Styes and Chalazia

Learn about eye styes (hordeolum) and chalazia, including causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Video: How to Get Rid of a Stye

Watch this All About Vision video to learn the most common ways to get a stye and get rid of an eye stye. Discover the causes of styes and how to prevent them from re-occurring.

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What Causes a Stye?

A stye is a tender, red bump near the edge of your eyelid.

How do you get a stye?

Eye styes are caused by bacteria that get trapped in eyelash follicles or the eyelids’ oil glands (meibomian glands).

How To Get Rid of a Stye

Learn the do's and don'ts of how to treat a stye.

How long does a stye last?

Styes are usually very short lived, though it feels like they last forever. Learn when you can expect them to heal and how to deal with recurring cases.

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Chalazion: Symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention

A chalazion is a type of eyelid cyst that forms due to a blocked oil gland. Learn about their causes and treatments and how they are different from styes.

Internal vs. external stye: What’s the difference?

The key difference between an internal hordeolum and an external hordeolum is the location and type of eyelid gland affected.

Are styes contagious?

While a stye is rarely contagious, stye-causing bacteria can spread in some circumstances. Learn what can make styes contagious and how to prevent them.

Can you pop a stye?

You should never pop a stye. In addition to never popping a stye, try to avoid squeezing, scratching or even touching it, if you can help it.

Pink eye vs. stye: What’s the difference?

Pink eye and styes are similar with one main difference: A stye is characterized by a painful red bump on the eyelid and pink eye is not.

Stye removal: Surgery and other treatment methods

Stye removal can require home remedies, steroid injections or even surgery in severe cases, but most styes heal and disappear on their own.

More Articles Related to Styes

Stye Medicine: Prescription and OTC Eye Drops and Ointments

Learn all about over-the-counter eye stye treatments that can help relieve symptoms, as well as the prescription antibiotics used to treat stubborn styes.

10 home remedies for styes

Styes can be treated at home by keeping the area clean, applying warm compresses, pausing your makeup and contact lens routine, and more.

What causes eyelid bumps, and are they a health risk?

An eyelid bump is any lump or protrusion affecting the normal contour of the lid surface or margin. Examples of eyelid bumps include stye, hordeolum and chalazion.

Chalazion: Symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention

A chalazion is a type of eyelid cyst that forms due to a blocked oil gland. Learn about their causes and treatments and how they are different from styes.

Relieving sore, painful eyelids

Learn the common causes of eyelid pain, including blepharitis and styes. Plus, how to find relief for your sore eyelids.

Goopy eyes: Causes and treatment

Goopy eyes can be a sign of stye, pink eye or another eye infection; treatment is determined based on the underlying cause.