You wake up on the morning of an important meeting, special event, or family gathering and notice a sore, swollen bump along your eyelid. A stye may be small, but the tenderness, redness, and swelling can quickly become uncomfortable and distracting.
Although you cannot prevent every stye, good hand hygiene, proper contact lens care, and regular eyelid cleansing can substantially reduce your risk. Knowing how to recognize and safely treat a stye can also help you avoid complications.
At Southside Eye Care, our mission is to help patients maintain and achieve their best possible vision through personalized care tailored to their individual needs. Our experienced doctors and skilled technicians provide comprehensive eye care in Chesapeake, including routine exams, contact lens services, cataract and glaucoma care, diabetic eye care, and advanced surgical treatment.
What Is a Stye?
A stye, medically called a hordeolum, is a tender bump that forms when an oil gland or eyelash follicle becomes blocked and infected. It may develop along the outer edge of the eyelid or inside the eyelid.
Common stye symptoms include:
- A painful red or discolored eyelid bump
- Localized eyelid swelling
- Tenderness around the affected area
- Watery eyes
- Crusting near the eyelashes
- A gritty or scratchy sensation
- Sensitivity to light
A stye is sometimes confused with a chalazion. Both involve blocked eyelid glands, but a chalazion is generally less painful and often develops farther from the eyelid’s edge.
Common Causes and Risk Factors
Styes usually develop after bacteria enter a blocked eyelid gland. Touching or rubbing your eyes with unwashed hands can transfer bacteria to the eyelids, but several other factors can increase your risk.
These include:
- Sleeping in eye makeup
- Using old or contaminated cosmetics
- Sharing makeup or cosmetic brushes
- Handling contact lenses without washing your hands
- Improperly cleaning or storing contact lenses
- Having chronic eyelid inflammation, or blepharitis
- Having oil glands that frequently become blocked
- Having rosacea or certain other skin conditions
- Experiencing recurring dry or irritated eyes
People with recurring styes may have an underlying eyelid or oil-gland condition that requires professional evaluation.
Practical Ways to Prevent Styes
Wash Your Hands Before Touching Your Eyes
Wash your hands well before inserting or removing contact lenses, applying eye drops, or touching the skin around your eyes. Try not to rub your eyes, especially after touching frequently handled items such as phones, keyboards, door handles, money, and remote controls.
Practice Safe Makeup Habits
Remove eye makeup before going to sleep. Replace mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and other eye products according to their recommended replacement schedules.
Never share eye makeup, applicators, or brushes. Wash reusable brushes regularly and replace any cosmetics used during an active eye infection to reduce the chance of reintroducing bacteria.
Care for Contact Lenses Properly
Follow your eye doctor’s directions for cleaning, disinfecting, replacing, and storing your contact lenses. Always use fresh contact lens solution rather than topping off old solution, and never use tap water or saliva to clean your lenses.
You should not wear contact lenses with an active stye. Once the stye has healed, use a fresh pair of disposable lenses and replace or disinfect the storage case as directed.
Keep Your Eyelids Clean
Gentle eyelid hygiene may be especially helpful for people with blepharitis or recurring styes. Your eye doctor may recommend routine warm compresses, eyelid cleansing, or another treatment to keep the eyelid glands functioning properly.
Do not place harsh soap, undiluted shampoo, or unapproved products directly into your eyes. Ask an eye care professional which eyelid-cleansing method is appropriate for you.
Helping a Stye Heal Safely
Most styes improve on their own, but consistent home care may relieve discomfort and encourage natural drainage.
Apply a clean, warm compress to the closed eyelid for approximately five to 10 minutes several times per day. Rewarm the cloth as necessary so it remains comfortable, but not so hot it burns the delicate eyelid skin.
While the stye heals:
- Do not squeeze, puncture, or pop it
- Avoid eye makeup and contact lenses
- Wash your hands before and after applying a compress
- Keep washcloths and towels clean
- Avoid rubbing or repeatedly touching the eyelid
Trying to pop a stye can spread infection and damage the surrounding eyelid tissue. Warm compresses allow it to drain naturally and are the primary home-care treatment recommended for most uncomplicated styes.
How Styes Are Diagnosed and Treated
An eye doctor can usually diagnose a stye by examining the eyelid, eyelashes, skin, and oil-gland openings. Additional testing is not typically needed.
Most styes do not require prescription medication. When a stye does not improve, keeps returning, or is accompanied by a spreading eyelid infection, treatment may include:
- Prescription antibiotic ointment or eye drops
- Oral antibiotics for an infection that spreads beyond the eyelid
- Professional drainage of a persistent stye
- Treatment for an underlying condition such as blepharitis
Antibiotics are not automatically necessary for every stye and should only be used when prescribed. A persistent or repeatedly recurring lump may require further evaluation to rule out another eyelid condition.
When to Contact an Eye Doctor
Schedule an eye examination if the stye:
- Is worsening instead of improving
- Has not begun to improve after several days of home care
- Interferes with your vision
- Causes significant pain or swelling
- Keeps returning in the same location
- Causes redness or swelling that spreads beyond the eyelid
Seek prompt medical attention for vision changes, severe eye pain, fever, difficulty moving the eye, or swelling that extends into the face. These symptoms may indicate a condition that requires more immediate treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Styes
Are styes contagious?
A stye itself is not generally considered contagious. However, bacteria from the affected area can spread through contaminated hands, towels, cosmetics, contact lenses, or applicators, so careful hygiene remains important.
How long does a stye last?
Many styes begin improving within several days and resolve in approximately one to two weeks. Healing time varies depending on the stye’s location, size, and severity.
Can I pop a stye when it forms a white head?
No. Squeezing or puncturing a stye may push bacteria deeper into the eyelid or spread the infection. Use warm compresses and allow it to drain naturally.
Can stress cause a stye?
Stress does not directly infect an eyelid gland. Still, insufficient sleep, increased eye rubbing, and lapses in hygiene during stressful periods may contribute to conditions that make a stye more likely.
Should I stop wearing contacts?
Yes. Contact lenses may irritate the eyelid and become contaminated while a stye is active. Wear glasses until the area has healed and follow your eye doctor’s instructions about replacing or disinfecting your lenses and case.
Why do I keep getting styes?
Recurring styes may be related to blepharitis, poorly functioning eyelid oil glands, rosacea, contact lens habits, or contaminated cosmetics.
Protect Your Eyes With Professional Care in Chesapeake, VA
If your stye is getting worse, interfering with your vision, or returning frequently, contact our eye care team at 757-484-0101 to schedule an appointment in Chesapeake, VA.
