Online Stye Treatment
A sore, red bump on your eyelid can show up almost overnight, and it is hard to tell whether it will go away on its own or needs medicine. Talk to a licensed online doctor from home, 24/7, and get a clear plan for your stye. When medically appropriate, your doctor can send a prescription to the pharmacy you choose.
- Fast and reliable prescription sent to your pharmacy
- 24/7 Instant care & immediate access
- No wait time to see your doctor
Trusted by millions for instant online care
Over 1 million Patients
5-star Doctor Ratings
4.5 Rating
5,000+ App Reviews
4.6 Rating
1k+ Trustpilot Reviews
Don't let a tiny stye on your eyelid slow you down
From your first click to the moment you start treatment, we keep every step simple, so you can focus on feeling better.
Connect with an online doctor, 24/7 anywhere
Whether it’s 4 AM or after dinner, you can start an online visit for your stye anytime, with no need to wait days for an appointment.
Get the treatment your stye actually needs
Your doctor will look at your stye and tell you whether home care is enough or whether you need a prescription. If you need an antibiotic, it is sent to your pharmacy.
Skip the commute and treat your stye at home
There is no need to search store shelves for a stye remedy. When you need a prescription, we send it to the pharmacy you choose, big-chain or local, so you can pick it up close to home.
How to get stye treatment online
Follow these three steps to talk to a doctor about your stye from home:
Start your virtual consultation
Download our app or visit our site, create your secure profile, and describe your issue to get started.
Chat with a licensed doctor
Choose text, audio, or video, whatever you prefer. Your doctor will look at your eyelid, ask about your symptoms, and tell you whether your stye needs medicine or simple care at home.
Receive your e-prescription
When medically appropriate, your doctor will send your prescription to the pharmacy you choose, so you can pick it up close to home.
What medicine do you need for a stye?
Most styes do not need any medicine. A stye can drain and heal on its own, and warm compresses help it along. That is why a doctor will usually start with care at home and add medicine only when your stye needs it. You can read more about how to get rid of a stye in our guide. Here is what a doctor may suggest:
- Warm compresses first: For most styes, a warm, wet cloth on your eyelid a few times a day is all the treatment you need.
- Antibiotic eye ointment: For a stye, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment, such as erythromycin eye ointment. You apply it to the lash line after warm compresses.
- Antibiotic pills: If the infection spreads to the rest of your eyelid, it is called eyelid cellulitis and may need oral antibiotics.
- Treating blepharitis: If your eyelid edges are red, itchy, and crusty, you may have blepharitis, and treating it may help keep styes from coming back.
- Drainage: A stye that does not go away may need to be opened and drained by a doctor in person. Never try to pop or drain a stye at home.
If your stye is not getting better with home care, you can talk to a doctor and get an online antibiotic prescription when medically appropriate.
What antibiotics and eye drops can we prescribe online?
No antibiotic eye drop or ointment is made just for styes, so your doctor will choose a medicine based on how your stye looks. For a stye that needs one, a doctor may prescribe an antibiotic eye ointment such as erythromycin. If the infection spreads into the skin of your eyelid, these are some of the antibiotics our doctors can send an online prescription for:
Cephalexin
Cephalosporin antibiotic
Clindamycin
Lincosamide antibiotic
What is a stye and what causes it?
A stye, also called a hordeolum, is a red, swollen bump on the edge of your eyelid, where the eyelash meets the lid. It looks like a pimple and is often tender to the touch. Most bumps on the eyelid are styes.
A stye starts when one of the tiny oil glands in your eyelid gets blocked. Bacteria can then grow inside the blocked gland, a lot like an acne pimple on your skin. There are two types:
- External stye: Forms at the base of an eyelash, on the edge of your eyelid, and often has a small white or yellow spot on top.
- Internal stye: Forms in an oil gland on the inside of your eyelid, so it may cause more swelling without a spot you can see. If the gland stays blocked after the swelling goes down, it can turn into a firm lump called a chalazion.
Some things make a stye more likely:
- Blepharitis: If your eyelid edges are often red and irritated, you are more likely to get styes. Tiny mites called Demodex, which commonly live on human skin, can make styes worse.
- Touching your eyes: Rubbing your eyes with unwashed hands can carry bacteria to your eyelids.
- Eye makeup and contact lenses: Using them while your eyelid is irritated can make a stye harder to clear.
What are the symptoms of a stye?
A stye most often develops over a few days. Along with the red, swollen bump, you may notice:
- Pain or tenderness in your eyelid
- A small white or yellow spot on the bump
- A gritty, scratchy feeling, like something is in your eye
- Sensitivity to light
- A watery eye
Get medical care in person right away if the swelling spreads around your eye, or if you also have a fever, trouble or pain moving your eye, an eye that looks like it is bulging, or changes in your vision. These can be signs of an infection of the eyelid or the skin around the eye that needs a closer look, especially in young children. If the redness is in the white of your eye rather than a bump on your eyelid, it may be pink eye instead.
How do you treat a stye at home?
Most styes get better with simple care at home. Here is what helps:
- Warm compresses: Hold a warm, wet cloth on your eyelid for 10 minutes, 4 times a day. Use water that is no hotter than you can comfortably leave your hand in.
- Gentle eyelid cleaning: Clean along your lash line with warm water and a gentle cleanser, like baby shampoo, to wash away oil and crusts.
- Hands off: Do not squeeze or pop a stye. Let it drain on its own.
- A break from makeup and contacts: Skip eye makeup and contact lenses until your eyelid has healed.
- Clean hands: Wash your hands well before you touch the skin around your eye.
