Stye Eye Drops and Ointments: Which Stye Medicine Helps

Most styes need no prescription medicine. A stye, an infected oil gland at the edge of the eyelid, usually clears within 1 to 2 weeks with warm compresses and clean lids. Stye eye drops and ointments sold over the counter aren't antibiotics; the ointments are lubricants that temporarily relieve burning and irritation. When a stye lingers, an eye doctor may prescribe antibiotic ointments or drops approved for use in the eye, sometimes combined with a steroid. Antibiotic pills are for an infection that spreads or doesn't respond. A chalazion is a blocked oil gland and generally not an infection, so its treatment works on the hardened oil and the inflammation.

Key takeaways

Most styes clear within 1 to 2 weeks with warm compresses and clean lids, so prescription medicine is for a stye that lingers or an infection that spreads.
Drugstore stye drops and ointments are not antibiotics, while erythromycin eye ointment and antibiotic and steroid combinations need a prescription.
A chalazion is a blocked oil gland and generally not an infection, so its care centers on warmth, calming inflammation and clearing the gland.
A swollen red lid with fever, a bulging eye, pain moving the eye or changed vision means calling us and coming straight in, or an emergency room when closed.

Do you need medicine for a stye?

Usually not. Most styes go away on their own, and routine antibiotic use is unnecessary for an uncomplicated one.

Heat is the first treatment for a stye or a chalazion. The American Optometric Association advises a warm, wet cloth on the eyelid for 5 to 10 minutes several times a day for a stye. For a chalazion it suggests 10 to 15 minutes, 4 to 6 times a day, for several days. A heated eye mask holds its warmth longer than a cloth; our guide to warm compresses done right shows how to use one.

Until it heals, don't squeeze or drain the stye yourself and leave off eye makeup; your eye doctor may also ask you to stop wearing contact lenses until it's gone. Our chalazion vs. stye guide explains how to tell the two bumps apart.

Do over-the-counter stye eye drops and ointments work?

The lubricant ointments sold for styes can ease burning and irritation for a while, but neither they nor the homeopathic stye drops contain an antibiotic.

Product	What's in it	What it can do
Stye lubricant ointment	Mineral oil and white petrolatum	Temporarily relieve burning and irritation and protect against further irritation; the label doesn't mention infection
Homeopathic stye drops	Ingredients in homeopathic strengths	Not FDA approved, and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness
First aid antibiotic ointment	Antibiotics made for cuts and scrapes	Made for skin wounds; its label says do not use it in the eyes
Pain relievers	Ibuprofen or acetaminophen	Ease the soreness

The lubricant sold under the name Stye lists mineral oil 31.9% and white petrolatum 57.7% as its active ingredients, and a store-brand stye ointment lists the same two. Prescription erythromycin eye ointment is made with mineral oil and white petrolatum too, plus 0.5% erythromycin, the antibiotic.

In 2023 the FDA warned the maker of a homeopathic Stye Relief sterile eye ointment that it and the company's other eye products were unapproved new drugs. Drugs applied to the eyes carry a heightened risk of harm because they bypass some of the body's natural defenses, the agency said.

Whatever you try, follow the Stye label's own warning: stop using it and ask a doctor if you have eye pain, changes in vision, or redness or irritation that continues, gets worse or lasts more than 72 hours. For eye pain or a change in vision, call us at 310-828-2010 for a same-day visit, or go to an emergency room when we're closed; sudden loss of vision is a 911 call.

Which antibiotic ointment is used for a stye?

When a stye needs an antibiotic, an eye doctor may prescribe erythromycin 0.5% or bacitracin ointment, applied to the edge of the eyelid, to treat a bacterial infection. Both are prescription eye ointments; bacitracin eye ointment is labeled Rx only, and the first aid bacitracin sold for cuts and scrapes isn't made for the eyes. Little evidence shows a benefit from antibiotic ointments for styes, though, and they aren't always necessary for a single stye.

Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment for a stye

Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment is a prescription antibiotic, labeled Rx only. Its FDA label covers superficial infections of the conjunctiva and cornea: the thin lining over the white of the eye and the clear window at the front of it. Styes aren't on that list, so using it on the lid edge is your eye doctor's call.

