Chalazion and Hordeolum (Stye) – Eye Disorders

By

James Garrity

, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

Reviewed/Revised May 2022 | Modified Sep 2022

View Patient Education

Topic Resources

Chalazia and hordeola (styes) are sudden-onset localized swellings of the eyelid. A chalazion is caused by noninfectious meibomian gland occlusion, whereas a hordeolum usually is caused by infection. Both conditions initially cause eyelid hyperemia and edema, swelling, and pain. With time, a chalazion becomes a small nontender nodule in the eyelid center, whereas a hordeolum remains painful and localizes to an eyelid margin. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment is primarily with hot compresses. Both conditions improve spontaneously, but incision or, for chalazia, intralesional corticosteroids may be used to hasten resolution.

A chalazion is noninfectious obstruction of a meibomian gland causing extravasation of irritating lipid material in the eyelid soft tissues with focal secondary granulomatous inflammation. Disorders that cause abnormally thick meibomian gland secretions (eg, meibomian gland dysfunction, acne rosacea) increase the risk of meibomian gland obstruction.

A hordeolum (stye) is an acute, localized swelling of the eyelid that may be external or internal and usually is a pyogenic (typically staphylococcal) infection or abscess. Most hordeola are external and result from obstruction and infection of an eyelash follicle and adjacent glands of Zeis or Moll glands. Follicle obstruction may be associated with blepharitis Blepharitis Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelid margins that may be acute or chronic. Symptoms and signs include itching and burning of the eyelid margins with redness and edema. Diagnosis is by history… read more . An internal hordeolum, which is very rare, results from infection of a meibomian gland. Sometimes cellulitis Preseptal and Orbital Cellulitis Preseptal cellulitis (periorbital cellulitis) is infection of the eyelid and surrounding skin anterior to the orbital septum. Orbital cellulitis is infection of the orbital tissues posterior… read more accompanies hordeola.

Chalazia and hordeola each cause eyelid redness, swelling, and pain.

Initially the eyelid is diffusely swollen. Occasionally the eyelid can be massively swollen, shutting the eye completely. After 1 or 2 days, a chalazion localizes to the body of the eyelid. Typically, a small nontender nodule or lump develops. A chalazion usually drains through the inner surface of the eyelid or is absorbed spontaneously over 2 to 8 weeks; rarely, it persists longer. Depending on its size and location, a chalazion may indent the cornea, resulting in slightly blurred vision.

After 1 to 2 days, an external hordeolum localizes to the eyelid margin. There may be tearing, photophobia, and a foreign body sensation. Typically, a small yellowish pustule develops at the base of an eyelash, surrounded by hyperemia, induration, and diffuse edema. Within 2 to 4 days, the lesion ruptures and discharges material (often pus), thereby relieving pain and resolving the lesion.

Symptoms of an internal hordeolum are the same as those of a chalazion, with pain, redness, and edema localized to the posterior tarsal conjunctival surface. Inflammation may be severe, sometimes with fever or chills. Inspection of the tarsal conjunctivae shows a small elevation or yellow area at the site of the affected gland. Later, an abscess forms. Spontaneous rupture is rare; however, when it does occur, it usually occurs on the conjunctival side of the eyelid and sometimes erupts through the skin side. Recurrence is common.

• Clinical assessment

Diagnosis of chalazion and both kinds of hordeola is clinical; however, during the first 2 days, they may be clinically indistinguishable. Because internal hordeola are so rare, they are not usually suspected unless inflammation is severe or fever or chills are present. If the chalazion or hordeolum lies near the inner canthus of the lower eyelid, it must be differentiated from dacryocystitis Dacryocystitis Dacryocystitis is infection of the lacrimal sac that sometimes leads to abscess formation. The usual cause is a staphyloccocal or streptococcal species, typically as a consequence of nasolacrimal… read more and canaliculitis Canaliculitis Canaliculitis is inflammation of the canaliculus. The most common cause of canaliculitis is infection with Actinomyces israelii, a gram-positive bacillus with fine branching filaments… read more , which can usually be excluded by noting the location of maximum induration and tenderness (eg, eyelid for a chalazion, under the medial canthus near the side of the nose for dacryocystitis, and over the punctum for canaliculitis).

Chronic chalazia that do not respond to treatment require biopsy to exclude tumor of the eyelid.

Warm compresses for 5 to 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a day can be used to hasten resolution of chalazia and external hordeola.

