What is a Chalazion/Stye?
Chalazions and styes are common eye conditions that can cause swelling, redness, and discomfort on or around your eyelid.
A stye is like a little pimple that appears on the edge of your eyelid. It happens when the tiny glands near the base of your eyelashes get infected with bacteria, leading to a painful, red bump. Styes usually feel sore and may make blinking uncomfortable.
A chalazion, on the other hand, might start out looking like a stye but it’s a bit different. It occurs when the Meibomian gland, a special gland in your eyelid that helps keep your eye moist, gets blocked. This blockage can cause the gland to become inflamed, leading to a lump in the eyelid. Chalazions tend to grow more slowly than styes, are usually less painful, but can end up being bigger and might affect your vision if they get large enough.
Both of these eye conditions happen because of issues with the Meibomian gland. Whether it’s an infection turning into a stye or a blockage leading to a chalazion, the root cause is the inflammation of this important gland.