Jerry asked
Can you use Abreva on your eye for a stye?
Answer
No, Abreva should not be used on the eye for treatment of a stye.
A stye is a bump on your eyelid, most commonly caused by a bacterial infection but can also be caused by blockage/inflammation of pores or a hair follicle.
Most styes will clear on their own in a few days, without treatment. There are times however where an antibiotic is needed to clear the infection.
Abreva is not an antibiotic, but an antiviral used for the treatment of cold sores. It also does not possess any anti-inflammatory properties. Using Abreva on a stye will not help it clear faster and will not reduce the pain or inflammation associated with it.
Applying Abreva near the eye can be extremely irritating and contact with the eye should be avoided. If it does get in your eye, you should flush your eyes immediately.
So not only will Abreva not work for treating styes, it can be extremely irritating and damaging to the eye. It should not be used for styes.
Stye Treatment
For home treatment of styes, the following is recommended:
- Apply a warm compress (e.g. washcloth with warm water) to your eye for to 10 minutes at a time.
- A warm compress can be applied multiple times a day for symptom relief.
- Warm compresses help to reduce inflammation and drain excess fluid from the stye.
- You should not wear contact lenses or makeup on your eye until the stye has healed.
If the stye doesn't appear to be getting better after a few days, you should see your doctor. They may prescribe antibiotic eye drops to clear an infection.
Abreva Information
Abreva (Docosanol) is an antiviral used for the treatment of cold sores. The actual chemical compound in Abreva is known as behenyl alcohol. It has been shown to reduce the duration of symptoms of cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus.
For best effects, it should be applied as soon as the symptoms of a cold sore begin.
As Abreva is not an antibiotic, it will not work for bacterial infections.