Incision and curettage or intrachalazion corticosteroid therapy (0.05 to 0.2 mL triamcinolone 25 mg/mL) may be indicated if chalazia are large, unsightly, and persist for more than several weeks despite conservative therapy.

An external hordeolum that does not respond to hot compresses can be incised with a sharp, fine-tipped blade. Systemic antibiotics (eg, dicloxacillin or erythromycin 250 mg orally 4 times a day) are indicated when preseptal cellulitis Preseptal and Orbital Cellulitis Preseptal cellulitis (periorbital cellulitis) is infection of the eyelid and surrounding skin anterior to the orbital septum. Orbital cellulitis is infection of the orbital tissues posterior… read more accompanies a hordeolum.

Treatment of an internal hordeolum is oral antibiotics and incision and drainage if needed. Topical antibiotics are usually ineffective.

• Chalazia and hordeola initially cause eyelid hyperemia and edema, swelling, and pain and may be clinically indistinguishable for a few days.

• A hordeolum remains painful and localizes to an eyelid margin.

• Hot compresses can hasten resolution of either lesion.

• Other treatments that may be needed include intralesional corticosteroids (for chalazia) and incision and/or antibiotics (for hordeola).

• Consider biopsy to exclude eyelid tumor for chronic chalazia that do not respond to usual treatments.

Drug Name	Select Trade
triamcinolone	Aristocort, Aristocort A, Aristocort Forte, Aristocort HP, Aristo-Pak, Aristospan, Azmacort, Children’s Nasacort Allergy 24HR Nasal Spray, Cinalog, Cinolar, Flutex, Hexatrione, Kenalog, Kenalog in Orabase, Kenalog-10, Kenalog-40, Kenalog-80, Nasacort, Nasacort AQ, Oralone, SP Rx 228 , Tac-3 , Triacet , Triamonide , Trianex , Triderm , Triesence, XIPERE, Zilretta
dicloxacillin	Dynapen
erythromycin	A/T/S, Akne-mycin, E. E.S., Emcin Clear , EMGEL, E-Mycin, ERYC, Erycette, Eryderm , Erygel, Erymax, EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythra Derm , Erythrocin, Erythrocin Lactobionate, Erythrocin Stearate, Ilosone, Ilotycin, My-E, PCE, PCE Dispertab , Romycin, Staticin, T-Stat

NOTE:


This is the Professional Version.


CONSUMERS:



View Consumer Version

Copyright © 2023 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Test your knowledge

Take a Quiz! 

Online Stye Treatment Available Today

In order to treat your stye, consult with one of our board-certified doctors online today to prescribe medications to get relief from eye pain and swelling. Get a new prescription to treat stye or refill an existing prescription today.

Book an appointment

Medication services available for adults and kids (3+)

Top quality, board-certified doctors

Insurance accepted, but not required

Prescriptions sent to your local pharmacy*

*Disclaimer: PlushCare doctors cannot treat all cases of stye. Our primary care physicians can conduct an initial evaluation of your symptoms, but may need to refer you to a specialist or for in-person treatment. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, seek emergency medical attention immediately.

We accept these insurance plans and many more!

Most patients with in-network insurance pay $30 or less. Paying without insurance? New patient visits are $129, and follow-ups are only $99 for members.

Find your insurance plan

Don’t see your provider listed? Email [email protected]  or call  (888) 564-4454  to talk to a PlushCare specialist.

3 simple steps to request treatment for a stye today

Step 1

Book a stye treatment appointment.

Book a same day appointment from anywhere.

Step 2

Talk to your medical provider regarding your stye symptoms.

Visit with a doctor on your smartphone or computer.

Step 3

Pick up a prescription to treat your stye.

We can send prescriptions to any local pharmacy.

Stye treatment pricing details

How pricing works

To request stye treatment and get a new or refill on your prescription, join our monthly membership and get discounted visits.

Paying with insurance

Membership

$14.99/month

First month free

First visit

Copay

For all visits

30 days of free membership

• Same-day appointments 7 days a week

• Unlimited messages with your Care Team

• Prescription discount card to save up to 80%

• Exclusive discounts on lab tests

• Free memberships for your family

• Cancel anytime

Visit price with insurance

Often the same as an office visit. Most patients with in-network insurance pay $30 or less!

Paying without insurance

Membership

$14.99/month

First month free

First visit

$129

Repeats only $99

30 days of free membership

• Same-day appointments 7 days a week

• Unlimited messages with your Care Team

• Prescription discount card to save up to 80%

• Exclusive discounts on lab tests

• Free memberships for your family

• Cancel anytime

Visit price without insurance

Initial visits are $129 and follow-ups are only $99 for active members.

