What is the fastest way to heal a swollen eyelid?

Swollen eyelids have many potential causes, including allergies, pink eye, blepharitis, styes, fluid retention, orbital cellulitis, insect bites, and more. Most of these conditions are easily treatable, but the question is: which treatment works fastest? You’ve got an array of options, and while the most efficient one typically depends on the cause, there are a few tried-and-true ways to find quick relief, including:

• Applying a cold or warm compress
• Using artificial tears or allergy eye drops
• Rinsing the eye with cool water or a saline solution
• Applying topical drops or creams for conditions like infections, eczema, or allergies
• Keeping the eyelids clean with a gentle wash like baby shampoo

Fast-acting swollen eyelid treatments

No one’s eager to sport a swollen eyelid to meetings, dates, or around the house, so efficiency is usually a priority. Some root causes resolve faster than others, but certain treatments can reliably provide some quick relief. 

Warm compresses for styes

For swelling that comes from a bump on the eyelid like a stye or chalazion, James Dello Russo, OD, an optometrist at New Jersey Eye Center, says warm is the way to go. “A lot of people think applying cold compresses brings down swelling, but it’s quite the opposite,” he says. “When you apply heat, you’re getting 10 times more blood flow, which fights off infection and helps it become localized and drain.” Just dampen a clean washcloth with warm water, then hold it gently over your eye for five to 10 minutes, two to three times daily.

Cold compresses for other causes

However, Dr. Dello Russo also says a cool compress or ice pack can reduce swelling caused by eye allergies, and they can also soothe symptoms like itching and redness. Plus, since cold constricts the blood vessels, it can reduce the appearance of bags under the eyes that come from fluid retention, lack of sleep, smoking, or aging. 

Eye drops

Artificial tears, also called lubricating eye drops, are a long-standing method for keeping the eyes comfortable, and for good reason. A 2023 systematic review showed that they’re not just effective in treating dry eye disease, but also pink eye (conjunctivitis), eye pain, and inflammation. 

For certain underlying causes of eyelid swelling, medicated eye drops might work even faster. For example, antihistamine eye drops like Pataday (olopatadine) or Zaditor (ketotifen fumarate) can relieve swelling from allergies.

Antibiotic eye drops may work quickly for certain cases of pink eye. However, these antibiotics—like Bleph 10 (sulfacetamide sodium) or Moxeza (moxifloxacin)—only work for bacterial conjunctivitis, not allergic conjunctivitis or a viral infection, and they’re often overprescribed.

Creams and ointments

The skin of the eyelid is thin, and not all types of creams or ointments should be used around the eyes. But there are some that are useful in treating different causes of a swollen eyelid. Corticosteroids like hydrocortisone are often used to treat eyelid dermatitis. Topical antibiotics such as bacitracin-polymyxin B can treat bacterial infections in conditions like conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Doctors sometimes prescribe ointments simultaneously with eye drops.

Eyewash solutions

Having a foreign body in your eye can be anxiety-inducing, and it can also lead to inflammation. Eyelashes, hair, dirt, pollen, contact lenses, makeup particles, and airborne allergens can all get stuck in the eye, potentially causing a reaction. The good news is that repeated blinking can usually remove them. But sometimes, they require a little more. 

“When you have a swollen eye from allergies to cats, dust, etc., wash out the eye with cool water to flush out the allergen(s) that may have irritated it,” says Dr. Dello Russo. 

Rinsing your eye with cool water is typically enough, but using an eyewash solution can work as well. As a bonus, these solutions may also help flush out bacteria, mucus, or viruses that can cause other infections.

Other treatment options for a swollen eyelid

The treatments for eyelid swelling are almost as abundant as its causes, but some might not work quite as fast as others. Here are a few other common options. 

Oral antihistamines

For the eyelid swelling, redness, itching, irritation, and watery eyes that can come from an allergic reaction, oral antihistamines like Claritin, Allegra, or Zyrtec may do the trick. When the immune system senses an allergen, it sends a chemical called histamine to the site, which can cause inflammation. Antihistamines block this chemical, reducing the inflammation. 

However, antihistamine eye drops often work faster since they deliver the medicine directly to the site. Plus, according to studies, oral antihistamines may cause more side effects, including eye dryness. 

Ophthalmic NSAIDs

Most people have some experience using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) for a headache, sore muscles, or a fever. However, according to this 2010 study, “systemic and topical NSAIDs have proven effective in treating many inflammatory ocular disorders” as well. 

But we’re not talking about ibuprofen or aspirin. Popular ophthalmic NSAIDs, like Acular (ketorolac) and Bromsite (bromfenac), were developed specifically for eye pain and inflammation. They’re not as potent as steroids for reducing swelling of the eyelids, but they also have fewer potential side effects. 

