When bacteria causes a stye — a painful, pimple-like bump — to form on your eyelid, it can be hard to ignore. While styes typically heal on their own, they can be treated at home to help speed up the healing process and prevent further infection.

To minimize how long your stye lasts, here are 10 stye home remedies you can try:

Stop wearing contact lenses

One of the first key steps in stye treatment is removing possible irritants in the eye area. Contact lenses and contact solutions can cause further irritation or dryness in the eyes, increasing discomfort and postponing the healing time.

Wear eyeglasses instead of contacts until the stye has healed to give the area room to breathe and avoid spreading bacteria. Once the stye has cleared, be sure to wear a fresh pair of contact lenses to avoid reinfection.

Clean the area (and keep it clean)

The area around the stye needs to be kept clean in order to heal properly. It is important to clean the area with products that are safe and mild enough to use in the eye area, such as:

• Mild, hypoallergenic soap

• Tear-free baby wash or shampoo

• Saline solution

Gently scrub the area around the stye with a clean finger, a clean washcloth or a fresh cotton swab as needed.