A stye is a small, painful bump on the eyelid caused by a bacterial infection in one of the oil or sweat glands near your eyelashes. Most styes last one to two weeks and go away on their own, but warm compresses can speed things along and reduce discomfort. While they look alarming, styes are common, usually harmless, and rarely lead to serious complications.
What Causes a Stye
The bacterium responsible for most styes is Staphylococcus aureus, a common germ that lives on skin. When it gets trapped inside a blocked oil or sweat gland on the eyelid, infection sets in and a tender, red bump forms. External styes develop at the base of an eyelash, in the tiny glands that produce oil to coat the lash. Internal styes form deeper in the eyelid, in the larger oil glands that help keep your tear film from evaporating too quickly.
Several factors raise your risk. Blepharitis, a chronic inflammation of the eyelid margins, is one of the most common. Skin conditions like rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis also make styes more likely, as does diabetes. Touching your eyes with unwashed hands or sleeping in old eye makeup introduces bacteria to the area and can trigger an infection.
What a Stye Looks and Feels Like
A stye typically starts as a sore, red area on the eyelid that becomes swollen over the first day or two. External styes then develop a small yellowish head at the eyelash line, similar to a pimple. You may also notice tearing, light sensitivity, or a gritty feeling like something is stuck in your eye. Internal styes produce similar pain and swelling but tend to point inward, toward the inner surface of the eyelid, so they’re less visible from the outside.
Stye vs. Chalazion
In the first couple of days, a stye and a chalazion can look identical. After that, they diverge. A stye stays painful and localizes to the edge of the eyelid, right at the lash line. A chalazion migrates toward the center of the eyelid and becomes a small, firm, painless lump. Chalazia result from a blocked oil gland without active infection, so they tend to linger longer and sometimes need different treatment. If your bump has stopped hurting but hasn’t gone away after a few weeks, it has likely become a chalazion.
Home Treatment
Warm compresses are the first and most effective treatment. Soak a clean washcloth in warm water, wring it out, and hold it gently against the closed eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat this three to four times a day. The heat increases blood flow to the area and helps the blocked gland open and drain on its own. You can rewet the cloth as it cools to keep the temperature consistent.
Beyond compresses, keep the area clean. Wash your hands before touching your face, and avoid squeezing or popping the stye. Squeezing can push the infection deeper into the eyelid or spread bacteria. If the stye is painful, over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help with discomfort.
While you have a stye, skip eye makeup entirely. Cosmetics can reintroduce bacteria and slow healing. Once the stye resolves, toss any mascara, eyeliner, or eyeshadow you were using before the infection started, since those products may be contaminated.
When You Need Medical Treatment
Most styes resolve with warm compresses alone, but some don’t cooperate. If your stye hasn’t improved after a week or two of consistent home care, a doctor can prescribe antibiotic eye ointment or drops to fight the infection directly. If the infection has spread beyond the bump to the surrounding eyelid skin, oral antibiotics may be necessary. For styes that grow unusually large or refuse to drain, a doctor can lance the bump with a small incision to release the trapped pus, which brings rapid relief.
Signs of a More Serious Problem
Rarely, a stye can lead to a spreading skin infection around the eye called periorbital cellulitis. This causes redness and swelling that extends well beyond the bump itself, sometimes across the entire eyelid or around the eye socket. If the infection pushes deeper behind the eye, it can cause the eye to bulge forward, a condition called orbital cellulitis that requires emergency treatment.
Seek immediate care if you develop a fever along with eye pain and swelling, if your vision changes, or if the eye itself begins to protrude. These symptoms are uncommon from a simple stye, but they need urgent attention when they appear.
Preventing Styes
Good eyelid hygiene is the simplest way to keep styes from recurring. Wash your hands before touching your eyes, and if you’re prone to styes, consider a daily eyelid cleaning routine using a gentle cleanser or pre-moistened lid wipes. Remove all eye makeup before bed every night.
Replace eye cosmetics on a regular schedule, since bacteria colonize these products over time. Mascara and liquid eyeliner should be replaced every six months. Pencil eyeliners last one to two years, and powdered eyeshadow is good for up to two years. Liquid eyeshadow should be swapped out within six months to a year. If you develop any eye infection, throw out all eye makeup immediately, regardless of how recently you bought it.
If you have blepharitis or rosacea, keeping those conditions well managed reduces the frequency of styes. Consistent treatment of the underlying condition keeps the eyelid glands healthier and less prone to blockages that invite infection.