Stye eye is a painful condition that is marked by the formation of small lumps on the eyelids. It is an acute eye infection caused by oily glands of the eye. When the glands are blocked it leads to the accumulation of oil which would extrude through the gland forming red blisters on the eyelids. Due to the presence of excess of oil (moisture) bacteria easily enters the gland causing infection. This would cause inflammation and redness with pain on the area surrounding the eyelids. Hordeolum is the medical term given for stye eye.
Stye eye is formed in either one eyelid or both. The lump is clearly visible and marked as yellowish or whitish spot on the eyelids. It is easy to treat stye eye by draining the accumulated pus inside the lump.
Stye Eye Causes :
Stye is caused by bacterial infection. Often it is the staphylococcus bacteria that cause eye infection. The oily gland produces oil for lubricating the eye, but when the oil is secreted in excess (this condition is called seborrhea) it gets blocked on the opening of gland causing painful lumps.
Very often it is caused by improper usage of eye cosmetics or frequently changing eye makeup. If the person is not maintaining hygienic eyelids it can cause Stye eye. Certain diseases like rosacea acne and blepharitis can induce excess of oil from the gland leading to stye. Change in hormone or hormonal imbalance can cause eye infection.
External stye eye is caused by eyelash infection of bacteria resulting in swelling. It begins as staph infection close to the follicles of glands thus blocking other glands on the eyelid. Internal hordeolum is a serious type of eye infection originating from meibomian gland present below the surface of eyelid. Since it occupies the center portion of the eyelids it would cause more pain and discomfort than the external type of infection.