Effective Natural Remedies for Chalazion

Dear Earth Clinic, I have never posted before but would like to add this to the Chalazion page if possible.

I'm a 23 year old female suffering from bad hay fever, under a lot of stress recently following 8 months of job hunting and family issues. These past few weeks I have had a very poor diet with a high sugar intake and lots of caffeine. I was rubbing my eyes a lot to relieve the itchiness of the hay fever. Last week, I woke up feeling like my upper eyelid on my left eye had been punched in the night and now bruised: looking in the mirror, the eyelid was swollen to twice the size of the other eye, and was red in colour. The whole eyelid up to the browbone was extremely painful when I touched it, and a definite lump was forming under the eyelid. Also, the eye would only open half way. With a big job interview coming up and my birthday a few days away, my heart sank.

I waited for 4 hours to see the Eye Specialist in the local Eye Clinic, who said I had a chalazion and that they would surgically remove it by incision after 2 weeks, and that I should "put hot water on it" in the meantime (he refused to elaborate). I was prescribed eyedrops containing 1% chloramphenicol and instructed to use once daily for the next fortnight. Looking online, I was very disinclined to have surgery, as I am very squeamish and also, many people reported having further chalazions as little as weeks after the op. Days passed, and the swelling got redder and larger.

I read up about chalazions thoroughly online and especially on Earth Clinic, and decided a lifestyle change was in order. After readings hundreds of testimonials, I decided that apple cider vinegar was the most likely option.

Here was my regimen:

1. I bought a bottle of organic apple cider vinegar, making sure to find one 'with the mother' as this is said to be the most effective sort.

2. I put 2 tsp apple cider vinegar in cup (100ml) of very hot (near boiling) water, and used cotton wool to soak a little up. I then held it against my eye for a good minute or two, before gently moving the pad down away from the nose. I did this 3 times a day that week.

3. Later in the day, I would use green and black tea bags as hot compresses, and these seemed to help the swelling. I did this 3 times a day also.

4. Also, I started drinking 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar in a pint of warm water twice a day.

5. I completely cut out sugar, alcohol and fast food.

This regimen completely CURED my chalazion in the space of 5 days - I woke up on the 3rd day with a small amount of yellow gunk holding my eye shut, but it easily washed away and my eye looked better. Each day for 4 days I would find this gunk in my eyelashes, and would wash it away to reveal my eyelid becoming less and less irritated and red. Success!

Slowly and surely, sticking to the above regimen, my eye got better and I didn't need the horrible surgery. I would say that putting apple cider vinegar on a HOT water covered cotton pad was doubly effective, as it sped up the healing process. I have continued to drink the Apple Cider Vinegar since then, and am a sworn Apple Cider Vinegar fan ever since.

i'm from london and this is the fourth chalazion I have had. First, I was supposed to have it operated but it just came back on the other eye, I tryed gold and compresses, it worked, but now it doesnt work. How long does it take to go away with the apple cider vinegar?

Do you rub it on the outside of your eyelid? Or in the inside?

Hi everyone, I was fed up from getting continuous chalazions not until I took your regimen and tried it. I must say that I have spent around 1500 dollars removing them surjically. But I tried the vinegar part and oh my God it is disappeariing day by day.

However, I soak an ear pad the one you clean your ear with and apply it directly to the chalazion. It stings for a while but after that it sort of pulls the pus in the chalazion and allows it to float on top of it forming a head. From here the chalazion oozes and become smaller and smaller each day. I apply Garlic Vinigar on it not apple cider. Anyhow I think any form of vinigar will work.

Thanks so much for this as my chalazion is disappearing thanks to you ;)

Sammy from Kuwait

Castor oil really works for a chalazion. It's better than any treatment. Just keep applying it topically on the bump everyday. It can take from 2 weeks to 6 months depending on your immunity. But it will surely go. Take 2 day breaks when using for more than 2 months. You can help your immunity by staying off wheat sugar and junk or fried food. Castor oil really really works. Please help spread the word to the people here because I dont have much time.

Nina! DO you see any improvements on your chalazion? Has it gotten any better for you? I have been suffering from chalazion for the last 2 years. I have gotten several surgeries. I will try the ACV and the castor oil and let you all know if I see any improvements also.

