Castor Oil for Stye | Homemade Stye Treatment

Did you know that castor oil is a potent remedy to treat a stye at home? Keep reading this article to know how to use castor oil for stye.

What Is a Stye?

Stye or sty is a type of eyelid infection. It is medically referred to as ‘Hordeolum’ and develops when the tiny oil glands, present in the base of the eyelashes clog due to dead skin, excessive oil, dirt, or bacteria. It can either form inside or outside of the eyelid. An external sty is a red lump of pus that forms anywhere on the eyelid, but most likely appears at the base of your eyelashes. Whereas, an inner stye develops inside the eyelid.

What Causes a Stye?

A stye is a bacterial infection caused majorly due to a clogged eyelid oil gland or eyelash follicle. Stress and hormonal changes are also responsible for styes. Blepharitis and rosacea like skin conditions are often linked to stye.

Symptoms of Stye

It’s crucial to identify a sty in the early stage to begin its treatment before it’s too late. Some of the most common symptoms of the sty are:

• Swelling and lump on the eyelid
• Redness
• Pain or tenderness
• Secretion of mucus from the eye
• Blurry vision (In extreme cases)
• Crusting of the eyelid margins
• Droopy eyelids
• Frequent tearing
• Foreign object sensation in the eye
• Discomfort in eyes due to bright light.

Castor Oil for Stye

The use of castor oil in home remedies and beauty products is increasing by multifold owing to the recent world trend of all things ‘organic’. However, it is essential to mention that just about any castor oil purchased from your neighborhood grocery store should not be used for treating a stye. You should always make sure that you are buying a cold-pressed, hexane-free, 100% organic, and sterile grade castor oil to avoid any further damage to your eye.

How to Use Castor Oil for Stye?

According to a report of the International Journal of Molecular Medicine and Advance Sciences, castor oil shows strong antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that causes a stye. In order to reap the benefits of castor oil in the comfort of your home, try the below-mentioned remedy.

Stye Castor Oil Remedy

Supplies

• Cold-Pressed Castor Oil
• Q-tip (Cotton Swab)
• Bowl
• Towel

Directions

1. First, wash your eyes with lukewarm water and gently pat dry the stye eye with a towel.
2. Now, pour 15-20 drops of castor oil into a mixing bowl.
3. Dip a Q-tip into the castor oil and let it absorb the oil for a couple of seconds.
4. Then, apply the oil on and around the stye gently using a Q-tip.
5. You can also use this method overnight.
6. Repeat this process daily, and in a few days, you will observe visible results.

Precautions

Even though sty does not create any vision loss, there are still some precautions you need to follow while managing your sty.

• Do not pop a sty under any circumstances. It’s filled with pus and infected bacteria, which, when popped, will only result in spreading the sty to the entire face.
• A sty is contagious, so you should be careful about not sharing your face towels and wash clothes with other people.
• You should also ensure that your contact lenses are disinfected before putting them in your eyes.
• Do not touch and rub your eyes frequently.
• Clean your hands or sanitize them with an alcohol-based sanitizer regularly.
• Don’t use old makeup products, discard them immediately.
• Avoid the use of disposable contact lenses.

When to See a Doctor?

A sty can be irritating and painful, but they are not a serious medical condition. They generally get better without treatment in one to two weeks. If you notice the following conditions, then it’s highly recommended to consult your doctor.

• If you don’t see any changes in your sty within 3-4 days.
• Heavy swelling in the eyelids.
• If you are unable to open your eyelids.
• Having vision issues.

Final Thoughts

Nowadays, castor oil has become a prominent all-natural remedy to speed up the healing process of a sty because of its richness in antibacterial properties. If you are suffering from this irritating and painful eyelid infection, then we hope, after reading this article, you’ll know what to do next. Besides, you can also use castor oil to reduce the appearance of a scar as well. Try and let us know your suggestions & experiences by hitting the comment button below.