What is a stye?

A stye, or its medical name— hordeolum— forms from a clogged and infected oil gland of the eyelid. These glands, called the meibomian glands, produce oils that are part of the natural tear layer that coats the eye to keep it hydrated, smooth, and comfortable. When these glands get clogged due to debris, bacteria, or chronic inflammation, it can cause an infection of the gland which can lead to swelling, discomfort, pain, and/or a pimple-like formation on the eyelid margin or on the inside of the eyelid.
 

Risk factors

You may be more prone to styes if you:

• Have blepharitis, or a chronic inflammatory condition of the eyelids

• Have rosacea of the face or ocular region

• Fail to fully remove makeup from ocular region nightly

• Use old or expired face/makeup products

• Poor contact lens hygiene

Prevention tips:

• Wash hands before touching around your eyes

• Fully remove makeup each night

• Use clean, non-expired, eye makeup and products

• Replace eye makeup regularly

• Keep lids and lashes clean

• Clean contact lenses well and replace at interval set by your eyecare provider

• Follow up at scheduled intervals with eyecare provider if you have other eyelid conditions
   

Treatment

If you start developing a stye, frequent warm compresses will help to open the gland and hopefully drain the stye. Best practice for a warm compress is a heatable eye mask or pad- this works much better than a warm washcloth to keep stable heat on the eyelid. These can be purchased over the counter or online. Do not try to squeeze or pop the stye as this can cause further infection and damage to the gland or surrounding delicate skin. In some cases, prescription medications may be necessary to resolve/treat the hordeolum and surrounding localized infection.

If you are experiencing significant pain, swelling, irritation or decrease in vision, contact your eye care provider to make an appointment. 
 

Resources

https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/hordeolum?sso=y

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sty/symptoms-causes/syc-20378017
 

 

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