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Stye and chalazion

An inflamed gland in the eyelid margin. Annoying, but almost always harmless.

In short

  • A stye is an inflamed gland at the eyelid margin: a red, painful bump.
  • If it sits deeper in the lid and does not hurt, it is a chalazion.
  • It almost always clears by itself within one to three weeks.
  • Warmth helps: a warm, damp flannel on the lid for ten minutes, a few times a day.
  • Do not squeeze or prick it.
A stye on the edge of the upper eyelid
A stye on the edge of the upper eyelid Andre Riemann — public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Symptoms

  • A painful, red bump at the lid margin (stye)
  • A firm, usually painless lump in the eyelid (chalazion)
  • Swelling and a tight feeling in the eyelid
  • Vision stays normal unless the lump presses on the cornea

How it develops

In a stye a hair follicle or gland at the lid margin is inflamed. In a chalazion an oil gland is blocked and walled off. Both are more common with blepharitis.

Treatment

  • Warm compresses three to four times a day for about ten minutes.
  • Do not squeeze.
  • A stye usually heals within one to two weeks.
  • A chalazion can last for months; if it bothers you, it can be drained or removed.
  • If bumps keep coming back, make eyelid hygiene a daily routine.

When to get help the same day

Contact your GP or the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) straight away if you have:

  • Swelling spreading over the whole eyelid or to the cheek
  • Fever or feeling ill
  • The eye can no longer open or move properly
  • Reduced vision or double vision
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This page is a short summary and does not replace a consultation. Want to know how the eye works? See The eye.