Eye Health / Blindness
▼Stye: Causes, Prevention, and TreatmentWritten by Christian NordqvistReviewed by University of Illinois-Chicago, School of MedicineLast updated: Fri 16 Sep 2016 email
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A stye, also known as hordeolum, is an inflammation on the eyelid associated with a small collection of pus (abscess). In most cases, the infection is caused by the Staphylococcus bacteria.
Although uncomfortable and incredibly common, styes are not generally a cause for concern.
Often the lump is red and painful and looks like a boil or pimple. Although most styes form on the outside of the eyelid, some do develop on the inside.
In the majority of cases, styes get better within 1 week without any medical intervention. External styes (outside the eyelid) may turn yellow and release pus. Internal styes (inside the eyelid) tend to be more painful.
Applying a warm compress gently against the stye helps it release pus more readily, and resolve the pain and swelling. Sometimes a stye can recur.
In this article, we will cover the symptoms of a stye, how they are diagnosed, treatments, including home remedies, risk factors, and possible complications.
Contents of this article:
Symptoms
Risk factors
Treatment
Complications
Fast facts on styes
Here are some key points about styes. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.
Styes can be painful but often heal without medical intervention
If a stye persists for more than a week or affects vision, medical attention should be sought
Styes can be external or internal
Home remedies for styes include a warm compress and OTC pain medication
Symptoms of a stye
[Man with external stye]
Most commonly, styes only affect one eye at a time.
The patient will have a painful red swelling on his/her eyelid which can make the eye tear and become red. Sometimes styes can look like a pimple.
Styes very rarely affect both eyes simultaneously; an individual will generally have one stye in one eye. However, it is possible to have more than one stye in the same eye, or one in each eye.
Symptoms of a stye can include:
A lump on the eyelid
Swelling of the eyelid
Pain
Redness
Tenderness
Crusting of the margins of the eyelids
Burning sensation
Droopiness of the eyelid
Itching of the eye
Blurry vision
Discharge of mucus from the eye
Light sensitivity
Tearing
Discomfort when blinking
The feeling that there is an object in the eye