Styes And Chalazia

Styes - At the base of the eyelashes are the openings of tiny oil-producing glands. The oily secretions from these glands are
an essential component of the tears and help keep the eyes lubricated. If the openings to these glands become clogged, perfect conditions are created for bacterial growth and a localized infection called a "stye" can result. With the development of infection comes pain, redness and swelling.

Chalazia (singular = chalazion) - A chalazion looks similar to a stye but affects the meibomian glands which are located deeper in the eyelids. A chalazion usually does not contain an active bacterial infection. It may initially be red and swollen but within a few days usually changes to a painless, slowly growing "lump" within in the body of eyelid itself.

What causes a stye?

Styes are usually caused by the staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Some people have greater amounts of this bacteria living on their lids than others and may be more prone
to stye formation. Anything that contributes to the blockage of the eyelid gland openings or encourages bacterial growth makes stye development more likely. Contributing factors include:

Rubbing the eyes, which irritates the oil glands. Bacteria present on the hands can be transferred to the eye and contribute to infection.
Improper use of mascara, eyeliner and other eye products. If the products become contaminated with bacteria, eye infection and stye formation are more likely.

What are the symptoms?

With both styes and chalazia the initial symptoms can include painful swelling of the eyelid, eyelid tenderness, sensitivity to light and increased tearing. With a stye, the swollen area will normally be on the edge of the eyelid at the base of an eyelash. This usually turns into a bump similar to a small pimple.

A chalazion normally appears as a localized, hard lump away from the eyelid margin and not associated with an eyelash. It can be relatively painless and grow as large as an eighth of an inch. When a chalazion is large, it may exert enough pressure on the cornea (the clear "window" on the front of the eye) to distort the cornea and cause vision to be blurred.

How are styes and chalazia treated?

Styes are usually treated by applying warm, moist compresses and using nonprescription eye ointments, solutions, or eyedrops. Once you've had a stye, you're more prone to having styes in the future. If a stye is not getting better with home treatment, talk to your doctor; you may need a prescription to help treat the infection.

Chalazia are usually treated by application of warm compresses for 10-15 minutes at
least 4 times a day. This may soften the hardened oils blocking the duct and promote drainage and healing. Antibiotic eye drops are normally used several days before and
after surgical removal of a chalazion, but are otherwise of little value. Chalazia may be associated with blepharitis, or lid margin disease. Treatment of the blepharitis usually helps reduce or prevent the recurrence of chalazia.

Be sure call your eye doctor if an eyelid lump is associated with eyelash loss
or if the lump progresses or persists longer than 1 month, despite treatment.

Sources:

1. American Optometric Association
2. National Institutes of Health

Vision & Health Newsletter courtesy of:

Dr. Philip Smith & Associates
1855 1st Ave #100 San Diego, CA 92101 619-297-4331