Tired of recurring styes? Learn the most common causes, from blepharitis to old makeup, plus a simple prevention routine and when to see a doctor.
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Fed up with repeat styes? Find out the leading reasons, like blepharitis and out-of-date make-up, plus an easy prevention procedure and advice on when to consult a doctor**, along with a look at the Culture & Trends behind today’s eye make-up habits.**
If you get styes over and over again, the common cause is the eyelid becoming inflamed (blepharitis), blocked oil glands, bacteria accumulation on your eyelashes, and things you do like sleeping in eye make-up and rubbing your eyes. In today’s Culture & Trends, late nights, heavy eye make-up, and long hours on screens make these habits more common than ever. Skin diseases and health problems can also be factors. The good news is that most of these issues are simple to treat once diagnosed.
I wish I had known this years ago.
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My Stye Saga (Yes, It Got That Bad)
To give some background. Big presentation week at work, rolled out of bed with a sore, swollen lump over my eye. By lunchtime it was red, painful, and beginning to impinge and by this morning I looked like I had been in a war with a tiny very angry wasp.
I thought it was just the once. Tough luck then eh?
Wrong. After three months, another one arrived. Then another, this time on the other eye, just to keep it balanced. It took four rounds of this before I started questioning my own actions instead of ‘luck’. That question led me to a minefield of investigations, visits to optometrists and trial and error. This post is all the knowledge I acquired along the way in chronological order I wish I knew it.
First a few words of warning: I’m just telling you about my experience and doing my research, not offering medical advice. If those styes just won’t go away, a doctor can examine your eyelids and answer questions based on your specific situation.
A Stye What is it? Simply put, a stye is an infected oil gland in the lidcausing pain and swelling.
A stye (hordeolum) is a tender lump that looks like a spot and develops along the margin of your eyelid. It’s caused when one of the oil glands or hair follicles becomes blocked and infectedbacteria from your skin often cause the infection.
Your eyelids are like little drainage systems, if any of these small pipes get blocked, then it’s going to back-blood, bacteria will set up house, and the body will react with inflammation and redness. It’s really a small water-pipe problem but it’s your face
Getting a stye once in a while is pretty common and often nothing to worry about. Though, getting recurring styes can be a problem as it indicates there is a predisposing factor at work.
Why do I always get styes? The 7 most common reasons.
1. Blepharitis (the Usual Suspect)
Blepharitis is a chronic inflamation of the eyelids, and one of the biggest causes for recurrent styes. You may observe scaly flakes at the edge of the lashes, gritty, or itchy eyes, or lids that look a little red.
Here’s the thing: mine was so mild I never noticed it. I thought it was normal to wake up with dried gunk in the corners of your eyes. Wrong. Blepharitis brings the ideal breeding grounds for bacterial growth, so you’re effectively inviting the next stye to come knocking.
2. Clogged Oil Glands (Meibomian Gland Dysfunction)
Number7. Oil glands are found underneath your eyelids. These glands lubricate your tears and prevent it from evaporating too quickly. When the oil is thick and sluggish, similar to cold butter instead of warm olive oil, it can block the opening of the gland and result in an inflammatory response.
If you also suffer from dry, fatigued eyes, it could be part of your story.
3. Old, Shared, or Unremoved Makeup
This one stung (pun intended). I was very lax about removing my eye makeup at night. I’d go to bed with my mascara still on, but promised myself I’d remove it tomorow.
Makeup can build up in the vent openings along your lash line and bacteria can grow in old make up. As a general rule, replace your mascara and liquid liner every 3 months or so, and don’t share any eye makeup. Ever. Not even with your best friend.
4. Contact Lens Habits
If you wear contacts, hygiene is much more important than you might think. Contacting your lenses with dirty hands, extending the wear schedule, or refilling old solution rather than using fresh all introduce bacteria to your eyes.
5. Touching and Rubbing Your Eyes
We all are guilty of rubbing our eyes absentmindedly. Hands are coated with bacteria all day, then every eye rub delivers a new dose right on the lid margin. I realized I was rubbing my eyes constantly during those long hours on my laptop, which is to the next cause.
6. Skin Conditions Like Rosacea and Seborrheic Dermatitis.
Rosacea or seborrheic dermatitis (the underlying cause of dandruff and flaky skin) result in increased eyelid inflammation and the development of sty’s is much more common. If you have either of these conditions to tell your doctor when you discuss the eyes.
7. Stress, Poor Sleep, and Health Factors
Being stressed and having sleepless nights won’t bring a stye on their own, still their effect may decrease your body’s ability to resist and to fight small infections. Some illnesses like diabetes are also connected to recurrent styes. If you experience recurrents and there is no other explanation, speak to your doctor if a simple health screen is appropriate.
Is it a stye or chalazion? Do you really think it is a stye?
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● For years I would just say them both interchangeably. They are totally different.