Book an appointment

If we’re unable to treat you, we’ll provide a full refund.

Stye treatment FAQs

• What is an eye stye?

  A stye (officially known as hordeolum) is a red, painful lump near the edge of the eyelid, that forms due to backed-up oil producing gland.

• What is the best treatment for a stye?

  Most styes will usually go away on its own in one to two weeks. Some home self care routines such as warm compresses and cleaning eyelids can help.

• How do I get rid of a stye overnight?

  Given that stye is a bacterial infection, it is not possible to completely get rid of it overnight. The immune system needs time to fight off the infection, most styes will usually go away on its own in one to two weeks.

• What is the best medicine for a stye?

  If your stye does not go away on its own, see a doctor. Your doctor can prescribe antibiotic eye drops or antibiotic eye ointment to apply. Antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections.

• What is a stye caused by?

  A stye forms when an oil-producing gland in your eyelid skin becomes blocked and gets infected.

• What’s the difference between a stye and a chalazion?

  A chalazion is a swollen bump on the eyelid. It is difficult to tell apart a chalazion from a stye. While a stye is very painful, a chalazion is usually not, and does not cause swelling in the entire eyelid.

• Can you get a stye from stress?

  There seem to be some reports that suggest a relationship between stress, poor sleep and risk of styes. However, scientific studies that show the direct linkages are lacking. It maybe that during periods of high stress and/or poor sleep, your immune system becomes weakened, and you are therefore more susceptible to bacterial infection.

• Are styes contagious?

  Styes are generally not contagious. However, always practice good hygiene since we are dealing with bacterial infection. Always wash hands and try to wash pillowcases often.

Learn about styes

A stye (officially known as hordeolum) is a red, painful lump near the edge of the eyelid, that forms due to backed-up oil producing gland. The eyelid bump usually forms on the outside of your eyelid (base of eyelash), but sometimes it can form under the eyelid. A stye looks like an acne pimple, it usually lasts one to two weeks and can go away on its own.

Stye causes

• A stye forms when an oil-producing gland in your eyelid skin becomes blocked and gets infected. These oil-producing glands line the edge of the eyelid and produce special oil that help lubricate the eye surface. However, the glands can get clogged with dead/old skin cells, old oil and in some cases get infected. The bacterial infection is typically cause by staphylococcus aureus.

Stye symptoms

Most styes have the following symptoms:

How to treat a stye

Most styes will usually go away on its own in one to two weeks. Here are some at home treatments that can help with the healing process:

• Warm compresses – An effective at home treatment to relieve pain is warm compress. First run warm water over clean washcloth then wring it out. Place the warm washcloth over the affected eyelid with the eye closed. Gently massage the eyelid. Re-wet the washcloth under warm water to repeat for 5 to 10 minutes.

• Clean your eyelids regularly – gently wipe the infected eyelid with mild soap and water. Usually, watered-down baby shampoo that are designed not to irritate the eyes will work. You can also buy special eye soap from drugstores.

• Keep eyes clean – Don’t wear eye makeup or contact lenses until the style has healed. The contact lenses that were last worn may contain the bacteria. If you wear weekly or monthly disposables, it is safer to throw out the old pair of contact lenses.

• Do not try to pop the stye – Leave the stye alone. Trying to pop or squeeze the stye to get the pus out may cause the infection to spread.

In cases where the stye doesn’t start to improve after 48 hours, see a healthcare provider to get medical treatment options. The following treatments maybe performed by the doctor:

• Drain the stye – The doctor may perform a small surgery to drain the pus. A small incision will be made with local anesthetic in the doctor’s office.

• Steroid shot – Your doctor may provide a steroid injection to reduce swelling.

• Antibiotics – Prescription antibiotic eye drops or antibiotic eye ointment to apply. Oral antibiotics maybe prescribed if it is observed that the infection had spread beyond the whole eyelid.

How to prevent a stye

Good facial hygiene practices are key in the prevention of a stye. Some good daily habits include:

• Avoid touching the face or regions around the eyes for no reason

• Wash your hands often since you maybe unconsciously touching your face and eyes

• Contact lens hygiene – since these stay in your eyes throughout the day, and are the primary reasons for touching the eyes, it is important to practice good contact lens hygiene. Always wash your hands before handling contact lenses. Clean and disinfect your contact lenses thoroughly everyday. If you are wearing the disposable types, toss them out on time (e.g. daily, weekly or monthly). Do not wear them beyond the recommended time frame in an attempt to save money.