I've had this chalazion on my upper left eyelid for a little more than a month. After reading your comments, I've decided to try all of these multiple remedies (castor oil, applying the ACV and drinking the teaspoons of ACV daily, washing my eye with baby shampoo and added Vitamin A to my diet). I've been doing this for about 2 days as well as continuing wih the warm compresses. I'll let you all know if my chalazion shows any improvement in about a month.

My daughter had an allergic reaction to makeup remover cloths the other day and had a lump under each eye suddenly appear. After washing her eyes with water, one completely dissapeared, and the other is now quite large and red. I agree that it is an allergic reaction, so she won't be using the cloths any more. Thank you for your imput on this site, we are trying the rubbing and warm tea bags you recommended.

Son is 14 and has had 2 chalazions: at 7 months old baby dr exam, dr said she 'just came from a seminar that taught a terrific new infant massage therapy' and pressed her knuckle hard into my son's left eye socket saying she was massaging the bone?! I grabbed him and left. Next day his eyelid center had half-inch ball-shaped chalazion. Crying painful, pushing into eyeball, couldn't open lid or blink. 3 days later, it seemed larger. Different dr referred us to eye dr who matter of factly told me he'd be glad to lance it but baby would lose his eye as dr never used eye shield or guard and baby still would have a good eye. Instead, I took baby home, put gentle moist warm wet baby washcloth on eyelid to cleanse mucus and watering.

Called my mom (72 yrs old). She told me put a dab breastmilk or room temp regular whole milk on chalazion. Within an hour, swelling reduced. I reapplied again, then a very slightest dab aloe liquid from my garden plant. Next day, chalazion was half size. In 2 days more it was gone forever, no scar. At 14 he had an identical chalazion lump grow to cover entire backside of one earlobe. Since no pain we didn't pick, pierce, lance. After 1 month, it was about same size, but tender. We applied gentle wet warm washcloth to soothe and soften. It showed reducing next day after slight dab hydrogen peroxide, milk and aloe. Next day we dabbed milk, aloe, olive oil and kept it clean, dry. It is almost gone in a few days. Seemed these last 3 did most help. Thank you forever mom. Love this site. Thank you.

Hi, thanks for the site, I have a chalazion for 3 months now, it started small but steadly growing and am afraid it could grow bigger, my request is a specific name of drops that can help in case we don't have it in Zambia, I can try elsewhere. Thank you.

I went to 3 different doctors or 4 occasions for chalazions. This happened over a 2 month time span. I never had one before. I had the first one lanced, then a week later, I got another one in my other eye. I kept a warm compress on it as I had done before, as well as using an eye wash and eyelid wash pads. The second one went away, then I got another one in the other eye again. I spend hundreds of dollars to see specialist and purchase prescription medication. Nothing worked until I added the apple cider vinegar to my daily regimen. I was disappointed that I spent so much money going to the doctor, when all it took was apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball. I'm just grateful it worked and I haven't had an issue since then.

Hi All, I have received an amazing amount of inquiries regarding my post here so I put up a small web page explaining our experience with the pollen and chalazion. Please have a look and if you have any questions you are still welcome to email me!

https://sites.google.com/site/cmchalazion/

I'd be scared of putting anything in my eye not prescribed by a doctor but I also had a chalazion and I can tell you I did the compress as well and it didnt do much for me eithe. So I tried something different I've had boils in the past and tumeric is an all natural antibiotic that can get rid of many things cancer, boils and apparently chalazions. So the reason I mention boils is because a boil is a clogged pore that gets bigger and bigger well a chalazion is a clogged tear ducked thats pretty similar so I decided to try the all natural remedy to get rid of boils for my chalazion. So take one teaspoons of tumeric powder twice a day (morning and night) what I do is I put honey in my mouth to coat it and then dump the teaspoon of tumeric in my mouth and make sure u eat food first might make your stomach upset. Also drink it down with plenty of water. You can take it how ever you want I just found that this was the most tollerable way. I also washed all my pillow cases and wash my face and eye with warm water and gently massaged the lump while washing too loosen it up and help the stuffin the tear ducked break up and move into the blood stream. My eye swole up and I did nothing about it for a week until it got bigger and everyone notice and it was getting sore. Then I took action and did this and in two days it has gone down tremendiously and no one notices it anymore and its almost gone.... I hope this helps you its been extremely helpful for me and it cant hurt to try unless your allergic to tumoric but if you not than no side effects.

