the inside of the eyelid instead of the outside. There are three main types: OTC stye eye drops available at local pharmacies, antibiotic eye drops, and steroid eye drops. Which one is best for your particular case? Your healthcare provider will make the call.

Over-the-counter eye drops

It’s important to note that OTC, lubricating eye drops like Systane don’t directly treat infections. Rather, they moisturize the eye, which is why they’re commonly used for dry eye relief. However, they can potentially relieve irritation and itching as well. That said, this is often enough for most people as they ride it out until their stye goes away—plus, OTC eye drops don’t require a prescription.

“I have my patients use artificial tears before and after the warm compress to keep the eyes lubricated and clear any oil that is naturally draining,” Dr. Boparai says.

Antibiotic eye drops

Antibiotic eye drops (or ointments), on the other hand, target the infection behind the stye. These don’t always work better than simple home treatments and OTC options, but they may for certain people. Common antibiotics prescribed for severe or persistent styes include erythromycin or, sometimes, fluoroquinolone medications like ciprofloxacin.

Steroid eye drops

Steroids like prednisone aren’t a common stye treatment, but some healthcare providers might prescribe them for particularly severe or stubborn cases. They’re powerful anti-inflammatory medications, so they can help reduce the swelling associated with styes, but like OTC eye drops, they don’t address the underlying infection. However, it’s important to only use them under the direction of a healthcare provider, since long-term use may lead to complications like glaucoma, cataracts, and serious eye infections.

Compare the best eye drops for styes
Name	Type of treatment	SingleCare cost*	Savings options
Erythromycin	Prescription antibiotic	$11 for 1, 3.5 gm of 5mg/gm tube	Get coupon
Cipro (ciprofloxacin)	Prescription antibiotic	$62 for 14, 0.2% solution	Get coupon
Polysporin (bacitracin/ polymyxin B)	Non-prescription antibiotic	$14 for 1, 3.5gm of 500-10000unit/gm tube of ophthalmic ointment	Get coupon
Systane	OTC eye drops	$6 for 1, 15 mL of 0.4-0.3% bottle	Get coupon
Refresh Tears	OTC eye drops	$13 for 1, 15 mL of 0.5% bottle	Get coupon
Blink Tears	OTC eye drops	$10 for 1, 15 mL of 0.25% bottle	Get coupon

*Cost at time of publication. Drug prices fluctuate and vary by pharmacy.

Stye treatment at home

Home remedies typically work fairly well for treating styes, and at-home treatment is all most people need. The foundation of this treatment is good hygiene. Keeping the eye area clean can help keep the infection from getting worse. Beyond that, there are several things you can do to help relieve stye symptoms and promote healing:

• Warm compresses: “I typically have patients do a warm eye compress four times a day, 15 minutes at a time, until the stye subsides. After that, I have them reduce the compress to once a day to prevent stye recurrence,” Dr. Boparai says. “The warmth from the compress helps liquify the backed-up oil in the stye, allowing it to drain naturally.” It may also help reduce inflammation, pain, and itching.
• Eyelid scrubs or wipes: These are over-the-counter products, like Ocusoft, that contain gentle cleansers. When you rub them on your eyelid, they remove debris and bacteria, helping keep the area clean. Research has also shown their effectiveness for stye treatment.
• Avoiding eye makeup and contact lenses: These can both cause further irritation, so avoiding them (if you can) will help the stye heal.
• Not touching it: It might be tempting to scratch or squeeze the stye, but don’t do it. Touching the stye can deposit oils or bacteria from your hands, and attempting to pop or drain the stye like a pimple can make it worse.

Many styes respond well to this kind of treatment, but some might be stubborn. Anyone who’s tried these methods without success after a week or two should contact their healthcare provider. Additional reasons include when the stye starts to affect your vision, increases in size or pain, or spreads to other parts of your eye or face.

Bottom line

Styes are rarely something to worry about, and they’re usually treatable from home. However, certain cases might require a healthcare provider’s attention, medicated eye drops, or other treatments. If you’re worried about a painful, large, or persistent stye, the best course of action is to speak with a healthcare provider. They can develop a treatment plan to get it cleared up as soon as possible.