It has often been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Maintaining your eyes will not only help to make you more attractive, but it can be critical when it comes to ensuring proper vision in the future. If you notice a small red bump developing on your eyelid, then you could be dealing with a stye.

Allowing the stye to remain untreated could lead to a serious eye infection. Here are three things you can do to help treat a stye.

1. Use a warm compress.

You can always use a warm compress to try and draw out the infection associated with a stye. All you need to do is place a wet rag in a sealed plastic bag, then put the bag in the microwave for a few minutes. The bag will seal the moisture into the rag, allowing it to become a warm compress.

Be careful that the compress isn't so hot it will burn the delicate skin of your eyelid. Place the compress over the stye, and allow it to sit until the compress has cooled. The infection causing the stye will be drawn to the heat and moisture of the compress, allowing you to drain the stye.

2. Use an herbal tea bag.

A stye can create significant discomfort. If you find that your stye is red, itchy, or painful, then you might want to try using an herbal tea bag to help soothe the discomfort and get rid of the stye.

Prepare a pot of boiling water, and soak the tea bag in the water as if you were preparing the tea to drink. Remove the tea bag from the water, use a towel to remove excess moisture, then place the tea bag directly over the stye. The heat and moisture will help to draw out infection, while the herbs in the tea will help soothe the affected eyelid.

3. Visit your eye doctor.

If home remedies don't help the stye disappear, you may need to have your eye doctor deal with the situation. An eye doctor has the ability to lance the stye and drain out the bacteria and infection that caused it in the first place.

Because a persistent stye could be a symptom of an underlying infection, it's best to have your eye doctor take a look at any styes that refuse to clear up on their own.

Treating a stye using a warm compress, tea bag, or the attention of a medical professional will help you avoid serious infection in the future.