Stye

What causes a stye?

Styes are usually caused by a staphylococcal infection . Staphylococcus bacteria often live on the skin without causing any harm.

External styes

A stye on the outside of your eyelid may be caused by an infection of:

an eyelash follicle these are small holes in your skin that individual eyelashes grow out of
the sebaceous (Zeis) gland this gland is attached to the eyelash follicle and produces an oily substance called sebum, which lubricates the eyelash to prevent it drying out
the apocrine (Moll) gland this sweat gland empties into the eyelash follicle and helps prevent the eye drying out

Internal styes

Internal styes can occur when the meibomian glands become infected. These glands are found on the eyelids andproduce an oily liquid, which makes up part of the tear film that covers your eye.

If the meibomian glands become blocked, a cyst can develop, which can become infected (see below).

Blepharitis

Eyelash follicle infectionscan sometimes be a complication of blepharitis . Symptoms of blepharitis include:

inflamed (red and swollen) eyelids
burning or sore eyes
crusty eyelashes
itchy eyelids

Blepharitis can be a complication of rosacea (a skin condition that mainly affects the face).

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for stye

introduction

Find out about styes, including what causes them, what you can do to treat them and when to see your GP.

Symptoms of a stye

The main symptoms of a stye are: a painful yellow lump on or in the eyelid redness of the eye or eyelid a watery eye, in some cases Styes often get better without treatment, particularly after t

Types of stye

There are two general types of stye: an external stye (external hordeolum) a swelling that develops along the edge of your eyelid; it may turn into a yellow pus-filled spot that's painful to touch

What causes a stye?

Styes are usually caused by a staphylococcal infection . Staphylococcus bacteria often live on the skin without causing any harm. External styes A stye on the outside of your eyelid may be caused by

Treating a stye

Most styes get better without treatment within one to three weeks. In the meantime, the treatments below should help ease your symptoms. Warm compress A warm compress is a cloth or flannel warmed wi

When to see your GP

See your GP if you've tried the above measures and your stye hasn't got better. Don't try to remove the eyelash or burst the stye yourself. Referral Your GP may refer you to an ophthalmologist (a

Complications

Complications of styes are uncommon and they're rarely serious. Meibomian cysts Meibomian cysts (chalazions)tend to be painless unless they become infected. If they do, you may need antibiotics (u

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