EverythingyouneedtoknowaboutstyesMedicallyreviewedbyUniversityofIllinois—WrittenbyAdamFelmanonJanuary11,2018SymptomsRiskfactorsTreatmentComplicationsAstyeisaninflammationoftheeyelidassociatedwithasmallcollectionofpus.Inmostcases,theinfectioniscausedbytheStaphylococcusbacteria.Itissometimesknownasahordeolum.Althoughuncomfortableandincrediblycommon,styesarenotgenerallyacauseforconcern.Oftenthelumpisredandpainfulandlookslikeaboilorpimple.Althoughmoststyesformontheoutsideoftheeyelid,somedodevelopontheinside.Inthemajorityofcases,styesgetbetterwithin1weekwithoutanymedicalintervention.Externalstyes,orthoseoutsidetheeyelid,mayturnyellowandreleasepus.Internalstyesthatappearinsidetheeyelidtendtobemorepainful.Applyingawarmcompressgentlyagainstthestyehelpsitreleasepusmorereadily,andresolvethepainandswelling.Sometimesastyecanrecur.Inthisarticle,wewillcoverthesymptomsofastye,howtheyarediagnosed,treatments,includinghomeremedies,riskfactors,andpossiblecomplications.FastfactsonstyesStyescanbepainfulbutoftenhealwithoutmedicalintervention.Ifastyepersistsformorethanaweekoraffectsvision,medicalattentionshouldbesought.Styescanbeexternalorinternal.HomeremediesforstyesincludeawarmcompressandOTCpainmedication.SymptomsMostcommonly,styesonlyaffectoneeyeatatime.Thepatientwillhaveapainfulredswellingontheeyelidwhichcanmaketheeyeproducetearsandbecomered.Sometimesstyescanlooklikeapimple.Styesveryrarelyaffectbotheyessimultaneously.Anindividualwillgenerallyhaveonestyeinoneeye.However,itispossibletohavemorethanonestyeinthesameeyeoroneineacheye.Symptomsofastyecaninclude:alumpontheeyelidswellingoftheeyelidpainrednesstendernesscrustingofthemarginsoftheeyelidsburningsensationdroopinessoftheeyeliditchingoftheeyeblurryvisiondischargeofmucusfromtheeyelightsensitivitytearingdiscomfortwhenblinkingthefeelingthatthereisanobjectintheeyeTheindividualshouldspeaktoadoctorifthestyepersistsforgreaterthan1week,visionproblemsarise,iftheswellingbecomesparticularlypainful,bleeds,orspreadstootherpartsoftheface,oriftheeyel