Stye and Chalazion (Eyelid Lumps)

Your eyelids have tiny oil glands (called meibomian glands) and eyelash roots along their edge. The oil helps keep your tears from drying out. When one of these gets infected or blocked, a lump can form [1][2].

• Stye (hordeolum): an infection of an eyelash root or a gland at the edge of the lid. It is red, sore and tender, and may have a yellow head of pus, like a pimple.
• Chalazion: a blocked oil gland that swells up. It is a firm, round lump inside the lid, usually not painful. It can follow a stye once the infection settles.

Who gets them?

Anyone can. They are more common if you have blepharitis (inflamed, crusty eyelid edges), rosacea, oily skin, or you rub your eyes or wear old eye make-up [2][3]. Some people get them again and again.

A stye usually [1]:

• comes on over a day or two
• is a painful, red swelling on the edge of the eyelid
• may have a yellow spot of pus near an eyelash
• can make the whole eyelid a little puffy and watery

A chalazion usually [2]:

• grows slowly over weeks
• is a firm, round lump that you can feel inside the eyelid
• is painless or only mildly sore
• if large, can press on the eye and make vision a little blurred

Your vision should otherwise be normal, and the eye itself should not be very red or painful.

Rarely, the infection can spread into the skin around the eye (preseptal cellulitis) or behind the eye (orbital cellulitis). This needs antibiotics quickly, and children can become unwell fast [1][2].

See an eye doctor (not an emergency) if a lump keeps coming back in the same place, especially in an adult. Very rarely this can be a tumour of the eyelid and needs checking.

Most styes and chalazia get better on their own within a few weeks with simple care [1][2][4]:

• Warm compresses: hold a clean cloth soaked in warm (not hot) water on the closed eyelid for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day. This softens the blocked oil so it can drain.
• Gentle massage: after the compress, gently rub the lump with a clean finger, towards the eyelashes.
• Keep the eyelids clean: wash the lid edges gently with warm water or a lid wipe.
• Do not squeeze, pop or prick the lump. This can spread the infection.
• Stop eye make-up and contact lenses until it has healed.

Antibiotics are not usually needed. They are only used if the infection is spreading into the eyelid or around the eye [1][4].

If a chalazion does not go away after a few weeks to months, or it bothers you, an eye doctor can offer [2]:

• a small operation (incision and curettage): the eyelid is numbed and the lump is drained from inside the lid, so there is usually no visible scar
• a steroid injection into the lump, in some cases

To lower the chance of getting them again [2][3]:

• Clean your eyelid edges every day if you have blepharitis or get lumps often.
• Use warm compresses at the first sign of a new lump.
• Wash your hands before touching your eyes or contact lenses.
• Remove eye make-up before sleep and replace old mascara and eyeliner.
• Get rosacea or oily skin treated if you have it.

Where to get help in Brunei

You can walk in to any Community Eye Clinic at your health centre. No referral is needed.