Talk to a doctor if your stye does not improve within a week or two of home care, gets very large or painful, bleeds, or keeps coming back. A doctor can check whether you need medicine and send an online prescription when medically appropriate.
Get prescription from our healthcare providers
Dr. Asim Cheema is a board-certified Cardiology and Internal Medicine specialist with nearly 30+ years of clinical experience. He has been operating as an independent practitioner since 2001. He has worked at several leading healthcare institutions in Ontario, including Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. He focuses on the diagnosis, management, and long-term care of complex cardiovascular and internal medicine conditions.
For more than eleven years, Dr. Marsha Dunkley has been committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive medical care to patients across Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia. Her clinical experience spans chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol and acute illnesses, including the common cold, seasonal allergies, influenza, and COVID-19.
Dr. Sohail Cheema is a seasoned pediatrician with 30+ years of experience. A 1987 graduate of Nishtar Medical College, he’s recognized for patient-centered care and clear communication. He's a member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK & Ireland) and certified in Ontario. He practices at Halton Healthcare – Georgetown and St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
Dr. Mandy Leideman offers telehealth services and chronic care consultations to patients, whether insured or uninsured. With 30+ years of experience in general practice, she now focuses on long-term care and chronic disease prevention. Dr. Leideman is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Canadian College of Family Physicians, and the Canadian Medical Association.
Dr. Kieran Kettyls is a compassionate family physician who specializes in bariatric medicine, women’s health, and in-office procedures. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, he pursued his medical education and training internationally. He provides virtual care for patients across Alberta and British Columbia. He developed an AHS-covered weight loss program focusing on personalized care for obesity, metabolic, and hormonal health.
Dr. Richard Honaker is a board-certified physician with more than 40 years of experience in family and emergency medicine. He serves as Chief Medical Advisor at Your Doctors Online and is affiliated with Medical City Plano in Texas. Recognized multiple times by D Magazine and Texas Monthly, Dr. Honaker provides evidence-based care across a wide range of conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and injury care.
Dr. Monique Rainford is an OB/GYN expert and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale School of Medicine. With 25+ years of experience, she’s led OB/GYN departments at Yale Health and Baltimore Medical System. Her clinical interests include pregnancy, menstrual health, chronic pelvic conditions, and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Rainford advocates for maternal health equity, especially in underserved communities.
Dr. Candice Fraser is an OB/GYN practitioner and founder of Trinity Medical Care. With over a decade of experience, she focuses on reproductive care, menstrual health, and menopause management. Along with medical training and residency, she also holds an MBA in healthcare management, blending business insight with clinical excellence.
FAQs about stye treatment
Can amoxicillin treat a stye?
Amoxicillin is not a usual treatment for a stye. Most styes get better with warm compresses and do not need an antibiotic at all. If the infection spreads into your eyelid and you need an antibiotic by mouth, your doctor may choose a different one, such as cephalexin.
Will antibiotics help a stye?
Not always. Styes often get better on their own with warm compresses, so antibiotics are often not needed. A doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment for a stye, or antibiotic pills if the infection spreads to the rest of your eyelid, which may require oral antibiotics.
Can I go to urgent care for a stye?
Yes, urgent care centers can check and treat a stye. You can also talk to an online doctor from home, without the wait, and get a prescription if you need one. If your stye needs to be drained, or you have swelling around your eye, a fever, or changes in your vision, you will need to be seen in person.
How long does a stye last?
A stye usually develops over a few days and may then drain and heal on its own. If your stye does not get better within a week or two of home care, talk to a doctor. A stye that does not drain can turn into a chalazion, which often goes away without treatment in a month or so.
How do I get antibiotics for a stye in my eye online?
Start an online visit, tell the doctor about your symptoms, and show them your eyelid on a video call. If an antibiotic is right for you, such as an antibiotic eye ointment or, for an infection that has spread, an antibiotic by mouth, your doctor will send the prescription to your pharmacy.
Are there over-the-counter antibiotics for a stye?
No, there are no over-the-counter antibiotic eye drops or ointments for a stye. Some stores sell stye eye drops labeled as homeopathic, but the FDA warns that homeopathic eye products should not be marketed and are not approved by FDA. Warm compresses are the safest place to start, and a doctor can prescribe an antibiotic ointment if you need one.
How do I use doxycycline for a stye?
Doxycycline is not a usual treatment for a single stye. It may be considered when styes keep coming back because of a long-term eyelid problem such as blepharitis, where your doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye drops, ointments, or pills. If doxycycline is right for you, your doctor will explain the dose and how long to take it.
Is clindamycin effective for a stye?
There is no clindamycin eye ointment, and clindamycin gels and lotions made for acne should not be used on your eyelid. Clindamycin capsules may be an option if the infection from a stye spreads into your eyelid and you are allergic to penicillin, since its label reserves it for people who cannot take a penicillin.
Do styes spread from one eye to the other?
You can get another stye, in the same eye or the other one. To lower the chance, wash your hands before you touch your eyes, use your own towel and washcloth, and do not share eye makeup.
How can I prevent future styes?
Wash your hands well before touching the skin around your eyes, and take off eye makeup before bed. If you get styes often or have blepharitis, clean your eyelid edges every day with warm water and a gentle cleanser such as baby shampoo. When tiny mites called Demodex are behind your blepharitis, there is now an FDA-approved eye drop for Demodex blepharitis, so ask your doctor whether it is right for you.
Can makeup cause a stye?
Yes, old or dirty eye makeup can carry bacteria that may block your eyelid glands and lead to a stye. Replace mascara and eyeliner often, never share them, and take your makeup off every night. If you get a stye, skip eye makeup until it heals, and throw away the products you were using when it started.
