An internal hordeolum is caused by infection in one of the tiny oil glands inside the eyelid. A chalazion forms when an oil gland in the eyelid becomes blocked. If an internal hordeolum doesn't drain and heal, it can turn into a chalazion. A chalazion starts as a firm lump or cyst under the skin of the eyelid.
Doctors diagnose these problems by closely examining the eyelid. It may be hard to tell the difference between a stye and a chalazion. If there is a hard lump inside the eyelid, the doctor will probably diagnose it as a chalazion. If a stye is not getting better with home treatment, talk to your doctor.
You may need a prescription for antibiotic eye ointment or eyedrops. You may need to take antibiotic pills if infection has spread to the eyelid or eye. If a stye gets very large, the doctor may need to pierce lance it so it can drain and heal.
Do not try to lance it yourself. If a chalazion does not go away or if it gets worse, a doctor may recommend an injection of steroid medicine or surgery to remove it. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
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Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page. Topic Overview What are styes and chalazia? A stye is an infection that causes a tender red lump on the eyelid. Most styes occur along the edge of the eyelid. When a stye occurs inside the eyelid, it is called an internal hordeolum say "hor-dee-OH-lum". A chalazion say "kuh-LAY-zee-on" is a lump in the eyelid.
Chalazia plural may look like styes, but they are usually larger and may not hurt. What causes a stye or chalazion? Bacteria cause most styes. The majority will clear up on their own within 1—2 weeks and do not require medical treatment.
In this article, learn more about styes, including their causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Without treatment, a stye tends to last for 1—2 weeks , until it resolves on its own. However, treatment makes it possible to get rid of a stye a few days sooner. This involves applying a warm compress to the stye to help it drain quicker. Styes are not contagious.
They can affect anyone of any age, but it is not possible to catch a stye from another person. A stye usually develops over a few days. It often begins with pain and redness at the edge of the eyelid.
After about a day, a small bump appears. The bump may soon become very painful. It may look like a pimple with pus inside. There may be tearing, light sensitivity, and a scratchy feeling, as though there is something in the eye. There may also be redness and swelling of the eyelid. Typically, the bump will pop and release pus after a few days.
This relieves the pain, and the bump will go away. Staphylococcus aureus is the bacterium normally present on the skin. The insides and outsides of the eyelids have many oil glands. The oil helps lubricate the lashes and is part of our tear fluid. Sometimes, these oil glands can become clogged with dead skin cells and bacteria. This leads to inflammation and infection, producing a stye. Another type of stye is an internal hordeolum. This occurs when the meibomian gland , under the eyelid, becomes infected.
Applying a warm compress for 15 minutes four times per day is the best way to get rid of a stye quickly. Treatment options Styes can be painful and very irritating. Hot 'compresses' can help relieve the pain and may also help to get rid of the infection. For many centuries, it has been believed that hot compresses 'draw out infections'.
A hot compress is a piece of material such as cotton balls , which is heated in hot water. It needs to be as hot as the person can manage comfortably, without being so hot as to burn the skin. It is probably best that the person with the stye manages this, to keep the risk of a burn low.
The hot, wet material is placed on the eyelid for several minutes, until it cools, then it is replaced with another compress. This is done several times a day. Paracetamol will also help relieve the pain of a stye. Sometimes, antibiotic ointments may be needed and, occasionally, the person will need oral antibiotics taken by mouth.
In some cases, a stye will need to be opened up lanced by a doctor, if the stye does not get better by itself.
If the lump is still painful and hot after a few days, get your doctor to check your eye. Warning — do not squeeze a stye Do not try to squeeze the pus out of a stye. If the stye is not ready to burst, the infected pus may be squeezed into the tissue next to the stye, causing the infection to spread further.
Preventing spread of infection Suggestions to prevent the spread of infection include: Don't touch, rub or squeeze the stye. Dispose of a used 'compress' in a rubbish bin, so that others do not have to handle it.
Wash your hands frequently. Blocked sebaceous gland Skin is lubricated and waterproofed by a greasy substance called sebum, which is made by sebaceous glands. If a blocked sebaceous gland is in the eyelid, it may look similar to a stye when it swells with sebum , but it is not painful or red. Blocked sebaceous glands will often go without any treatment, but they may need to be cut out if the lump is irritating the eye.
Where to get help Your doctor Ophthalmologist eye specialist Optometrist. Things to remember A stye is an infection at the base of an eyelash in the follicle , usually caused by staphylococcal bacteria. Don't rub or squeeze the stye, as this can cause the infection to spread.
Treatment options include hot compresses, antibiotic ointments, oral antibiotics or operating on the lump lancing to drain out the pus.
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