Go to a rite aid or a similar type of store and ask for eye drops to get rid of styes- they're similar and thats what I got. U cant find a eye drop that say chalazion on it probably cuz most people dont know what it is.

What type of Castor oil did you buy? Was it an eye drop? How long did it take the chalazion to disappear? I have one for 6 months and I want to clear it. I don't want any surgery. Thanks so much.

Update on my chalazion situation: I believe my main problem is acidosis. I just had a bout of pink eye, only recovering now, and consuming more alkalizing foods has made a significant difference in my visible health.

When I had a breakout of eczema last year, I can probably attribute it to pH imbalance, over doing on the alkalizing though.

I have been struggling with allergic reactions to something - with what I suspect is a food allergy - the past several weeks and have been dealing with constant eye infections/irritation, and almost daily eczema flare-ups. Just a few weeks ago, when I arrived in France, I developed a chalazion over my left eye, something I've never had before. I tried applying some tea tree oil over it to no avail. Some days it would go away, some days it would come back with a vengeance. It seemed to worsen when my general allergies worsened. Like another reviewer commented below, there seems to be a connection between the two.

I looked for some remedies on Earth Clinic and the internet and saw that a lot of people recommend warm compresses and massage. I am in France at the moment and some people told me that in France, the cure is to rub the chalazion with a gold ring or gold cross. Strangely enough, the folk remedy is similar in the U. S. , to rub it with a gold wedding ring. It seemed like a strange remedy, but I decided to give it a try. Every day I would rub the area with the back of my gold ring gently. I'm not sure if it's just the massage or if it really matters if the ring is gold or not, but it works. I also applied warm tea bags over the eye several times a day.

Today, the chalazion came to a head, and I sterilized a needle and drained the chalazion myself. It relieved a lot of the pressure and now my eye looks so much better. (However, due to the obvious danger of putting a needle that close to your eye, I seriously warn against it unless you have a steady hand and - like me - you are a contact lens wearer who doesn't flinch when you touch your eye. If you have any doubts, please go to a doctor to drain it professionally. ) I've also been taking coconut oil every day which has stopped a lot of my allergic reactions.

I hope this helps someone else - best of luck, Jennifer

Did she ever reply back to you? What specific drops? Why did she not think to state the specific drops?

My 5yr old has had it for almost 1yr doing compresses and johnsons baby shampoo and flax oil but no difference yet. What drops did you use exactly?

Hi Ry and All, My 2 year old son had an issue with chalazions for about a year. During that year we tried most of the above remedies, including the warm compresses 5 times a day, on each eye of A 2YR OLD! We had multiple doctors tell us once he is 5 to look into surgery to have them removed. We left the last doctor visit with two perscriptions, one for an external steroid and one for an oral steroid, he left the option up to us. Up to this point they were about 85% of each of his upper eyelids and about 20% of one of his bottom eyelids. None of the remedies had helped to reduce them much they stayed about the same size although the warm teabag compresses did appear to remove some of the redness.

We met a vendor who farms bees at our Portland Farmers Market in downtown Portland, OR. He was schooling us on the nutritional benefits of bee pollen and the way he herds his bees to different types of fruits to influence the taste of the pollen, we were sold on it as a vitamin suppliment. We began giving our son 1/2 of a teaspoon twice a day and taking it ourselves as well. Within 2 weeks we had noticed our son's chalazions were 1/4 of their normal size. A month later they were gone, only the little pink spots of where they were are left on his eyelids.

It has been almost 8 months now and we still buy our pollen from the same guy and still take it as a vitamin suppliment. My son has not had any chalazions since.

I am not comfortable posting someone else's contact information online but if you are interested in trying some of the pollen to see if it helps, feel free to shoot me an email.

Thanks for listening and sharing!

[chris.minor0[at]gmail.[com]

After reading about castor oil on this site, I had to try it, as it removed warts on my fingers as a child... I bought the castor oil on Saturday, applied it once then, once Sunday, and once so far today, on a cotton pad, covered with a warm gel eyemask, and a heating pad. When I got out of the shower today, the chalazion, which was birthed in December, was 3/4 gone. Props to castor oil.

