If you notice a small red lump on or inside your eyelid, it’s probably a stye. Though styes aren’t usually serious, they can be unsightly, painful, and can at times even affect vision.
If the stye becomes swollen, painful or begins to affect your vision, schedule an appointment with our eye doctors at in LOCATION1 to see whether stye removal surgery is the right option for you.
What Is a Stye?
A stye is a painful red bump (pus-filled abscess) on the edge of your eyelid. Though in most cases it appears on the outer part of the eyelid, at times it develops on the inside of the eyelid (called hordeolum).
A stye may often be confused for a chalazion, another type of red lump on the eyelid. But a chalazion tends to be larger than a stye and is caused by blocked meibomian glands.
A stye, on the other hand, is caused by an infection at the root of the eyelash. These infections are usually benign, and in most cases will vanish within a few days— provided you wash your eyelid, apply a warm compress, and refrain from using eye makeup or wearing contact lenses. If the stye hasn’t disappeared after a few days, then you should promptly contact and have it checked out by an eye doctor.
Should You Have Stye Surgery?
If you’ve taken all the steps mentioned in the previous paragraph, and the stye still hasn’t gone away, then it’s time to look for alternative treatments.
You will need medical attention from your ophthalmologist if:
- The stye hasn’t healed or has even gotten worse after a few days
- You experience eye pain
- The eyelid is swollen or red
- The stye is interfering with your vision
- You have trouble fully opening your eye
- The stye keeps growing or feels more painful
Your eye doctor will examine your eyes and rule out other conditions, such as blepharitis—an inflammation of the eyelids. After careful examination, your eye doctor may either recommend stye removal surgery, antibiotic cream or a steroid injection to reduce the swelling.
What to Expect During Stye Surgery?
The eye surgeon will perform stye removal surgery using local anesthesia. After numbing your eyelid, your ophthalmologist will insert a needle into the abscess and drain the pus. And voila! You should be rid of the stye.
The procedure takes about 15 minutes to complete.
What Happens After Stye Surgery?
It may take a week or two to fully recover from stye surgery. You eye may be a bit bruised and you might feel a bit of pain for a few days following the surgery. Your eye doctor will discuss post-operative care and schedule follow-up visits. Medications may include over-the-counter pain relief, steroid and antibiotic eye drops.
If you are concerned that your stye is not healing on its own, schedule an appointment with in LOCATION1 right away to see whether stye removal surgery is right for you.
Our practice serves patients from CITY 1, CITY 2, CITY 3, and CITY 4, and surrounding communities.