The most frequently reported side effects are minor eye irritation, redness and allergic reactions. Use it as prescribed, and keep the tip of the tube from touching your eye, your fingers or anything else, as the label advises.

What do antibiotic and steroid eye drops or ointments do?

They calm inflammation and guard against infection at the same time. The steroid suppresses the inflammatory response, and because steroids may also weaken the body's defense against infection, the antibiotic is there to protect the eye while the steroid works.

TobraDex (tobramycin and dexamethasone), a prescription ointment, is one example. Its label calls it an antibiotic and steroid combination for inflammation of the eye's surface and the lining of the eyelids where a bacterial infection, or a risk of one, exists. The tobramycin in it is active against Staphylococcus aureus, the main cause of styes, though styes aren't among the conditions its label lists.

The label warns that prolonged use may result in glaucoma, with damage to the optic nerve, and in cataract, and that eye pressure should be monitored routinely. The first prescription is limited and shouldn't be refilled without further evaluation. The label also rules it out for herpes simplex infection of the cornea and many other viral eye diseases, and for fungal infections of the eye.

The most frequent reactions to tobramycin in the eye are allergy and irritation, including lid itching and swelling and redness of the eye. A combination like this, with a heated eye mask, is our first step for a stye or chalazion that isn't settling.

When are antibiotic pills like doxycycline used for a stye?

Only occasionally, mostly when the infection spreads into the skin around the eye. StatPearls, a reference for clinicians, says antibiotic pills are rarely needed unless significant redness surrounds the stye and periorbital cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the eyelid and nearby skin, is a concern. The AOA adds that antibiotics by mouth are sometimes used when local antibiotics are not effective, meaning drops or ointment haven't worked, or when the infection isn't confined to one spot.

For spreading infection, StatPearls lists amoxicillin-clavulanate and doxycycline among the common choices. Doxycycline is also effective for associated meibomian gland dysfunction or rosacea, the oil gland and skin conditions behind many repeat styes; our page on ocular rosacea covers how it's treated.

Doxycycline is a prescription tetracycline antibiotic, and its label carries these cautions:

It can permanently discolor teeth that are still forming, from the last half of pregnancy through age 8, so children 8 and younger take it only for severe or life-threatening illness, and you should tell your doctor if you're pregnant.
Some people get an exaggerated sunburn reaction, so avoid strong sun and tanning lamps while you take it; the label says treatment should stop at the first sign of reddened skin, so call the doctor who prescribed it if that happens.
It should go down with enough fluid to reduce the risk of irritation and ulcers in the esophagus, the tube that carries food to the stomach.
It has been linked to raised pressure inside the skull (intracranial hypertension), which can cause headache, blurred vision, double vision and vision loss, and it shouldn't be taken with isotretinoin (Accutane), which can cause the same problem. If your vision changes while you take it, call us right away, or go to an emergency room when we're closed; sudden double vision or sudden loss of vision is a 911 call.

Why is chalazion medication different from stye medicine?

Because a chalazion is a blocked oil gland and generally not an infection. Antibiotics are not routinely needed for one, and most chalazia need minimal medical treatment, clearing up on their own in a few weeks to a month.

Home care comes first. Warm compresses may help soften the hardened oil blocking the gland so it can drain, and the AOA suggests gently massaging the outer eyelid for several minutes each day; if you aren't sure how much pressure to use, ask us to show you.

When we prescribe chalazion eye drops or ointment, we use the same antibiotic and steroid combination as for a stubborn stye: the steroid works on the inflammation, and the antibiotic guards against infection while the steroid is in use. Antibiotics by mouth are kept for a chalazion with a suspected infection, and then tetracyclines such as doxycycline are the usual choice.

A chalazion that hasn't gone away after several weeks may need an incision to drain it or an injection of steroids to reduce the inflammation and swelling. We don't drain or inject chalazia in our office.

Rarely, a chalazion can be a sign of an infection or skin cancer. A chalazion that keeps coming back in the same spot needs an exam and may need a biopsy, a small sample of tissue checked in a lab, to rule out a type of eyelid cancer called sebaceous carcinoma. If that's happening to you, show it to us.

