Styes and Chalazia: How It Works, Explained Simply

Video Transcript

A lump in the eyelid is usually one of two things, a stye or a chalazion. They look similar at first but behave differently. A stye is an infection of a gland at the base of an eyelash. It appears near the lid margin as a tender red bump, often with a small yellow head. The key feature of a stye is that it hurts. The lid can be swollen, sore to touch, and watery. A chalazion forms when one of the deeper oil glands inside the lid becomes blocked. Trapped oil builds up and the body walls it off. A chalazion sits further from the lid edge, grows more slowly, and is usually firm and painless rather than tender. Both often start the same way, and a stye that settles without fully clearing can leave a chalazion behind. For both, warm compresses several times a day are the main treatment. Do not squeeze or pop them, and pause eye makeup and contact lenses while the lid is inflamed. See a doctor if it affects your vision, keeps growing, keeps coming back in the same spot, or if redness and swelling spread across the lid or into the face. This video is for general education only. It is not medical advice. Ask your eye doctor what's right for you.