Young man with a stye below his left eye. Close-up of redness and inflammation in the eye.

Stye also called hordeolum is a red, swollen lump that form along the edge of the eyelid, close to the lashes. Sometimes, a stye can occur inside or under the eyelid.

Causes

Styes can be caused by inflammation or infection of the eyelash follicle.
There are small oil glands that sit around the eyelid and drain through ducts into the eyelashes.

 Usually it’s a combination of a clogged oil gland and a certain type of bacteria. Your body is coated with billions of friendly bacteria that live right along with you. Most of the time there’s no problem. But when conditions are right, the bacteria overproduce and create a pimple.
If something clogs the duct, the oil can't drain and backs up into the glands. The gland becomes swollen and inflamed, causing the stye.

Most styes can be treated at home easily

The following tips will minimize the duration of a stye and prevent recurrences
  • Wash hands regularly
  • Do not pop - squeezing and popping a stye can release pus and spread the infection. )
  • Warm compress - Soak a clean washcloth in warm water and apply to the affected area for up to 15 minutes.
  • Contact lenses - wash your hands when taking out , putting in, and caring for your lenses. Also avoid touching the eye area to prevent spreading bacteria to the skin around the eyes.
  • Avoid makeup on the stye  - do not attempt to cover the stye with makeup, this can slow healing and irritate the stye. More bacteria can also be spread into the region by makeup brushes and pencils.