Brief overview
- Definition: acute purulent inflammation at the edge of the eyelid
- Cause: bacterial infection of a gland in the eyelid
- typical symptoms: reddened, painful and pressure-sensitive swelling (nodule) inside or outside the eyelid margin
- Examinations: Eye diagnosis, slit lamp examination
- Treatment options: dry heat (red light lamp), antibiotic ointments and drops if necessary, antiseptic ointment, in case of strong tension pain, incision of the swelling to drain pus
- Complications: Inflammation of the orbit and/or conjunctiva, eyelid abscess.
- Prevention: ensure adequate hand and eye hygiene
Stye: Causes
If these bacteria get into the eye, they can infect certain glands on the eyelids. This is how a stye develops. Depending on which glands are affected, a distinction is made:
- internal stye (hordeolum internum): In these styes, meibomian glands are inflamed – sebaceous glands on the inner edge of the eyelid. They secrete a special fluid that mixes with the tear fluid and prevents it from premature evaporation.
- External sty (hordeolum externum): Here, the inflammation affects minor or Zeis glands. These are sweat and sebaceous glands on the eyelid. External styes are rarer than internal ones.
If a stye occurs more frequently or if even several styes form at the same time, physicians speak of hordeolosis. This should always be clarified by a doctor. This is often due to a weakened immune system, for example as a result of previously undetected diabetes mellitus.
Barleycorn: risk factors
In addition, a stye often also occurs in connection with acne.
Since the causative pathogens in a stye are contagious and occur on the skin, a hordeolum can also have its origin in poor hygiene or improper care of the eyes. The pathogens easily get into the eye through unwashed hands when rubbing the eyes. Thorough hand washing is therefore an important measure to prevent a stye.
Children are more susceptible to a stye than adults because their immune system is not yet fully developed. The fact that they play “in the dirt” more often and then touch their faces is also likely to be a reason.
Symptoms: How to recognize a stye
In a stye, the sebaceous and sweat glands of the eyelid become inflamed. This shows up as a reddened lump on the upper or lower edge of the eyelid. Typical stye symptoms are furthermore:
- Tightness
- severe pain
- reddened eyelid
- swollen eyelid
- Suppuration
Depending on which glands are affected by the inflammation, the symptoms appear in different places on the eye:
An internal stye (hordeolum internum) occurs on the inside of the eyelid and is often not visible from the outside. It only becomes visible when the eyelid is folded outward. The affected eyelid is initially swollen and reddened and then thickens. In rare cases, an inner stye also affects the conjunctiva of the eye and can cause conjunctivitis and swelling of the conjunctiva (chemosis).
The external sty (hordeolum externum) affects the minor or Zeis glands, which are located at the edge of the eyelid. The typical stye symptoms (swelling and redness of the eyelid) occur in the eyelash area in this form. At the beginning, a reddish, painful and pus-filled lump develops, which can be easily recognized externally.
Even though a stye is fairly easy to identify based on its symptoms, you should still consult an ophthalmologist to rule out other eye diseases.
Stye: examinations and diagnosis
Even though the usually harmless stye is quite easy to identify by its symptoms and usually heals on its own after a few days, you should consult an ophthalmologist. He or she can rule out other causes of the inflammation and detect possible complications at an early stage. Especially if the stye on the eyelid results in conjunctivitis, further examinations are necessary.
Eye diagnosis
An external stye on the eye can already be recognized by the doctor by visual diagnosis: It presents as a clearly visible swelling and reddish pus-filled lump (similar to a pimple) in the area of the eyelashes.
Slit lamp examination
In the case of a stye in the eye, the doctor performs a so-called slit lamp examination: With the help of a microscope and a special lamp (slit lamp), the physician can take a magnified look at the eye. He examines the following structures in particular:
- Eyelids
- eyelid edges
- Conjunctiva
- Tear film
- Lacrimal meniscus
Exclusion of other diseases
During his examinations, the doctor must rule out other causes that could be responsible for the inflammation of the eye. For example, a stye is very similar to a chalazion and easily confused with it. However, it is a chronic inflammation of the meibomian gland that is not purulent and does not hurt. The cause is usually a blocked glandular excretory duct.
Sty: treatment
A stye is an annoying and painful affair. The latter in particular can worry those affected and make them unsure of what to do about a stye.
But as unpleasant as the stye may be, in most cases it heals on its own. After a few days, it opens, the pus drains away, and the inflammation recedes. In most cases, no special stye treatment by a doctor is necessary.
However, there are some ways to support and accelerate the healing process of a stye:
Stye treatment with dry heat.
One way you can treat a stye is with local application of dry heat in the form of red light. You can also perform this stye therapy at home.
In this process, the stye – more precisely, the closed eye – is irradiated with a red light lamp three times a day for ten minutes each time. The heat from the red light lamp promotes blood flow to the eye. The stye opens more quickly so that the pus can drain away.
Moist heat is not advisable!
The application of moist heat is often recommended as a stye therapy, for example in the form of moist warm compresses or compresses. However, most doctors advise against this. Moist heat promotes the further spread of pathogens: The moisture softens the skin, and the bacteria can spread more easily.
Stye treatment with eye ointment and drops
To support the stye therapy, the doctor can prescribe eye ointments or eye drops with an antibiotic agent. The antibiotics work against the bacteria that cause the stye and prevent the inflammation from spreading further. Often, you use the eye drops during the day and the ointment at night.
Treatment of a stye with tablets containing antibiotics is only necessary if the inflammation has already spread.
Sometimes a disinfecting (antiseptic) eye ointment is also used for a stye, for example with the active ingredient Bibrocathol.
Stye: surgical opening
In rare cases, a stye does not open by itself and the inflammation lasts longer. Then a small operation by a doctor (usually an ophthalmologist) is necessary. Under local anesthesia, the doctor carefully opens the stye with a small incision so that the pus can drain away.
Stye: home remedies
The best “home remedy” for stye (and other diseases) is a strong immune system. Because then the pathogens that cause the eye infection have a harder time multiplying. You can effectively support your defenses with a healthy diet rich in vitamins and sufficient exercise.
Which home remedies against a stye are circulating in detail and what you should know about them, you will learn in the article Stye – Home Remedies.
Sty: course of the disease and prognosis
The prognosis for a stye on the eye is usually good, the course unproblematic. In most cases the stye heals by itself: after a few days it opens and the pus drains off.
Only in rare cases complications occur with a stye in the eye. The most common ones are:
- Inflammation of the conjunctiva: A stye can result in conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva). Swelling of the conjunctiva (chemosis) is also possible.
- Eyelid abscess: In exceptional cases, a stye can also cause eyelid abscesses if the disease is severe. An abscess is also called a boil or pustule.
How to prevent a stye
Because a stye is contagious, you should maintain proper hand and eye hygiene. The pathogens live on the skin and mucous membranes and easily enter the eye through the hands. Therefore, wash your hands regularly and do not touch your eye with dirty hands.
As a contact lens wearer, you must wash your hands especially thoroughly before touching your eye when inserting and removing the visual aid. Also make sure that you always store your contact lenses properly and clean them thoroughly. This prevents eye infections such as a stye.
