What is a stye?

A stye will look like a small and sometimes red lump on your eyelid, and it can occur either on the top or bottom eyelid. It can also appear on the outside or inside of your lid. A stye on the inside of your eyelid can sometimes be more serious, as it may not always heal on its own.

Typically styes will heal on their own, but they can last up to 1 or 2 weeks. It might be painful until it heals. If there’s no lump, it’s probably not a style and could be something else, such as conjunctivitis or blepharitis. If the lump is hard but not painful, it’s more likely to be a chalazion. This is where the oil gland around your eye becomes blocked.

Your optician will be able to diagnose a stye on sight. If your stye isn’t getting any better after a few day, if it gets bigger or it starts to affect your vision, you should visit your local optician to check your eye health. 

Can you treat a stye?

There are some things you can do to help the stye heal. You can reduce the swelling by soaking a flannel in warm water and holding it to your eye for 5-10 minutes. This may also encourage the stye to heal quicker.

You should try to avoid wearing contact lenses and eye makeup until the stye has healed. Never try to burst a stye yourself, as this might cause the infection to spread. Your GP may burst the stye with a sterilised needle and remove the eyelash closest to the stye, if it’s not healing on its own.