General Information About Styes
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is the bacterial infection of eyelash follicles (roots) or the oil glands inside the eyelid, causing them to swell like a pimple and fill with pus (inflammation).
External Stye: Appears right at the base of the eyelashes (outside). It is generally an inflammation of the sweat glands. Its tip turns yellow like a pimple and bursts quickly.
Internal Stye: It is the inflammation of the meibomian (oil) glands on the inner surface (facing the eye) of the eyelid. It is more painful and takes longer to heal.
No. A stye is an acute microbial infection; it is red, hot, aches, and is painful. A chalazion, on the other hand, is an UNPAINFUL and cartilage-like hardened oil cyst that forms when the duct remains blocked after the stye heals, and does not go away for weeks.
Rubbing eyes with dirty hands, sleeping without removing eye makeup (mascara/eyeliner), or using expired makeup products is the biggest cause. It recurs very frequently during periods of stress and sleeplessness when the immune system is weakened. The disease is NOT directly (airborne) contagious, but if a patient touches their eye and then touches the same towel/pillow, they can transmit bacteria to someone else.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IS SQUEEZING THE STYE! Trying to pop it like a pimple can spread the infection to the entire eyelid, even behind the eye, creating cellulitis (a dangerous inflammation that can cause blindness).
At-Home Treatment: A Warm (Mild) Tea or Water Compress should be applied over the eye for 15 minutes, 4-5 times a day. The heat opens the pores and allows the inflammation to drain (burst) out healthily on its own.
If it does not go away in 2-3 days with warm compresses and the swelling covers the entire eyelid (like an egg), a doctor should be consulted. The ophthalmologist prescribes Antibiotic eye drops and ointments applied at bedtime to dry up the infection. If the stye has turned into a cyst (chalazion) and has not melted for months, the doctor flips the eyelid in the outpatient clinic and cleans the inside with a very small incision (leaving no scar on the outside).
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
