Hordeolum: Stye Popping on the Lower Eyelid

Faline · #1 ● 12-11-2011, 10:02 AM

A stye, also called a hordeolum, is a small, painful lump on or inside the eyelid. It may contain yellow pus and cause redness and watering, but vision is usually unaffected. Styes often develop when bacteria infect an eyelash follicle or an eyelid gland. Long-term blepharitis or rosacea makes them more likely.

Styes are common and usually go away within a week. Treatment can include warm compresses. A doctor may drain a stye with a thin sterilised needle, remove the nearest eyelash or refer the patient to an eye specialist. Squeezing or bursting a stye at home can spread the infection.

Faline · #2 ● 12-11-2011, 10:04 AM

An external stye or sty (/ˈstaɪ/), also hordeolum (/hɔrˈdiːələm/), is an infection of the sebaceous glands of Zeis at the base of the eyelashes, or an infection of the apocrine sweat glands of Moll. External styes form on the outside of the lids and can be seen as small red bumps. Internal styes are infections of the meibomian sebaceous glands lining the inside of the eyelids. They also cause a red bump underneath the lid with only generalized redness and swelling visible on the outside. Styes are similar to chalazia, but tend to be of smaller size and are more painful and usually produce no lasting damage. Styes are characterized by an acute onset and usually short in duration (7–10 days without treatment) compared to chalazia that are chronic and usually do not resolve without intervention.