My daughter who is five years old has had a chalazion for a couple of years. I did all that I read to do; used warm compresses and washed eye out, etc, but did not seem to help. I bought over the counter natural allergy drops for the eyes and it is clearing up very nicely!

I have had multiple problems with chalazions forming on my eyelids, on and off, for almost 20 yrs. There was a period of about 10 yrs, where I wasn't affected at all, but now, at 41, they have made quite a comeback. There seems to be no warning, and I've had many surgeries to remove them, from the same doctor I went to 20 yrs ago, and one thing I'd like to warn any of you about is.. Scar Tissue. Please note that, over time, and after many removal surgeries, Scar Tissue begins to form, unknowingly, on the inside of the eyelid, and, as in my case, causes problems for the surgeon to remove further chalazions! As I write this, I have another, formed about a wk ago, and from what I now realize, after yrs of warm compresses, and surgeries, and recurrences, I may not be able to have the surgery again! The ever-recurring advice of the "warm compress" and massaging, seems now to be the overall best remedy for chalazions. Even if it doesn't seem to reduce the chalazion at first, I highly recommend several attempts at this, BEFORE resorting to the surgery. Also, if anyone has any other revelations on prevention, or treatment, I am all ears for any further help in this recurring problem. Thank you,

Ryan. (rypuppy1(at)gmail.com)

If any of you are in, or anywhere near new england, I happen to know the BEST doctor in this field, at least locally, and his name is Peter Diblasio, North Providence, RI.

I have had a chalazion on my upper lid for 4 weeks. Over the last 10 days I have been diligent with hot compresses with the water mixed with Epsom salts ( 50/50) and this seemed to help bring it down a tiny bit. Yesterday I couldn't keep up with my 4-6 times per day of compresses as I had a full day back to work after the holidays. Has anyone dealing with chalazions noticed that they can look more inflamed/larger somedays and smaller, as if going away, on others? I'm really trying to avoid surgery like the plague, so any additional tips or advice to get rid of this little bugger will help tremendously! Peace and love

Jack, will regular fish oil pills work? Or does it have to be fish liver oil? Or cod oil? And what does the vitamin A anf D do to help? Thanks. Also was wondering why would people get the surgery if a steroid shot does the same thing pretty much? Or does it? I appreciate sites like these and all of everybodys input. Ive had this chalazion problem for almost a year. Started out as just one on my upper lid, then a month later the lower. Ive had them pop and form a scab, super annoying and embarrasing, I wear sunglasses at night, (people think I'm on drugs). Now there is two on my upper lid and still one on the lower. One on the upper has grown and is pretty large, it is sore and painful at night, why? And how did it grow? Ive been to a Dr. and researched the internet. I don't want surgery cuz most people say it comes back anyway and leaves huge scarring. Thinking bout the steroid shot?

Anyhow, internet research says chalazion will go away on its own but can take as long as a year or possibly longer. That's why I still have it, I guess, just been toughin it out, as its almost been a year. But it has gotten super worse!! Can't handle it anymore. And yes I've done hot compresses, but not that much at all, (doesnt seem to help). I started taking fish oil capsules, hopefully that helps. Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any input or advice.

Hi! This sounds amazing. I had a chalazion for two weeks and used hot compress and it went away. Unfotunately there is still an ugly scar tissue (pink bump) where the chalazion used to be. No pus though. Do you know of any remedies to get rid of the scar tissue?

--Thanks!

Where can I get colloidal silver? Can I get it online?

I whole-heartedly believe it was the diluted ACV drink that began the healing process for my chalazion on the left eye margin (bottom rim of eye). Since June I've been drinking diluted ACV on and off, not daily, just when I remember to. On a regular basis 3-4 times a week though, I've been using diluted ACV as a facial toner to swipe on my face with a cotton ball. As I do this, my eyes are closed and swipe where the lids meet with the ACV cottonball. Use one side of the cottonball for one eye, then the other side for the other. This is a precaution to keep from contaminating one or the other eye if one is infected with anything.

There is no more exterior trace of the chalazion. The only evidence I see is a tiny, darker pink spot in the interior side of the lower lid where the chalazion had been.

Take care not to overdue with soaking the cottonball, the ACV will sting if it gets into your eye--the cottonball shouldn't be sopping wet. Just one quick swipe across each eye, and then tone the rest of your face with the cottonball.

