This article contains information that is an old time remedy, please do not construe it as medical advice as I am not medically trained in any way! This information is here for educational purposes only. Any risk is your sole responsibility.
Introduction
Ask anyone who has a stye and they will tell you that it feels like a mountain on your eye. Every blink causes pain while one wonders how horrible they look. Below is some basic information about this subject. Kinda dry and boring. Then we go into causes. The best is last with an old remedy given to me by an equally old grandma. This remedy works like a charm. It is here for all those people who have had a stye and did not know what to do about it. My daughter had a couple of them during her cancer treatment and so did a friend going through breast cancer. I do not know if this is a coincidence or due to lowered immune system function from treatment. In either case we have had surprising results from this old time remedy and I hope you do too.
Sty’s (Stye, Hordeolum) 
Styes are a common affliction that can happen to people of any age. There is a slight increase in incidence of styes during the third to fifth decades of life. People with certain chronic conditions (diabetes mellitus, chronic blepharitis [inflammation of the eyelid], seborrhea, and chronic debilitating illnesses) are more prone to developing styes than the general population. [1] This quote does not include cancer patients but from what I have seen cancer patients can be more prone to them as well.
Causes
Styes are caused by an infection of the oil glands in the eye lid. The bacteria Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for 90% – 95% of Styes. This bacteria is usually in the nasal passages. Once a person gets this on their fingers then it is easily transfered to the eyes. Almost all people have Staphylococcus aureus in their body. Because of so much bacteria you should keep your hands as clean as possible at all times. Try to use a tissue to itch your eyes instead of your hands.
Treatment
Traditional methods say to use hot compresses applied to the area for 15 minutes. This helps the stye to come to a head and drain. Apply the compress three to four times a day for several days.
Never pop the stye yourself, allow it to rupture on its own.
If using these methods with no change go to a doctor after seven days.
Unconventional Treatment
Many years ago an old woman gave me this remedy and although it is quite unusual it has worked every single time, for us and for friends:
1. Wash hands thoroughly
2. Get a small, warm glass of water
3. Use a gold ring or other piece of gold or silver jewelry that has a smooth surface
4. Wash the jewelry with soap and water
5. Place the jewelry into the water to moisten
6. Rub the moist jewelry piece on the stye several times a day for several seconds
We have found that this works every single time. We have never tried it on an advanced stye, only on new, starting styes. Kayla (my daughter) had a stye last summer that had a head on it. We used the ring remedy and the whole thing went away very fast. All that was left was a red dot that eventually disappeared.
Complications
If you get a stye on the inside of the eyelid these can be more serious. They are called Chalazion, which is a blocked oil gland in the eye lid. A chalazion mimics a stye for the first few days, then turns into a painless hard, round bump later on. Although the same treatment as for a stye speeds the healing of a chalazion, the bump may linger for one to several months. If the chalazion remains after several months, your eye doctor may drain it or inject a steroid to facilitate healing. [2] The remedy listed here has never been used on a Chalazion. Due to the difference from a stye and the location it is not recommended to be used for these types of infections.
As soon as you feel discomfort around the eyelid take action right away. Do not rub the eye as this can irritate it more. In the least start with warm eye compresses right away. As soon as you see a red bump form you can try my ring trick. But this is completely your decision and you have to take full responsibility for your actions.
Remember if the stye continues for more than seven days you should go see your doctor.
Here are some comments/suggestions sent in from fellow sufferers of styes.
Thank’s for posting, Deb! I had an internal stye, called a hordelum, I used hot tea bag’s on my eye, and it finally popped…..then I used warm salt water drops which helped a great deal along with the Neosporin ointment to help clear up the infection! So far, so good! I’ve also heard you can use colloidal silver with an eye dropper and it will get rid of the stye! Amazing, I think there is a synergistic affect with the silver or gold, the colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic! 
The effect is called oligodynamic action. Heavy metals like gold and silver kill many bacteria. Try Argyrol, a solution of silver protein. It is available Over The Counter.
The gold ring does work trust me, but for it to 100% work, you need to catch it early, if it gets too big then it has less chance of working.
The trick is to catch them early, Warm compress when the stye is still forming will help swelling. If you catch very early then it should go away very quickly.
I have suffered styes & cysts for many years & the warm compress works the best. Avoid popping as styes are very contagious & will simply form elsewhere on the eye.
Not tried the gold thing but think there would be an issue of more bacteria entering the eye, potentially making it worse.
The ring is the best, i’ve heard it so much from heeps of people even when i haven’t had one, i got one today and i’ve rubbed a gold ring and its already feeling better.
I did the ring thing, and shockingly IT WORKED!!!!! I’m so happy! The stye has swelled down and its almost healed and after one time of doing it, i waited ten minutes and it had already started to work!!!! Thank You Debbie, this remedy worked very well!
This would work but brass would actually work better. Gold is not that great as an anti-biotic, but it does work somewhat. Brass and silver actually would work much better. One of the reasons doorknobs are typically made of brass is that it will kill off bacteria and is much cheaper to produce than a silver doorknob. Interesting use for it. I’ve never had a stye and I hope it stays that way, but I’d give this as good a chance of working as any antibiotic cream.
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References:
1. http://www.medicinenet.com/sty/article.htm Sty (Stye, Hordeolum) by Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD. Internet October 2010
2. www.allaboutvision.com Stye By Judith Lee and Gretchyn Bailey; reviewed by Vance Thompson, MD Internet October 2010