External Eyelid Stye (Hordeolum Externum) ... What Is an External Eyelid Stye? An external eyelid stye is a red, painful bump on the surface of the ...ExternalEyelidStye(HordeolumExternum)MedicallyreviewedbyJanineKelbach,RNC-OB—WrittenbyEllyDock—UpdatedonSeptember20,2019SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentOutlookPreventionWhatIsanExternalEyelidStye?Anexternaleyelidstyeisared,painfulbumponthesurfaceoftheeyelid.Thebumpmayresembleapimpleandbetendertothetouch.Anexternalstyecanappearanywhereontheeyelid.However,itismostlikelytoformneartheedgeoftheeye,wheretheeyelashesmeettheeyelid.Theconditionismorecommoninchildren.Anexternaleyelidstyeisoftencausedbyaninfectionasaresultofacloggedoilgland.Eyelidshavenumerousoilglandsthatmaintainastablelevelofmoistureintheeyesandthateliminateforeignparticlesintheeyesbyproducingtears.Theseglandscansometimesbecomecloggedwitholdoil,deadskincells,andbacteria.Whenthishappens,thesubstancesandgermsstarttobuildupinthegland,causinganinfection.Theresultisasmall,redbumpontheeyelid.Thisgrowthmaybeswollenandpainful.Anexternaleyelidstyecanlastforseveraldaysbeforeitburstsandthenheals.Somestyesmayhealontheirown,whileothersmayneedmedicaltreatment.WhatAretheSymptomsofanExternalEyelidStye?Thesymptomscausedbyexternaleyelidstyescanvaryfrompersontoperson.Ingeneral,however,styesaremostoftenidentifiedbythepresenceofaredlumpontheeyelid.Othersymptomscommonlyassociatedwithastyeinclude:grittyfeelingintheeyeeyepainortendernesseyetearingorleakageswolleneyelidlightsensitivityrednessandsorenessattheedgeoftheeyelidAlthoughthesesymptomsareassociatedwithexternalstyes,theycanalsobeindicativeofothereyeinfections.It’simportanttocontactyourdoctorassoonaspossibletoreceiveaproperdiagnosis.WhatCausesanExternalEyelidStye?Anexternaleyelidstyecanformwhenanoilglandintheeyelidbecomesinfected.TheinfectionismostoftencausedbyStaphylococcusbacteria.Thesebacteriausuallylivearoundthesurfaceoftheeyelidwithoutcausinganyharm.However,whenaglandbecomescloggedwithdeadskincellsoroldoil,thesebacteriacanb