Avoid contacts and makeup

Wearing contacts can further irritate your already swollen eye. Plus, when they rub against the inside of the upper eyelid, they can cause a condition called giant papillary conjunctivitis, leading to redness, itching, swelling, and eye pain. So, removing them for a while can reduce potential eye irritants. 

Cosmetics are typically safe to use around the eyes, but they may contain substances that cause contact dermatitis. Additionally, one 2013 study found bacteria in 79% of expired mascara, which may cause an eye infection. Like avoiding contacts, putting away the makeup will help reduce the number of irritants that could exacerbate your swelling. 

Cut back on salt and alcohol

Sometimes, puffiness around the eyes can come from excess water retention, and dietary habits can cause or worsen it. Yuna Rapoport, MD, MPH, the founder and CEO of Manhattan Eye, says, “decreasing alcohol intake and increasing water intake are two helpful changes” when dealing with swollen eyelids.

Sodium balances the amount of water inside and outside our cells, so a high-sodium diet can throw it off, causing swelling in the hands, feet, face, and other places. 

Alcohol can cause bloating, which may have a similar effect on the eyes. 

Elevate your head overnight

While you sleep, fluid can settle around your eyes, which is sometimes why they appear puffy in the morning. Adding an extra pillow to prop up your head overnight can prevent this fluid retention, reducing the appearance of puffiness or bags under your eyes. 

Unsafe treatments for swollen eyelids

Just because people claim certain home remedies can reduce swelling doesn’t mean they’re safe, especially when it concerns your eyes. The cornea (surface of the eye) is 400 times more sensitive than the skin, so you want to keep it safe and avoid unproven treatments.

Hemorrhoid cream

TikTokers might swear by Preparation H as an instant cure for a puffy eyelid but don’t jump on the bandwagon. It’s true that the cream typically contains phenylephrine, which can constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling—after all, that’s part of how it treats hemorrhoids. The problem is that the skin around the eyes is exceptionally thin and sensitive, and these creams often contain ingredients that can irritate or damage it. 

Long-term use of hemorrhoid creams under the eyes can cause skin-thinning, inflammatory reactions, acne, or permanent skin discoloration. That’s why the Preparation H Anti-Itch label specifically recommends avoiding contact with the eyes. 

Breast milk

You read that right. Some have touted breast milk as an effective treatment for pink eye. While a 2021 study found that it showed some efficacy in breastfeeding children younger than 6 months old, there’s no evidence that it works for adults. In fact, it can be downright harmful. 

Breast milk contains bacteria that are healthy for an infant’s gut but not an adult’s eye. When applied directly, those bacteria can cause a far more serious infection than conjunctivitis, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. 

Raw meat

In movies and TV, the quintessential cure for a swollen or black eye is slapping a steak on it. In real life, not so much. The raw meat’s coldness might temporarily reduce some inflammation, but it also contains bacteria that can infect the eye. 

Reach for a cold compress instead. 

Squeezing or popping

Anyone who grew up popping their pimples might want to do the same thing with a stye or chalazion—but Dr. Dello Russo says you should “always avoid trying to pop a stye with needles or tweezers.” This can spread the infection to other parts of the eye or leave you with scar tissue on your eyelid. And it’s never a good idea to use sharp objects around your eyes.

Dr. Rapoport goes a step further and says, “Putting pressure on the swollen eyelid should also be avoided, as this would be unsafe.” Even better, just avoid touching the stye altogether since your fingers could introduce more bacteria to the eye area. 

How long does it take for a swollen eyelid to go down?

Like everything else, the duration of a swollen eyelid depends on its cause and how quickly you address it. Here’s the typical timeline for eyelid swelling by cause:

• Puffy eyes or an allergic reaction might only last a day or two.
• Blepharitis is a chronic medical condition with occasional flare-ups. 
• Eyelid dermatitis can last for a few days to a few weeks, but symptoms can be chronic if the root cause isn’t accurately diagnosed and treated.
• A stye or chalazion might last a few weeks. 
• Pink eye often subsides within one to two weeks with treatment. 

When to see a doctor for a swollen eyelid

Many causes of eye swelling resolve on their own with home care and good hygiene, but some require a physical examination from an eye doctor, along with medical treatment. 

“Usually, a swollen eyelid should go down within a week,” says Dr. Rapoport. “After that time, I would recommend seeing an eye doctor.”

A swollen eyelid is seldom a cause for panic since the most common causes rarely require immediate medical care. However, certain symptoms can indicate more serious problems and should not go unaddressed. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience severe symptoms, such as:

• Vision loss or double vision
• Acute eye trauma
• Persistent high fever
• Severe swelling
• Bulging eyes
• Loss of normal eye movement