Eye Troubles: Styes and Chalazions

Many people have had a stye on their eyelid. They can be a nuisance and very uncomfortable to have. But something everyone may not know is that a lump on the eyelid isn't necessarily a stye. Recently I noticed a small lump on my eyelid and immediately I knew it wasn't a stye. It wasn't painful but it was a bit red and when I pressed down on it, it was a little sore to touch and felt like a little knot. Not being one to run to the doctor often, I typed in "lump on the eyelid" into the Yahoo search engine where I was led to the Yahoo Answers website to a question someone had asked about a lump on the eyelid. It turns out this lump is called a chalazion.

So what is a chalazion? Before I got one, I had never even heard of it. Often mistaken for a stye since it is on the eyelid, a chalazion is a lump in the eyelid that is caused by the inflammation of a modified sweat gland in the eyelid. This particular gland produces oil and it can rupture, which is what causes the inflammation and the lump. Some might still argue that a lump in the eyelid is no more than a stye. However, that is not true. A stye involves glands and eyelash hair follicles that are closer to the skin surface of the eyelid. Furthermore, a stye is an infection or inflammation that is usually a lot more painful. The lump of a stye usually resembles a large pimple with a white or yellowish spot.

Both a stye and chalazion result from a gland in the eyelid being blocked. Once the gland is relived which can come from draining it in the case of a stye, the lump goes away. With a chalazion, the oil is too thick to flow out of the gland. Chalazions usually go away within a month on their own and there are some treatments you can do at home to aid in its healing. Hold a warm or hot towel over the lump 2-4 times a day. The heat can help loosen up the oil blockage in the eye. Also, gently massage the area a few times a day to try to loosen up the oil. If the condition worsens or doesn't improve with the warm compresses, you should see your doctor who may suggest surgical removal. The surgical procedure is done under local anesthetic and an incision is made underneath the eyelid (so there's no scarring) and the lump is removed. Note that it's also important to seek medical attention if you experience vision problems, fever, drainage from the affected eye, headaches, or swelling in both eyes. This is true for both styes and chalazions. Chalazions almost always appear on the upper eyelid. Styes can appear on the upper or lower eyelid.

Although styes are caused by an obstruction in the oil glands, they are commonly infected by the staphylococcal bacteria. For this reason, antibiotics may be required if you have a stye. In some cases, surgery is also performed under general anesthesia to drain the pus from the stye.

In the cases of both a stye and a chalazion, many will go away on their own. The warm compresses and massaging usually helps them to go away. Also, washing the outside of the eyelid with water or a baby shampoo can help with the drainage. In rare cases, chalazions can be associated with an infection or a rare form of skin cancer so if you experience and of the listed symptoms or the chalazion doesn't go away in a few weeks, it is best to seek medical attention. Whether it's a stye or a chalazion, a lump in the eye is not a good sight. They are a nuisance but it is good to know the difference between the two.

Source:
Personal experience
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/chalazion_lump_in_eyelid/article_em.htm