When to see a doctor for a stye

See a doctor if the stye does not show any signs of improvement after 48 hours, or the redness/swelling spreads to the entire eyelid or into other parts of your face.

Stye treatment resources

what to do? [Clinic of Dr. Kurenkov]

What is barley?

Barley, also known as hordeolum (also sometimes incorrectly called chalazion), is an infectious disease localized on the eyelid. Many of us find in the morning that a painful redness has formed at the very edge of the eyelid. Such a bump not only does not decorate the eyes, but also delivers terrible discomfort. What is happening at this moment in your century? There are two possible options – either there was a blockage of the sebaceous glands, or bacteria seized power, and the infection struck the base of the eyelash or the gland inside the eyelid. In the first case, barley is considered external, in the second – internal.

Most often, the disease affects only one eye. However, it is worth starting to treat it immediately after the onset of the disease, otherwise the bump may jump up on the second eye. For someone, barley happens only once in a lifetime, but most often this unpleasant attack occurs with varying degrees of frequency. As mentioned above, sometimes chalazion is confused with barley. This is also a bump on the eyelid, but of a non-infectious nature, it occurs due to blockage of the meibomian gland.

How to cure barley?

Painful seals often appear on the edge of the eyelid, and this is not always barley. Such bumps, including barley, do not pose a danger to eye health and disappear after seven days without any treatment, but there are times when this inflammation seriously interferes with life.

There are many medications and home remedies that will relieve swelling, inflammation and relieve pain.

• Stage one – cleansing

If you suspect that you have a stye on your eye, then before you start treatment, you need to clean your eyelids of dirt. On a cotton pad, napkin or sponge, apply a small amount of diluted baby shampoo, the very one that does not irritate the eyes and does not cause tears. We wipe the eyelids, rinse off with warm water. Then gently pat dry with a towel. If you don’t have shampoo on hand, then take a sodium chloride solution (saline).

• Wash your hands regularly

If you touch an infected eyelid, be sure to wash your hands. It is also important to wash your hands before any eye manipulation. Do not share your towel or personal hygiene products with anyone.

• Use special eyelid cleansers

In the pharmacy, you can buy special wet wipes for cleansing the skin of the eyelids. They contain special cleansing, moisturizing and healing ingredients.

• No eye makeup

If the eyelid is inflamed, you are unlikely to want to touch it, while you recover, you should give up eye makeup products. Firstly, you need to take care of the sore eye itself, and secondly, bacteria can get on makeup products and applicators. Throw away old eye makeup.

• Contact lenses are also banned

Lenses will have to say “no” for now, you can only wear glasses.

• Try warm compresses

The healing process of barley can be slightly accelerated. In this case, warm compresses on the eye will help you. The duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes 3-4 times a day.

You can use a cloth or napkin soaked in warm (not hot) water, or tea bags. The fabric is squeezed well and a compress is applied to closed eyes. The tea bag should also be warm, not scalding. The sachet should be applied to the eyelid for 5-10 minutes. In the case when both eyes are affected by barley, you will need two bags.

• Barley must not be squeezed out

Many believe that barley, like a pimple-abscess, should be squeezed out so that the inflammation goes away faster. This is a dangerous delusion! In the case of applying a compress, the barley may open itself, but you cannot do it mechanically, you risk that the inflammation will affect the entire eyelid.

• Use antibiotic cream

You can buy antibiotic cream without a prescription at the pharmacy. However, you should be very careful when choosing such a cream – it should be designed for the eyes and do not contain local steroids. You may be attracted to drops with a similar effect. But if you want to buy drugs, because you are afraid that the disease is serious, then it is better to immediately consult a doctor. So you can be sure that you are using the right remedy and that you will not cause damage by self-treatment. Antibiotics are no joke.

• Massage

If barley gives you pain, then you can resort to a gentle massage. Before the massage, you need to thoroughly wash your hands or use a heated cloth. When carrying out massage procedures, barley may open. Movements should be light, if pain occurs, massage should be abandoned.

How to get rid of pain?

• Take pain medication. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are over-the-counter pain relievers, but they won’t make the stye go away any faster
• Non-drug remedies: The most effective way to relieve pain when you have stye is with warm compresses.

How to prevent barley?

There are a number of ways to protect yourself from the appearance of barley.

