How Long Does A Stye Last, And How Can You Make It Heal Faster?

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HealthlineSubscribeHow Long Can a Stye Last?

Medically reviewed by Grace Zhang, MD — Written by Noreen Iftikhar, MD — Updated on September 2, 2025

Symptoms
Causes
Risk factors
Lasts how long
Home care
See a doctor
Risks
Prevention
Takeaway

A stye is a common eye condition that can happen to anyone. It usually lasts for two to five days. In some cases, a stye may last for a week or longer.

A stye (or sty) is a small, red, painful bump near the edge of the eyelid. It’s also called a hordeolum.

You can get a stye on your upper or lower eyelid. It usually forms on the outer side of the eyelid, but it can also form on the inner side of the eyelid. You may have a stye in just one eye or both.

What are the symptoms of a stye?

A stye might look like a tiny pimple or swelling along your eyelash line. It may form a small, round bump or cause your entire eyelid or eye area to swell.

You may also experience:

eyelid redness
pain, stinging, or tenderness
sore or scratchy eye
tearing or watery eye
crusting or oozing along the lash line
sensitivity to bright light
pus from the area
sore or scratchy eye
blurry vision

What causes a stye?

A bacterial infection of a meibomian gland, also known as meibomianitis. usually causes a stye. The normal oily secretions from this gland may clog and fill the swollen area. Meibomian glands are small glands located in various parts of the eye that lubricate your eyes and prevent dryness.

A stye on the outer side of your eyelid is usually the result of an infection of the meibomian glands at the bottom of your eyelash.

A stye that develops on the inner side of your eyelid is most likely from an infection in one of the oil-producing glands that line your eyelids. These glands help keep your eyes and lashes healthy.

Risk factors for getting a stye

Risk factors for a stye include blepharitis, rosacea, acne, touching one’s eye with dirty hands, not removing makeup, and anything else that can clog the meibomian gland.

You may also have a higher risk of getting a stye if you have:

dry skin
hormonal changes
dandruff
dermatitis
other eye conditions
diabetes
high cholesterol

How long does a stye last?

In most cases, you won’t need treatment for a stye. It’ll get smaller and go away on its own in two to five days, though a warm compress is strongly recommended to help the healing process.

If you need treatment, antibiotics will typically clear up a stye in three days to a week. A healthcare professional will need to prescribe them to you. They may often prescribe an antibiotic/steroid combination drop.

Home care

At-home care can help relieve pain and swelling of a stye.

Avoid touching the area directly with your fingers. This can spread the infection or make it worse.

Follow these steps to soothe and clean the area around a stye:

Boil a new washcloth in water to help make sure it’s clean and sterile.
Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
Let the washcloth cool until it’s warm enough to touch.
Gently apply it to your eyelid with the stye.
Hold the washcloth against the area for up to 15 minutes.
Release and repeat three to five times a day.
Clean any discharge from your eye by wiping with a clean washcloth and a mild soap, like baby shampoo.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor or other healthcare professional if the stye doesn’t go away or begin to get smaller after using warm compresses for a week. A different eye condition may be causing your eye irritation and require treatment.

Your doctor can diagnose a stye by looking at your eye and eyelid.

Tell your doctor immediately if you have blurry vision after getting a stye. This might happen if your eyelid swells so much that it presses against your eye. Also, let your doctor know if you have eye pain.

Some eye conditions can raise your risk of getting a stye. Blepharitis is a condition that happens when your entire lash line is infected. You may see oily flakes similar to dandruff at the base of your eyelashes.

Blepharitis can cause redness and swelling along the entire edge of your eyelid. It’s most common in people with oily skin, dry eyes, or dandruff. You may need treatment for blepharitis to prevent styes from forming.

Your doctor may recommend medications and treatment for your stye, such as:

antibiotic ointment, like erythromycin
antibiotic eye drops
oral antibiotic medication
incision and drainage to allow the infection to come out (you may need antibiotics after the procedure)
steroid injection in the eyelid to help reduce swelling

Are there risks from a stye?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises that styes aren’t contagious. You can’t catch it from someone else who has a stye.

You can, however, spread the bacterial infection to other areas of your own eyelid or eyes. This can happen if you touch, squeeze, or rub the stye. You may also worsen the stye and cause it to swell more.

If you have a stye, avoid:

touching the area directly with your fingers
squeezing or popping the stye
wearing contact lenses
wearing eye makeup

Scar tissue can form in your eyelid if you have a very serious stye or don’t get treatment as needed. This can leave a small, hard lump or nodule in the eyelid. Your doctor may need to remove this if it’s affecting your vision or eyelid.

See your doctor if you have any kind of bump on the eyelid that doesn’t go away. They can make sure it’s not another condition that needs prompt treatment. Skin cancer and other conditions can form a tiny lump on the eyelids.

How to prevent a stye

You can get a stye for no reason at all. You may not always be able to prevent one. However, practicing good hygiene can reduce your risk of a stye. Here are some tips:

Wash your hands carefully with soap and warm water several times a day, especially before touching your face or eyes.
Clean contact lenses with lens disinfectant cleaning solution. Discard used daily-wear contact lenses and put in a fresh pair.
Avoid sleeping while wearing contact lenses or eye makeup.
Wash your face to remove dirt, makeup, sweat, and excess oil before going to bed and after working out.
Clean makeup brushes carefully and regularly. Avoid sharing makeup or brushes with anyone else.
Throw away old or expired makeup.

If you find yourself repeatedly getting styes, the best prevention is to apply a warm compress twice a day, every day.

The takeaway

A stye is a common eye infection that usually lasts a few days to a few weeks. You may not need treatment, and at-home care can help relieve symptoms.

Anyone can get a stye. You can’t always prevent it, but good hygiene, especially around your eyes, can help reduce your risk of getting a stye.

Styes aren’t contagious, but you can spread the infection around the same eye or into your other eye.

See your doctor if your stye doesn’t go away or get better after two days. You may need antibiotic treatment. Be sure to take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed.

See your doctor for a follow-up appointment to make sure the stye has cleared up properly.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Bragg KJ, et al. (2023). Hordeolum.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441985/
Repka MX. (2023). Are styes in the eye contagious?https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/styes-contagious

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Medically reviewed by Grace Zhang, MD — Written by Noreen Iftikhar, MD — Updated on September 2, 2025

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