You’ve had a stye before. It was sore, it was annoying, and it eventually went away. Then it came back. And maybe it came back again. At some point, the question stops being “how do I treat this one?” and starts being “why does this keep happening?” That’s the bit most people never get a good answer to.
A Stye (Hordeolum)
A stye is an acute infection of a gland in the eyelid, usually caused by staphylococcal bacteria. It presents as a red, painful, swollen lump, typically along the lash line (external stye) or on the inner surface of the lid (internal stye). It looks a bit like a spot, it feels like one too, and it usually comes to a head and drains on its own within a week or so.
A Chalazion
A chalazion is a blocked meibomian gland that has become swollen but not infected. It starts as a firm, painless lump inside the eyelid – often after a stye that didn’t fully resolve. Because it isn’t an infection, antibiotics don’t help. It can last weeks or months if left alone, and some need expressing or minor surgical drainage to clear.
The short version A stye is infected, painful, and usually resolves in a week. A chalazion is blocked but not infected, painless but stubborn, and can hang around for months. Both come from the same root cause: blocked eyelid glands. |
This is the question that matters. Recurrent styes and chalazia almost always point to the same underlying issue: chronic blepharitis – low-grade inflammation of the eyelid margins that causes the meibomian glands to block more easily. The biofilm of bacteria, dead skin cells, and debris that builds up along the lash line provides the perfect environment for styes to develop, and once the glands start blocking, chalazia follow. If you’re getting styes or chalazia more than once or twice a year, the recurrence is the real problem, and treating each episode individually without addressing the underlying blepharitis is like mopping a floor without fixing the leak.
Our dry eye and blepharitis clinic assesses the eyelid margins, meibomian glands, and tear film to identify what’s driving the cycle – and build a treatment plan that addresses the root cause, not just each individual lump as it appears.
As an IP-qualified practice, we can prescribe antibiotic ointments or drops directly for infected styes, and arrange referral for surgical drainage of persistent chalazia that won’t resolve with conservative treatment.
If styes keep coming back, the lump itself isn’t the real problem – the blepharitis driving it is. Get in touch or call 0141 427 4040 and we’ll assess the underlying cause properly, rather than just treating each episode as it appears.
If you’ve never had an eye test, or it’s been years, the single most important thing is just booking it. Don’t wait for symptoms, don’t worry about what to expect, don’t assume your eyes are fine because you can see well enough. A proper examination checks the health of your eyes, not just how clearly you see – and plenty of conditions cause no symptoms at all until damage is done.
Get in touch or call 0141 427 4040. We’ll take it from there.
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A stye is an infected, painful eyelid lump that usually resolves within a week. A chalazion is a blocked but non-infected gland that's painless but can persist for weeks or months without treatment.
Recurrent styes usually point to underlying blepharitis - chronic eyelid inflammation that causes the oil glands to block more easily. Treating the blepharitis reduces how often styes occur.
Yes - an IP-qualified optometrist can prescribe medication for infected styes directly. For persistent chalazia needing drainage, we can assess and refer to a specialist.
No - squeezing a stye can spread infection or push debris deeper into the gland. Warm compresses and lid hygiene are the recommended home treatment. If it's not improving, get it assessed.
Consistent daily lid hygiene, warm compresses, and treatment of any underlying blepharitis. If home care isn't preventing recurrence, a professional assessment of your eyelid margins and meibomian glands can identify what's driving the cycle.
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