• Keep your face clean: wash your face regularly and always remove make-up.
• Cleanse eyelids with diluted baby shampoo daily.
• Use special eyelid wipes.
• If you use contact lenses, then be sure to wash your hands before touching them. Keep your lenses clean and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Eye makeup is prone to bacteria, so it’s worth reapplying every 2-3 months. Don’t lend your makeup to anyone.
• Do not scratch your eyes with dirty hands.
• If someone in the family has this infectious disease, you should not share a towel with him.

How long does barley heal?

You will have to endure discomfort for 3-5 days if you use home remedies for treatment. The swelling usually lasts 2-3 days. If the disease has taken a serious turn, and you went to the doctor, then after a week of treatment, all symptoms should come. If you often have barley jumps up, then this may be a symptom of blepharitis. It is worth taking measures to treat blepharitis, this will help get rid of frequent re-infection.

When do you need expert advice?

If:

• Barley does not go away for too long.
• The condition is deteriorating.
• It hurts not only the eyelid, but the whole eye.
• You have problems with your eyesight.
• The eyelid is very swollen and very red.
• You cannot open your eye completely.
• Home remedies or over-the-counter drugs do not help.
• Barley continues to grow.

Surgery

Sometimes you may need surgery from an ophthalmologist. If you have been offered surgery, do not be afraid, this is a simple operation – you open an abscess and drain it. Then you have to take a special prescription drug or antibiotic for a few days.

Source: https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/how-to-get-rid-of-a-stye.htm How to get rid of barley Amy Hellem

Pharmacies and drugs in Sri Lanka: analogues of Russian drugs

You are here:
1. Sri Lanka
2. We go by ourselves
3. Medicine and vaccinations
4. Pharmacies, names of Russian medicines in Sri Lanka

Article content:

⇓ Pharmacies: where to buy medicines in Sri Lanka

⇓ Which Russian medicines are not available in Sri Lanka

⇓ Local drug names, analogues

When going to Sri Lanka, many people think about the formation of a travel kit – a list of medicines that you need to take with you on a trip. But in life there are situations when the medicines are over or what is needed in a particular situation has not been taken. In this case, do not worry – most of the necessary drugs can be purchased on the spot. In Sri Lanka, everything is in order with the availability of medicines, they can be bought in any city in numerous pharmacies with the Pharmacy inscription. Pharmacies in Sri Lanka are open daily until 22:00, seven days a week, even during the lockdown period.

Where to buy medicines in Sri Lanka: pharmacies

In pharmacies, despite their not very presentable appearance, high-quality modern local, Indian and European medicines are available, many of which are not available on the Russian market. Prices for medicines are usually lower than in Russia. There are pharmacies at any more or less large clinic in Sri Lanka and, as a rule, the cost of a doctor’s appointment includes medicines. What is important: in any pharmacy, tablets are sold not only in full packages, but also individually, as much as your course of treatment requires (if you come with a prescription), due to which the cost of treatment is significantly reduced.

If the drug you need is not available at the nearest pharmacy, you can usually order it and bring it to the pharmacy as soon as possible (usually in one or two days). Also in Sri Lanka, you can order medicines with home delivery through online pharmacies, and some services bring any drugs on order, including Russian ones, but you need to take into account the considerable delivery time and the increased cost of such orders.

In Sri Lanka, Ayurveda is the official branch of medicine, therefore Ayurvedic clinics and pharmacies are widespread in the country, and Ayurvedic preparations (cough syrups, ointments for pain in muscles and joints, teas and powders for colds, etc.) can be found not only in any pharmacy, but even in supermarkets.

When visiting a local pharmacy, it is worth considering that although most familiar Russian drugs have analogues or substitutes that can be easily found in a local pharmacy, it often happens that the name of the medicine may differ from the usual one. In this case, you need to find out the active ingredient of the medicine you need and ask at the pharmacy, showing its name in Latin. If there is a temperature in any pharmacy, classic mercury thermometers are sold for about 100 rupees (they are prohibited for transportation, you can only take an electronic one with you).

What drugs are not available in Sri Lanka: what to take with you

What drugs are not available in Sri Lanka:

• Coldrex / Fervex / Prostudox – there are drugs containing paracetamol and separately drugs with vitamin complexes to replace,
• ACC,
• Citramon (but there are substitutes),
• Corvalol, Volokardin, Validol,
• Activated charcoal tablets – available as a solution or powder,
• No-shpa, alcohol iodine (there is an aqueous solution), brilliant green, streptocid (rare),
• Enterosgel,
• Heparin ointment,
• Miramistin,
• Linex and its analogues (rare),
• Glue BF-6.