Oh yes! Start taking supplements that will help you maintain eye health.

Over the course of the summer, my 9 yo daughter developed styes on both of her eyes. We treated them, with fair success, with Tulsi tea, an Ayurvedic tea from India known as "holy basil". Recently, though, a sty on her left eye began to grow, looked hot and inflamed, and was higher up the eyelid, toward the crease, then her previous styes. My research pointed to the develpment of a chalazion, a somewhat deeper and more difficult infection to clear.

After being informed by a friend that in her youth she was treated for a similar infection by having the inflammations lanced and drained (which resulted in some very faint scarring) while going on a round of antibiotics and using antibiotic ointments and eyedrops, I redoubled my efforts to clear up this lingering ailment. Not only was it tender and painful to the touch, it looked ugly, red, and "angry" as another friend indicated.

I am studying Ayurveda, and decided to use triphala (an ayurvedic combination of the herbs amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki known as "three fruits" used traditionally to soothe skin irritations and burning, red eyes) and turmeric (known Ayurvedically as "haridra") - a powerful and soothing combination, which would fight infection while decreasing inflammation and breaking up any underlying blockage in the pores of the eyelid and eyelashes.

All medical information online says to be patient with natural remedies of sty and chalazion outbreaks - treatment can take 2-4 weeks.

Using triphala/turmeric eye wash, we cleared up my daughter's chalazion in LESS THEN 5 days.

Here's our integrated treatment approach:

1. Hot packs, or fomentation, 3-6x per day; we averaged about 4x/day for 3 days. Read online about proper preparation of hot packs for the eyes, being mindful and careful not to prepare hot packs that are too hot. Gently clean the pores along the base of the eyelashes with the warm cloth to remove waxy buildup, and massage the eyelid gently to encourage drainage.

2. Application of neem oil (sesame oil which has been infused with a decoction of powdered neem), externally, to the eyelid. Medicated neem oil (NOT essential oil of neem) and powdered neem is available online through reputable Ayurvedic herbal distributors.

3. Eye drops prepared with triphala and turmeric, 2-3 drops 2x-3x/day.

When preparing eye wash or eye drops, you MUST thoroughly disinfect and sanitize all work surfaces and equipment (pots, spoons, droppers, measuring cups, drying racks/towels, etc).

Bring 1/2 c. distilled water to a boil, add 1/8 tsp ea: powdered triphala and turmeric, and steep 10 minutes (as if making tea).

Strain thoroughly through a fine mesh sieve lined with clean muslin or other cotton or silk cloth, and set the strained liquid aside to cool. This is your eye wash, and great care must be exercised to keep it fresh. Store in a disinfected jar in the refrigerator.

Bring eye wash to room temp, or body temp, before using in the eyes.

Apply 2-3 eyedrops to each eye, 2-3x per day.

We applied eyedrops morning and night before applying other ointments or medicated oils. My daughter reported some stinging in the infected eye, which would pass quickly.

4. Apply castor oil compress to eyelid at bedtime. Apply 1-2 drops castor oil directly to the eyes, and cover the wound with a piece of cotton secured by a bandage. Castor oil encourages the draining of the wound, helping to draw out infection. It is also traditionally and safely used directly in the eyes to sooth red, irritated eyes.

This is a more complicated protocol of healing then other posts, but will be very helpful in the treatment of chalazion, preventing the need for a physician's visit and more invasive treatments.

Peace and healing blessings!

My chalazion is gone.

There is a tiny bit of a 'scar' or discoloration on my eye margin, but my eyelashes have grown back in that spot, and there is no longer a bump. There is also no longer 'structural damage' as my PCP called it on the inside of my lower lid.

To the other things I was using, I added Vit A (25000 IU) per day to my supplement regimen, and as an added boost, I used one drop of colloidal silver on the inner lining for two days before bedtime to kill off any infection. I had used colloidal silver before, for pink eye.

One last thing to note, my chalazion is hardly discernible; no bump, but a tiny shadow on the eyelid margin, and the tissue on the interior of the lower lid is soft again with only some discoloring at a darker pink/reddish. I'm pretty pleased with my results... and no prescribed meds! Now I'm just waiting for a lash or two to grow back out at the spot.

