The eyelid glands, known as meibomian glands, normally produce an oily substance that contributes to the natural tears on our eyes. If these glands become blocked, they could develop into a chalazion or a stye i. A chalazion is a large, non-infectious cyst in the eyelid that often takes several weeks to develop. It can be caused by either inflammation of the meibomian glands or it can start as a hordeolum.
A chalazion is not painful and usually occurs on the upper eyelid. This is likely because the upper eyelids anatomically have more glands about 50 versus only 25 glands in the lower lid.
Symptoms may include eyelid drooping ptosis , redness, and on rare occasion lid swelling. View Video. A hordeolum, also known as a stye, is often more acute and can be secondary to a bacterial infection of the eyelid glands.
Styes are contagious but tend to be smaller, more painful, and more tender to the touch than a chalazion. Symptoms can include eyelid swelling, pain, and tearing. If a stye is present for several weeks, it may develop into a chalazion. Some individuals are more prone to developing a hordeolum or chalazion than others. Common risk factors include acne rosacea, chronic inflammation of the eyelids, poor eyelid hygiene, and meibomian gland dysfunction.
Before treatment can begin, our doctors will need to confirm that the lesion is truly a chalazion or stye and not another type of skin lesion. In general, there are several treatments available. A common home remedy is to place a warm compress over the affected area multiple times a day. This method can help melt the thickened oil gland secretions and can free the affected area, allowing it to function normally again.
Our doctors will sometimes prescribe an antibiotic to the patient in order to combat the main infection. Oftentimes, these conservative treatment methods alone will allow the eyelid to heal, and no further treatment will be required.
If a patient has a recurrent chalazion or hordeolum, an extended course of low-dose antibiotic, typically a drug called doxycycline, may be prescribed to reduce chronic inflammation in the eyelids. An internal hordeolum is caused by infection in one of the tiny oil glands inside the eyelid. A chalazion forms when an oil gland in the eyelid becomes blocked. If an internal hordeolum doesn't drain and heal, it can turn into a chalazion.
A stye usually starts as a red bump that looks like a pimple along the edge of the eyelid. A chalazion starts as a firm lump or cyst under the skin of the eyelid. Doctors diagnose these problems by closely examining the eyelid. It may be hard to tell the difference between a stye and a chalazion.
If there is a hard lump inside the eyelid, the doctor will probably diagnose it as a chalazion. Home treatment is all that is needed for most styes and chalazia. If a stye is not getting better with home treatment, talk to your doctor. You may need a prescription for antibiotic eye ointment or eyedrops. You may need to take antibiotic pills if infection has spread to the eyelid or eye. If a stye gets very large, the doctor may need to pierce lance it so it can drain and heal. Do not try to lance it yourself.
If a chalazion does not go away or if it gets worse, a doctor may recommend an injection of steroid medicine or surgery to remove it. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Styes are common and can be painful. Most styes look like a small yellow, pus-filled spot on the edge of the eyelid. External styes appear along the edge of the eyelid and are caused by an infection in the hair follicle of an eyelash.
Internal styes occur when a meibomian gland in the main part of the eyelid becomes infected. Internal styes form on the inside of the eyelid against the eyeball.
Usually no treatment is needed, although hot compresses can help. If, however, the stye persists, we may opt to drain it. With an external stye, we use a sterile needle or a scalpel to open the stye and drain the pus. With an internal stye, we numb the area with local anesthetic, flip the eyelid inside out and scrape out the stye. View Video View Video. Chalazions are also called meibomian cysts.
They are small, non-infectious lumps that develop in the eyelids due to a blockage of the meibomian gland, the oil gland in the eyelid.
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