Stye (hordeolum)

Types of styes in eyes

There are two main types of eye styes:

• External: These are the most common types of styes and appear as bumps along the edge, outside or even in the corner of your eyelid. Styes on the eyelid generally go away on their own accord and heal after several days, so rarely require further treatment.

• Internal: These are spots inside or under the eyelid and are often much more painful than an external stye.

What’s the difference between a stye and a chalazion?

Eye styes can sometimes be confused with chalazions. While they are both swellings on the eyelid, a chalazion is a smooth, and often painless bump caused by a blocked oil gland rather than an infection.

What causes a stye?

A type of bacteria called staph (staphylococcus) typically causes styes in the eyes. Most people will experience them in their eye at some point in their life. However, certain factors can increase your chances of developing a stye:

• Poor hygiene: cleaning your eyelids thoroughly prevents build‑up of oil and bacteria

• Blepharitis: a chronic eye condition caused by inflammation of the eyelids

• Cosmetics: using expired or contaminated eye make‑up and/or not removing your make‑up properly

• Health conditions: including rosacea, eczema and diabetes

• Immunodeficiency: styes are more likely to occur when your immune system is weakened

How to treat a stye

After a couple of weeks, a stye will usually go away on its own. Throughout this time, the stye will usually swell, before developing a white or yellow ‘head’ (similar to a spot) that will eventually drain and disappear.

To speed up this process, there are a few things you can do to help it on its way, and ease some of your symptoms.

How to relieve an eye stye at home

Using a warm compress against the stye will help to encourage the pus to drain away and the stye to heal.

Simply take a washcloth or flannel and soak it in warm water. Hold this up to the affected eye for around 10‑15 minutes and repeat four to six times a day.

You can also use a specialised eye bag designed for this purpose – speak to your optician for more advice.

Remember to keep your eye closed during the warm compress. The heat will encourage any pus to come to the surface, so the fluid can be released, and the healing process can begin.

Medical treatment for styes

If the stye is persistent and does not go away on its own, you may need to see a doctor who can manually drain the pus with the aid of local anaesthesia.

They will use a needle to create an incision in the stye that the pus can flow through. Sometimes styes can recur frequently, in which case you may be prescribed an antibiotic ointment to place on the affected area.

You can take an over‑the‑counter painkiller such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to alleviate any painful symptoms from infection, but make sure to follow the directions on the label.

If you’ve followed this advice and still find that the stye is not going away, it’s swelling or hurting more, or that your vision is being affected, please contact your local Specsavers store where an optician will advise the best course of action.