Unfortunately, I cannot say which of the remedies I have been using (for other conditions) did the trick to heal my chalazion. The chalazion appeared on my lower left eyelid a little over 5 months ago. In those 5 months I used warm compresses, tea bags, colloidal silver drops, rue fennel wash, etc. It would decrease in size on occasion after one of the above treatments, but stayed noticeable. My PCP recommended an opthalmologist, but I didn't want to see more doctors for something that wasn't an emergency so I searched Earthclinic.

In early April 2011, I started using the Castor Oil for the chalazion, and had started ACV as a tonic for my overall health.

I believe my consumption of diluted ACV (2 teaspoons in 10 ozs, once sometimes twice a day) did the most good, but I was also taking very low doses of Potassium Iodide (300 mcg a day), and I had also started using Castor Oil in/on my eyes (at bedtime, one drop swiped on each eyelid, or one drop in the chalazion eye.

Cautionary note: The ACV I consumed also triggered or boosted my immune system, and possibly raised my body's histamine levels. I've been recovering from a bout of Contact Dermatitis (Dx as per an MD), or a bout of Urticaria/Angioedema (self-Dx'ed).

My 5 yr old got one last August which we tried treating as a sty. This obviously didn't work.... Because it wasn't hurting her in anyway the docs advice was to leave it alone. If it started to hurt this would mean infection and then sonething would have to be done about it. So I decided to go with his advice. Out of the blue, on the last day of March, it just disappeared. Literally overnight. But her "eye allergy" started up within 2 days. Every year during April her eyes get mucus and itchy. We had her checked out the first year it happened and this was the diagnosis. She doesn't suffer any other form of allergy. I can't help but wonder are the two related. If the chalazion reappears I am going to try local honey to see if the pollen helps.

I've had a chalazion for the past year or so in both of my eyes. One stayed very small, only noticing it by the feel of the bump when I rubbed my eye. The other got very large and swollen, affecting my ability to open my eye. This only happened because it got infected, and I needed a steroid shot in the chalazion to reduce the swelling. It stayed away for a half a year, and now it's returning. I'm wetting a washcloth and placing in the microwave on one of those beanbag/rice heating pads and laying down with them over my eyes. Also, I'm going to start washing my eyes with baby shampoo mixed with water because that reduces the oil blockage without pain. My chalazions do not hurt as well.

Fish Liver Oil or Cod Oil with Vitamin A and D

Been suffering from recurring and embarrassing Chalazions for many years, having useless surgery where they completely missed the Chalazion altogether or it came back in the same spot weeks later... Surgery doesn't unclog the problem, which is a blocked meibomian gland. You can even see them if you look closely on your eyelid, separate from the eyelashes on the moist edge of your eyelids, you see many tiny hole openings. Some will be filled with fatty white blockage.

Within 60 days my Chalazions were gone for good after researching Vitamin A and D from Fish Liver oil. Being deficient in both, I took two softgels per day for sixty days and by the sixtieth day, the Chalazions were gone completely, though it is a gradual process that requires patience for those who want instant results from the awkward eye bumps. Warm compresses never helped me unfortunately, as the doctor suggested. Hope this helps. If you try it, be consistent and don't overtake vitamins per day.

This is available at most stores that have vitamins. Now I take one per day and it's been over two years and no Chalazions have recurred since. It really worked.

Keep in mind, there is no instant solution other than surgery, which leaves a big black and blue mark, swollen eyelid for a week, and the glands are still blocked, so it came back in the same spot weeks later... The doctor didn't even mention that vitamin A or fish oil could solve it. I think he either didn't know, or rather have more business when there's more problems.

After my doc put me on an iodine pill, my chalazions went away, except for a very tiny remnant of one that wasn't noticeable to anyone but me. A few months later, after starting daily doses of neem extract (10 drops taken internally), the remaining chalazion went away, as well as most of my rosacea bumps.

Suggestion about lid cysts: I lived in Pakistan for a year when I was a child. I would often get cysts, particularly in the eye area. They were quickly cured by some type of pressure plasters. These were sticky plasters and would come in a large size with many small holes pierced inside. We were given a piece cut to size, peel off the back and place on the problem area. A couple of hours later, from the painfree pressure of the plasters, the cysts would burst and that was that. I live in England now and have had a lid cyst for over two years at least and have not come across an effective cure.