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● Stye
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● Chalazion
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● Pain
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● Typically painful and tender
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● Generally painfree
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● Location
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● On the right at the lid edge
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● Often further back on the lid
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● Onset
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● Seems rapidly: over a day or two
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● Grows slowly
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● Feel
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● Red sore swollen, sometimes with a visible head.
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● Bumpy, round lump
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● Duration
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● Usually gets better after a week or so.
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● May stay for weeks.
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● A chalazion is a plugged oil gland that becomes inflamed but not infected. It’s also possible for a chalazion to remain once the eye stye is no longer present, which indicates yet another way to treat the lid.
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How I Finally Stopped the Cycle: My Prevention Routine.
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● So, after my second appointment with the eye doctor, I learned that I’ve got a soft case of blepharitis and that correct daily maintenance would be more important than any extraordinary treatment. So I created a basic routine. Nothing radical. Just small, everyday steps.
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● Warm packs. I would apply a fresh washcloth, which is warm but not hot, over my closed eyes for around 10minutes a couple of times daily; the heat dissolves the build-up of oil in the glands. Rewarm the cloth when necessary.
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● Gentle lid cleansing. Each night I used an eyelid-specific cleanser to rub through the lashes. You may wish to check with your eye doctor for a specific one. I’ll mention to them that some over-the-counter products can irritate the eye.
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● Take off all your make up. Every single night. No matter how tired I am.
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● Rebrand. I threw out my mascara and liquid eye liner and began writing the purchase date on new ones with a marker.
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● Wash my hands before I touch my face. What good advice. I realized I haven’t been doing it.
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● Respect my contact lens routine. New solution, clean case, no sleeping in lenses unless by doctor approval.
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● … Give my eyes a rest from the screen. I find myself rubbing less, and experiencing less dryness, and having fewer reasons to shove my fingers into my face.
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● I didn’t see a difference for about six weeks, then strangely I thought I had gone without a stye for months. Because it just became a normal thing to dolike brushing your teeth.
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What to Do When a Stye Shows Up Anyway.
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● Even with good habits, you might still get one occasionally. Here’s what helped me:
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● Use warm compresses several times daily to promote drainage.
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● Hands off. I understand you want to squeeze or pop it, but it’s best not to, as you could make worse the infection by forcing it to go further into the eyelid.
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● No eye makeup or contacts until cleared.
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● Have patience. Most styes resolve spontaneously within a week or two.
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When to See a Doctor
Most people get along fine with home health care though there are cases when make sure to seek professional assistance. If you:
You’re having repeat styes (three or more over a short period, e.g. six months)
The bump is no better after 2 weeks.
Vision changing or your eye is very painful.
If redness or swelling extends to your cheek or the whole eye.
Stye keeps reappearing in the same place.
A consult with an eye doctor can identify blepharitis, gland problems, or other underlying issues, and treat resistant or infected lumps. I waited way to long to get this seen about, and I really wish I didn’t. 10 minutes in an exam chair gave me more of an answer than months of guessing on the internet.
Frequently Asked Questions
The question arises: can stress induce styes?
Stress doesn’t cause it directly, but it can compromise your immune system and disturb your sleeping and hygienic routine making styes more prone to develop.
How easy are they to pass along? Like before, styes are contagious. In fact, they are the best of contagious eye infections to pass on, being considered moderately contagious.
Not like a cold, but the bacteria can be transferred by sharing towels, pillowcases, and use of the same makeup. Have your own ‘tools’ and wash them when they need it.
Is it safe to squeeze a stye?
No. Squeezing it can force bacteria down and make worse things. Encourage to empty naturally with warm packs.
Why do I get styes in exactly the same position?
Repeated styes in one spot could indicate a persistent occluded gland or area inflammation. This is a reason for it to be checked out.
Is it safe to wear makeup with a stye?
Eyesbest not to wear eye makeup until it heals, or dispose of any products you were using at the time as they could cause re-infection.
The Bottom Line
Recurrent styes are irritatingmore often than not, they’re not that random. For me, a bit of an underlying blepharitis, some lax makeup application, and excessive eye rubbing had all being going on in the background. Once the pattern was clear, I could finally do something about it.
If you’re trapped in the same stye cycle over and over. Begin simply: warm packs, clean eyelids, new makeup, and clean hands. Wait a few weeks. But if you don’t see improvement in a few weeks, just walk away? No! Let an eye care professional be your guide to fill in the missing piece.
Any improvement to be made in the looks departmentyour eyes will thank you. Mine sure did.
The personal experiences above are written as an example author’s voice, so just replace with your own actual stories before publishing. I can also place this article into a downloadable file if you want me to.
Additional Resources:
- Chalazia and Stye Treatment (American Academy of Ophthalmology Explains warm compresses, why you shouldn’t squeeze a stye, and when an antibiotic ointment or a procedure may be needed.
- What Is Blepharitis? (American Academy of Ophthalmology) :Covers what causes eyelid inflammation and how to keep it under control, which is a common reason styes come back.