When does a stye or chalazion need same-day or emergency care?

When redness and swelling spread beyond the eyelid. The AOA says to contact your eye doctor immediately if that happens: call us at 310-828-2010 right away, or go to an emergency room when we're closed.

A red, swollen eyelid with a fever, a bulging eye, pain when you move the eye or a change in vision can mean the infection has spread behind the eye. That's orbital cellulitis, and it needs immediate medical care. Call us and come straight in, or see another eye doctor; when we're closed, go to an emergency room.

For a baby or young child with a red, swollen eyelid and a fever, call us at 310-828-2010 and come straight in, or call your child's pediatrician right away; when we're closed, go to an emergency room.

Painful lid bumps are on our same-day list during office hours, Monday 10am to 5pm and Tuesday to Friday 8am to 5pm; see same-day urgent eye care. Outside office hours, redness and swelling that spread beyond the eyelid, or the warning signs above, belong in an emergency room. Come in as well if a stye keeps growing or lingers past a week or two, or if a chalazion is large enough to blur your vision.

How we treat a stye or chalazion that lingers

Our optometrists in Los Angeles first confirm at the slit lamp whether a bump is a stye, a chalazion or something that needs different care. Then we work in steps:

First, antibiotic and steroid drops or ointment, with a heated eye mask at home.
If it lingers, intense pulsed light (IPL) with meibomian gland expression. Pulses of light heat and liquefy the thick oil inside the glands, and right afterward the doctor applies controlled pressure to the lids to clear it.
Then patience: even a stubborn chalazion tends to fade over the following months, and we talk you through how often chalazia clear up without surgery.
If you would rather have it removed than wait, we co-manage with an oculoplastic (eyelid) surgeon, though we prefer to avoid incisions on the eyelid.

Bumps that keep coming back usually trace to blepharitis, ocular rosacea or meibomian gland dysfunction, so we image the glands and treat them at the source. A chalazion that keeps coming back in the same spot also needs an exam and may need a biopsy. Our stye and chalazion treatment page walks through each step, and our guide to styes explains why some people keep getting them.

Questions patients ask

Is there a way to get rid of a stye overnight?

Not reliably. A stye tends to clear on its own within about a week, and most uncomplicated ones are gone within 1 to 2 weeks. Steady warmth helps it along: a warm, wet cloth on the closed lid for 5 to 10 minutes several times a day. Don't squeeze or drain it to speed things up, and keep eye makeup off until it heals. If it keeps growing or lingers past a week or two, have it checked.

Is it pink eye or a stye?

Look for a lump. A stye is a tender, red bump at the edge of one eyelid, from an infected oil gland. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, causes swelling and redness in the inside of the eyelid and the white part of the eye, often with watery eyes, discharge or crusting. The treatments differ too: antibiotics will not improve viral pink eye, and stye care starts with warmth. Our pink eye guide covers the rest.

Can you use a heated eye mask for a stye?

Yes. A heated eye mask is an easy way to give a stye the steady warmth it needs, and it holds heat longer than a washcloth. Keep it comfortably warm, never hot: the compress must be clean and not too hot to avoid burns, and eyelid skin is thin. Rest it on the closed lid without pressing. For a stye that lingers, we pair a heated mask with prescription drops or ointment; our heated eye mask guide explains how to use one safely.

Do eyelid wipes help with styes?

Yes, as part of daily lid care, both while a stye heals and to help prevent the next one. StatPearls calls eyelid hygiene a cornerstone of prevention and management, and the AOA's advice for preventing styes starts with keeping the eyelids and lashes clean. Wipe gently along the closed lid with a fresh wipe for each eye, and don't rub or squeeze the bump. If styes keep coming back, blepharitis or blocked oil glands are often why; see how to clean your eyelids.

Sources

Written by

Dr. Bijan Cohenmehr, OD

Founder of Cohenmehr Optometry, in practice for over 40 years. He leads the practice’s dry eye care and myopia management. A graduate of SUNY College of Optometry.

About Dr. Bijan →

Stye Eye Drops, Ointments and Pills: What Helps a Stye or Chalazion?