A bump on the inside of your eyelid is most commonly a chalazion or an internal stye, both caused by blocked oil glands in the eyelid. These are almost always benign and often resolve on their own within a few weeks. Less commonly, the bump could be a sign of an allergic reaction, a small calcium deposit, or (rarely) something that needs closer medical attention.
Chalazion: The Most Common Cause
Your eyelids contain dozens of tiny oil glands called meibomian glands that line the inner rim and help keep your tear film from evaporating. When one of these glands gets clogged, oily material backs up and leaks into the surrounding tissue, triggering inflammation. The result is a chalazion: a firm, round lump that forms in the center of the eyelid, not right at the lash line.
A chalazion is not an infection. It’s a blockage that causes localized swelling. In the early days it may feel tender, but over time it typically becomes a painless nodule you can feel (and sometimes see) when you flip your eyelid. Chalazions range from the size of a pinhead to the size of a small pea. They can blur your vision if they grow large enough to press on the eye’s surface.
Internal Stye: The Painful Version
An internal stye (internal hordeolum) starts in the same oil glands, but the cause is bacterial infection rather than simple blockage. The difference is obvious: a stye hurts. It produces a red, swollen, painful spot on the inner surface of the eyelid that can develop quickly, sometimes overnight. You may also notice your eye watering more than usual or a feeling like something is stuck under your lid.
Styes tend to stay localized near the eyelid margin rather than settling deeper into the lid’s center like a chalazion does. Most styes come to a head and drain on their own within a week or so. Occasionally, a stye that doesn’t fully drain leaves behind a residual chalazion.
Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis
If you wear contact lenses and notice multiple small bumps under your upper eyelid along with itching and a mucus-like discharge, the likely culprit is giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC). This is an inflammatory reaction triggered by friction from the lens rubbing against the inside of your eyelid, or by protein and debris buildup on the lens surface. Allergies to lens cleaning solutions can also set it off.
The bumps in GPC (called papillae) look like clusters of small, rounded elevations on the underside of the upper lid. Your eye doctor can see them by flipping the eyelid and sometimes uses a fluorescent dye to make them more visible. Switching to daily disposable lenses or taking a break from contacts altogether usually resolves the problem.
Conjunctival Concretions
These are tiny yellow-white deposits that form on the inner surface of the eyelid, made up of dead skin cells and protein secretions from the conjunctival glands. They’re extremely common, showing up in 40 to 50 percent of people studied, and become more frequent with age or chronic eye inflammation. Most people never know they have them because they cause no symptoms at all.
You might feel a concretion only if it works its way to the surface of the tissue and creates a scratchy sensation against your eye, like a grain of sand. In that case, an eye doctor can remove it in a quick office visit.
How to Treat a Bump at Home
For a chalazion or stye, the first-line treatment is a warm compress. Soak a clean washcloth in warm water, wring it out, and hold it gently over your closed eye for five minutes. Repeat this several times a day. The warmth helps soften the clogged oil and encourages the gland to drain naturally. You may need to keep this up for several weeks before a chalazion fully resolves.
Avoid squeezing or popping the bump. This can push infected material deeper into the tissue or introduce new bacteria. Don’t wear contact lenses or eye makeup on the affected eye while it’s inflamed. Keeping your eyelids clean by gently washing them with diluted baby shampoo or a commercial lid scrub can help prevent recurrences.
When a Bump Needs Medical Attention
Most eyelid bumps are harmless, but a few warning signs warrant a closer look. A chalazion that hasn’t improved after one to two months of consistent warm compresses is a candidate for a minor in-office drainage procedure. During this procedure, the doctor clamps and flips the eyelid, makes a small incision on the inner surface, and drains the trapped material. It’s done under local anesthesia and typically heals within a week or two.
More concerning signs point to the rare possibility of a malignant growth, such as sebaceous gland carcinoma. This type of cancer can mimic a chalazion, which is why any bump that keeps coming back in the same spot deserves extra scrutiny. Key red flags that should prompt a prompt referral to an ophthalmologist include:
- Loss of eyelashes near the bump
- Thickening or hardening of the eyelid skin
- Irregular borders or ulceration on the bump’s surface
- Gradual enlargement that doesn’t respond to treatment
- Visible changes in eyelid margin structure, such as destruction or distortion of the lid edge
Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid often appears as a small, painless lump on the upper lid that may look pink, yellowish, or red-brown. Because it can look so similar to a benign chalazion, the only way to confirm or rule it out is with a biopsy.
Signs of a more urgent problem, like orbital cellulitis (a deep infection around the eye), include severe pain with eye movement, a bulging eye, changes in vision, or sluggish pupil reactions. These symptoms call for emergency care.