Noticed a sudden red, painful bump on your eyelid? It could be a stye. Learn about stye causes, symptoms and treatments in our latest blog post.
What is a stye?
Leading to discomfort, styes are bumps that appear on or in your eyelid. Ranging from small to mid-size, styes can vary in size and cause a significant amount of pain and discomfort.
Stye causes and symptoms
So, what exactly causes a stye? There are two types of styes: external styes and internal styes.
An external stye is the most common type and forms on the outer edge of your lid, typically near your lashes. This is caused by an infection in your eyelash follicle or as a result of a bacterial infection.
An internal stye forms on the inside of your eyelid. This is caused by an infection in a gland that produces oils to keep your eyelids moist.
Symptoms of styes include:
- A red, painful bump
- Pus in the center of the stye
- Eyelid swelling
- Discharge and crust along the eyelid
- A burning sensation
- Light sensitivity
- Watery eyes
How to treat a stye
To treat a stye at home, hold a clean, warm washcloth against your eyelid for 10–15 minutes several times a day. Don’t share washcloths, as styes are contagious.
Clean your eyelids regularly with a wet washcloth or eyelid cleanser. Always wash your hands before and after, and avoid touching your eyes.
You will also want to avoid wearing makeup on or around your eyes while you wait for your stye to heal. Throw away your eye makeup that is expired or may be contaminated by bacteria—this can cause a new stye to develop.
Summary
Knowing these stye causes, symptoms and treatments, most styes will improve within a week. But if it doesn’t, it may be time to visit your eye doctor. Your doctor may recommend antibiotic drops, oral antibiotics or draining.
With 16 locations across Mississippi, contact your local Mississippi Eye Care clinic for all your eye care needs. For more vision tips and information, continue reading our blogs.
