What Are Eye Styes & How Can You Get Rid of Them?

An eye stye is a common condition causing painful eyelid swelling and discomfort. Although these frustrating bumps are harmless, they can affect your quality of life.

Understanding styes, knowing effective home treatments, and practicing good prevention habits can help you manage symptoms quickly and prevent recurrence.

What are Eye Styes?

An eye stye (sty or hordeolum) is an inflamed oil gland (sebaceous gland) near the edge of the eyelid. It appears as a painful red bump that may look like a pimple or a small boil.

They're usually caused by an acute bacterial infection in the upper or lower eyelid. While styes can appear anywhere on the eyelid, they usually form near the edge of the eye.

Styes generally aren't severe medical conditions, despite the pain. They're common and typically resolve with self-care. However, some styes may require professional medical care.

What Are the Symptoms of a Stye?

The most obvious sign of a stye is a red, swollen bump near the eyelash hair follicle on the eyelid. Other symptoms include:

• A painful red bump on the upper or lower eyelid
• Drooping eyelid
• Eye tearing
• Increased light sensitivity
• Feeling like there's something in your eye (foreign body sensation)
• Itchiness and discomfort
• Burning sensation
• Swelling that may extend to the entire eyelid
• Crusting near the eyelid margin (eye discharge)
• Tenderness when you touch the painful bump

What are the Different Types of Styes?

Eye styes come in two main forms, each involving different eyelid glands.

External styes develop from blocked glands at the eyelash follicle near the eyelid’s outer edge (Zeis or Moll glands). They are visible, painful red bumps and often produce pus. 

Meanwhile, internal styes (hordeola) form deeper within the eyelid from infected meibomian glands.

How are Styes Treated?

Most styes go away on their own in one to two weeks, and you can use home remedies to reduce pain and swelling.

These remedies include:

• A warm compress or washcloth
• Cleaning your eyelid with mild soap
• Using over-the-counter ointments

Avoid touching or popping the stye, because this can cause the infection to spread. Don’t wear contact lenses or makeup until the stye goes away.

Medical Treatments for Styes

Some larger or more painful styes may require medical treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment or eye drops to stop the infection and reduce inflammation.

Oral antibiotics may also be necessary if the infection spreads beyond the eyelid. Steroid drops are sometimes considered by eye care providers for reducing significant inflammation. 

However, these should only be used under medical supervision, as they can delay the healing process if incorrectly applied. Additionally, if a stye still doesn’t go away after antibiotic treatment, your doctor may recommend surgery.

Surgeons will begin by numbing your eye with local anesthesia before making a small incision to drain the stye.

When to Seek Professional Help

Seek immediate treatment if you experience:

• A stye that lasts longer than two weeks
• Spreading redness or significant eyelid swelling beyond the initial stye area
• Fever or chills, indicating potential systemic infection
• Vision changes (such as blurred vision or increased light sensitivity)
• Severe pain that doesn’t improve after two to three days
• Frequent recurrences in the same location, indicating an underlying chronic eyelid inflammation
• Bleeding from the stye or blisters on the eyelid

If your stye doesn’t respond, it could be a chalazion or a more severe condition. Talk with your eye doctor if this occurs.

What Causes Eye Styes?

A stye is caused by an infection in your eyelid's small oil glands (sebaceous glands). About 90% to 95% of styes are caused by staphylococcal bacteria.

The bacteria can get in your eye if you rub your nose and eyes with contaminated hands. Once it gets in your eye, it can become infected, and a stye can develop.

They develop similarly to pimples on your skin. The eyelid bump appears when bacteria get trapped and grow inside the blocked gland.

Common Risk Factors for Styes

There are various lifestyle, hormonal, and medical factors that increase your risk of a stye. These include:

• Poor hygiene
• Putting on contact lenses without washing your hands
• Using contaminated, expired, or shared makeup
• Skin conditions like ocular rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis.
• Blepharitis
• Diabetes
• Demodex mites

Additionally, working in dusty or polluted conditions can increase your risk of developing a stye. You can also get a stye because of a weakened immune system from chronic stress.

What Happens if You Leave a Stye Untreated?

Meibomian glands play a critical role by secreting the oily layer of your tear film. This prevents tears from evaporating too quickly, keeping your eyes comfortable. 

When these glands get blocked, oil builds up, creating a perfect environment for bacterial infection. Accurate diagnosis is crucial, as styes can resemble other benign eyelid lesions, particularly chalazia. 

How to Prevent Styes

Washing your hands frequently and avoiding rubbing your eyes are the best ways to prevent styes. If you have oily eyelids, dip a Q-tip in a mild soap or baby shampoo and warm water as part of your skincare routine.

Here are some steps you can take to help prevent styes and other eye infections:

• Keep your contact lenses clean
• Throw away old or expired makeup
• Remove your eye makeup and wash your face before sleeping
• Manage any health conditions that can cause styes (diabetes, blepharitis, etc.)
• Use over-the-counter eyelid cleansers

Consistency in these practices significantly reduces your long-term risk of infection and chronic eyelid inflammation.