What Antibiotics Treat a Stye?

Stye is an infection caused by the bacterium called staphylococcal, which resides in the skin lining of your eyelids and nose. The bacterium accumulates near your eyelashes and cause the glands to get clogged. The condition then manifests in the form of a red, tender lump at the base of your eyelashes.

Although the infection is harmless and not contagious but can cause soreness and pain in the eye. It is accompanied by many other symptoms like watery and itchy eyes, difficulty in blinking, and the annoying feeling of something stuck to your eye.

Stye breakouts is a common condition, and can be treated with home remedies. You can use warm compression to open blockages, reduces swelling and drain out the pus. Once the pus drains out, symptoms automatically start vanishing within a few days. 

In some cases, however, the infection may be extreme and last for a prolonged period of time. The individual may then require medical intervention. Styes usually don’t appear once they are gone. But there are individuals who experience them on a recurring basis. Such individuals will have to consult a professional and may also require antibiotics.

Depending on the intensity of the infection, your doctor may prescribe oral or topical antibiotic medications to treat the infection. Such medications are capable destroying bacterial cells or building the immunity of your body against such infections.

Here are a few antibiotics that are commonly used for treating styes:

Keflex

Keflex, also known as cephalexin, is a common antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. For treating stye breakouts, 500mg of Keflex, twice per day for a week, is prescribed for patients. It is important to note that Keflex is suitable for individuals who are not allergic to cephalosporins or penicillin.

Augmentin

Augmentin is an antibacterial combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid in the form of its potassium salt. If the infection is mild, the doctor may prescribe a dose of 500mg of Augmentin, which needs to be taken twice daily for a week. In case the infection is a little more severe, the doctor usually prescribes a dose of 875mg. If the infection is extremely severe, the doctor will prescribe a non-generic 1000mg dose of this antibiotic.

These antibiotics, however, may not be suitable for your condition if you are allergic to cephalosporins or penicillin. In case any allergies to these compounds are found, you may be prescribed some other antibiotic, which are as follows:

• Zithromax (azithromycin)– The doctor may prescribe 500mg of this medication on the first day, and reduce to 250mg in the next four days.
• Oral fluoroquinolone Levaquin (levofloxacin)– The doctor may prescribe 500mg once daily for a week if you are allergic to macrolides.
• Cipro (ciprofloxacin)– The doctor may prescribe one tablet of 500 to 1000mg daily for a week.

In case the pain is unbearable, you may also need painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol to get some comfort. In most cases of stye breakouts, however, you may not need any antibiotics because they go away on their own.