Ask Dr Gary: Compress relieves stye pain  I have a stye on my
lower eyelid for the third time in three years, although each
time it has been in a different place. The first one went away
by itself. The second needed antibiotics. What can I do to
prevent them? -M.H.  Styes are essentially tiny abscesses of the
hair follicles of the eyelashes or deeper down in the oil-
secreting glands of the lids. A duct gets plugged and fills with
oily debris that causes painful inflammation.  People make them
worse if they needle or squeeze them, which pushes the infection
deeper.  The mainstay of treatment is warm compresses (a flannel
wet with very warm water then wrung out and placed over the
closed eyelids) three or four times a day for five minutes.
Some think the warmth liquefies the oils in the glands,
promoting easier drainage. It's more likely the warmth dilates
blood vessels, stimulating more white blood cells to migrate to
the region to fight infection, creating more pus, which
accumulates under pressure and event