Most styes aren’t dangerous and require little to no treatment before they begin to go away on their own.īut if you are bothered by a stye and want to address it, you can do a few things to encourage it to heal more quickly. If you have had a stye for two weeks and it isn’t going away, make an appointment with your eye doctor to discuss treatment options. Never attempt to pop or squeeze a stye, as that can spread bacteria to other parts of your face and lead to further infection. Home treatments like a warm, clean washcloth applied to a closed eye a few times a day can help encourage a stye to drain. Most styes go away on their own within a few days, or up to two weeks. They often appear farther back on the eyelid than a stye, but can interfere with vision if it becomes large enough to press on your eye. If a patient has a painless bump on their eyelid that develops slowly and lasts more than two weeks, they may have a chalazion.Ī chalazion, sometimes called a meibomian cyst, is not a stye, but can be caused by one. Then the infection localizes into a small, red, painful bump on the edge of the eyelid. Patients first start to experience discomfort, pain, or general inflammation in the affected area. Most styes last from a few days to two weeks before beginning to heal. Having recurrent eye styes or other eye problemsĬertain health conditions can also make some people more likely to develop styes.Rubbing your eyes without washing your hands first.Risk factors for developing a stye include: There is no way to prevent a stye from forming.īut taking steps to ensure that your eyelid glands are clear of any dirt, eye makeup, or debris is an excellent way to keep them from becoming blocked or infected. When that bacteria invades a blocked gland or hair follicle, it proliferates, triggering an immune reaction that results in the inflammation of the eyelid and, eventually, a red, pus-filled nodule that is tender to the touch.
Most styes are caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that is found on human skin and inside the nose. If you have a stye that has lasted more than two weeks or feels like it’s getting worse instead of better, make an appointment with your eye doctor to discuss your treatment options. Some styes are stubborn or severe, and may need medical attention in rare cases. In most cases, both types of style will heal with time. Internal styes occur less frequently than external styes and can be more severe. These tiny oil glands line the inside of the eyelid and can lead to styes on the skin that touch the eye’s surface. Internal styes form when one of your meibomian glands becomes blocked and infected. When an eyelash follicle or sweat gland on your eyelid becomes infected, these styes form on the outside edges of your upper or lower eyelid.Įxternal styes are the most common type of stye. Think you may have a stye? Chat with a doctor today for just $35 There are two types of eye styes that you can develop.
Feeling like dirt or dust are bothering your eyeball.A small red bump, lump, or pustule that looks like a pimple.Inflammation, swelling, or tenderness around the affected area on the eyelid.They sometimes look like a pimple located on the edge of an eyelid.
In medical terms, a stye is called a hordeolum. This infection can cause the eyelid to become swollen, tender, and red. Germs like Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, usually found on human skin and inside the nose, enter the blocked oil gland and multiply. When one of the glands becomes clogged with dirt, debris, or dead skin cells, it becomes vulnerable to infection. Humans have small oil glands in their eyelids to help your eyes, skin, and eyelashes stay moist. I’ll also tell you how long styes usually last before going away, and when you should see a doctor about a stye or other eye infection.
In this article, I’ll explain more about what a stye is, how it’s caused, who is at more risk of getting one, and how styes can be treated. Most styes clear up with simple treatment within a few weeks.Īnyone can develop a stye, including children, but some people are more at risk than others. The condition can be uncomfortable and unsightly, but it’s very common-and usually harmless. A stye (or hordeolum) is a painful, red bump that forms on your upper or lower eyelid and is usually due to a bacterial infection.