stye treatment- hot or cold compress?

Hi there,
On several websites, I've read that the best treatment for a stye is a hot compress.  I've been doing so since Friday and it has been very painful for this stye that i started getting last week.  The swelling has increased and this morning someone told me that you are supposed to put a cold compress on it until the swelling comes down and THEN put a hot compress to draw stuff out once the swelling has gone down....What's the best thing to do and are there any over-the-counter meds that i can put on it to ease the pain and pressure?

Thanks!

[Sandy Feldman, MD, MS]

Dear melissw,

Since you have an eyelid lesion that is not getting better, I would recommend that you seek the care of an eyeMD to determine the correct diagnosis.

Dr. Feldman

Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S.
ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
San Diego, California