What Is a Stye?
If you have a small red bump, sometimes with a white head, on or inside your eyelid, it's probably a stye. It looks like a pimple, and it might be sore. But it's not usually serious and won't affect your vision.
A stye happens when one of the glands along your eyelid is clogged and irritated, just like when a skin gland on your face becomes a pimple. People usually have styes on just one eyelid, but you can have them in both eyes at the same time. A stye may be a one-time thing, or it may come back.
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 What Are the Symptoms of a Stye?
A stye is a sore, colored bump that appears on the edge of your eyelid, right by your eyelashes. Other signs include:
- Swelling in part of or your entire eyelid
- Fluid coming from your eye
- Crust forming on your eyelid
- Eyes that feel sensitive to light
- Itchy or sore eyes
- Watery eyes (more than usual)
- Feeling like you have something stuck or scratchy in your eye
How Do You Treat a Stye?
Most styes burst or go away on their own after several days. But cleaning it will help bring the pus out. Then, it will drain on its own. You can do a few things to get rid of it faster:
- After washing your hands, soak a clean washcloth in very warm (not hot) water and put it over the stye. Do this for 5-10 minutes, three to six times a day.
- Gently massage the area with a clean finger to try to get the clogged gland to open and drain.
- Keep your face and eyes clean. Get rid of any crust around your eye. Baby shampoo is an inexpensive, gentle cleanser.
- Take pain relievers such as ibuprofen if the area is sore.
- Don't wear eye makeup while you have a stye.
- Wear glasses instead of contact lenses while you have a stye. After it's healed, clean and disinfect your lenses before putting them in again. Or switch to a new pair.
Because the stye looks like a pimple, you might want to squeeze or pop it. Don't do that. It can spread the infection or make it worse.
Styes that come back might be tied to an eye condition called blepharitis or to other conditions like diabetes. If you get styes a lot, talk to your eye doctor.
You should also see your doctor if:
- A stye doesn't get better after a few days or if it gets worse.
- Your eye (not just your eyelid) hurts a lot.
- You can't see well.
- Your eyelid swells, turns very red, and won't open all the way.
If the stye doesn't go away on its own or if you have trouble seeing, your doctor may give you an antibiotic cream to put on it. They might also do surgery to drain the stye.
What Causes a Stye? â
Styes are usually caused by a bacteria called staph (Staphylococcus aureus). This germ gets inside the tiny oil glands in your eyelid and causes an infection. You are also more at risk of getting a stye if you have other health issues, such as:
- Diabetes
- Blepharitis
- Dry skin or skin conditions such as rosacea
- Hormonal imbalance
- High cholesterol
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Are Styes Contagious?
You won't usually get a stye from coming in contact with someone who has it. But a person with a stye could spread small amounts of the bacteria that cause it.
To stop this from happening, it's important to wash your hands before and after you touch your face or the stye. Wash your pillowcases often to help stop germs from moving around. Don't touch your stye unless you are cleaning it or using a warm cloth. This keeps the stye from getting worse and stops the germs from spreading.
Some other simple changes can help you avoid getting styes and prevent germs from spreading:
- Wash off your makeup before bed every night so it doesn't clog your oil glands.
- Wash your eyelids every couple of days with watered-down baby shampoo on a washcloth, or use an over-the-counter lid scrub.
- Wash and dry your hands before handling contact lenses or touching your eyes. Keep lenses clean and disinfected.
- Replace your eye makeup every six months to avoid bacteria.
- Don't rub your eyes if you have allergies.
Can a Stye Be Something Else?
There are two main kinds of styes:
External styes. These are the most common. They form on the outside of your upper or lower eyelid, usually because of an infection in an eyelash hair follicle.
Internal styes. These form on the inside of your eyelid, near your eyeball. They happen when an infection affects the small glands that make oil to keep your eyelids moist.
Sometimes, different conditions can mimic a stye. The following chart goes over conditions that can be mistaken for a stye and how to tell the difference:
| Condition | What It Is | How It Looks and Feels |
| Stye | An infection and swelling of an oil gland in the eyelid | A red, sore, tender bump on the eyelid that shows up fast, often within a day. |
| Chalazion | A blocked oil gland in the eyelid that causes a firm lump | A firm bump that usually does not hurt, unlike a stye, and grows slowly over days to weeks. |
| Blepharitis | Long-term irritation and swelling along the eyelid edges | Often shows up in both eyes, causing overall soreness rather than a single bump; the lid edges look red or irritated, and there can be flakes or crusts on the lashes |
| Pink eye | Swelling of the clear lining of the eye that causes a red eye and discharge, and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or allergies | The white of the eye appears red, and there is watery or thicker discharge |
| Preseptal cellulitis | An infection of the eyelid skin and tissues that causes a swollen eyelid | The whole eyelid looks swollen and red, not just one bump; if you have a bulging eye, trouble moving the eye, pain with eye movement, or worsening vision, the infection may be more severe (orbital cellulitis |
| Eyelid cancer, especially sebaceous carcinoma | A rare eyelid cancer that can look like a long-lasting eyelid lump | Tends to affect older people, be painless, and may look like a chalazion; see a doctor if your chalazion does not get better |
Takeaways
A stye is a small, red, and painful bump on your eyelid that looks like a pimple. It might make your eye feel sore, watery, or itchy, and your eyelid may swell.
To take care of it at home, you can put a warm, clean cloth on your closed eye for a few minutes, a few times a day. Also, make sure to keep your hands, eyelids, and eye makeup clean.
If it doesn't get better after a week or lasts longer than two weeks, if your whole eyelid gets very swollen, or if you notice changes in your vision, you should see an eye doctor.
Stye FAQs
What should I do if the stye bursts?
If your stye pops on its own, gently wipe away any liquid with a clean tissue. Keep using a warm, wet cloth on your eye and wash your eyelid carefully, but never try to squeeze it yourself. If the pain, swelling, or redness gets worse, spreads, or if you have trouble seeing, you should see an eye doctor.
Why do I keep getting styes?
Styes may come back if you have ongoing issues with your eyelids, like blepharitis, which can keep the tiny oil glands in your eyelids clogged, leading to infections. You can lower your chances of getting another one by washing your eyelids every day and making sure to wash off all eye makeup before you sleep.
Can stress cause styes?
While stress doesn't directly cause a stye, it can make your body weaker. This can make it harder for your immune system to stop an infection. When you are stressed, you might also rub your eyes more or forget to wash off your makeup, which can make it easier for germs to get into your eyelid. Getting enough sleep, managing your stress, and keeping your eyelids clean can help lower your risk.
