Styes are commonly associated with poor hygiene, contact lens use, blepharitis, systemic conditions likeseborrheic dermatitis, and using old eye makeup.
What Is a Stye on the Eyelid?
Common Causes
Blepharitis
Posterior and Anterior Blepharitis
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis, which causes scaly patches and red skin, affects not only the scalp but also eyebrows, the face, and eyelids. It is also a common cause of blepharitis. Oily secretions, eyelid swelling, scaling, and flaking from this condition produce itching and burning of the eyes, and can affect both the upper and lower eyelid and cause a stye.
Causes and Risk Factors of Seborrheic Dermatitis
Rosacea
Affecting up to 60% ofrosaceapatients, subtype 4 (ocular) rosacea involves the eyes, potentially creating a watery or bloodshot appearance, irritation, burning or stinging, swollen eyelids, and styes.A medical study of ocular rosacea patients found that 85% had dysfunctional Meibomian glands, which line the edge of the eyelid and secrete a fatty substance to keep the eyes from drying out. Styes can result if these glands become clogged.
What Is Meibomian Gland Dysfunction?
Diabetes
People with diabetes are more prone to a number of different types of bacterial infections, especially in cases of uncontrolled diabetes, including styes.
Lifestyle Risk Factors
Verywell / Danie Drankwalter
Poor Hygiene
While a stye can cause eyelid redness, inflammation, and even itching, rubbing the area could introduce more bacteria, irritate the stye, or even cause the infection to spread. Touching your nose and thentouching your eye can spread germs from the mucous to the eyelid, potentially leading to a stye.
Contact Lenses
Washing your handsbefore inserting contact lenses into your eye is very important. Putting on or taking out contacts without washing your hands first can bring bacteria into your eye and cause an infection that leads to a stye.
In addition, failure to properly clean or change your contact lenses as prescribed can lead to an increased risk of styes.
Using Contaminated Makeup
Since eyelashes naturally harbor bacteria, when your makeup brush touches your eyelashes or eyelids, the brush becomes contaminated with those germs. After the bacteria get on the brush, inserting the brush into the makeup leads to a buildup of bacteria in the container. With each use of the product, the chance of an eye infection developing increases. When using eye makeup, the risk of infection can be reduced if you change to a new container every three to six months.
The risk of a stye is also greater if the oil or sweat made in glands can’t flow out properly. This may happen if the makeup you wear isn’t cleaned off completely.
When to Seek HelpWhatever the cause, call your healthcare provider if:The stye doesn’t improve in a few daysIt doesn’t resolve fully in about a weekIt gets worse quicklyIt grows in sizeIt bleedsIt affects your visionIt spreads to the white of the eye (a sign of an infection)You see redness in the cheeks or other parts of the face (the infection is likely spreading)If you experience pain
When to Seek Help
Whatever the cause, call your healthcare provider if:The stye doesn’t improve in a few daysIt doesn’t resolve fully in about a weekIt gets worse quicklyIt grows in sizeIt bleedsIt affects your visionIt spreads to the white of the eye (a sign of an infection)You see redness in the cheeks or other parts of the face (the infection is likely spreading)If you experience pain
Whatever the cause, call your healthcare provider if:
A Word from Verywell
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Optometric Association.Hordeolum (stye).University of Illinois College of Medicine.Blepharitis, Stye and Chalazion.National Rosacea Society.Ocular Rosacea:What Your Eyes May Be Trying To Tell You.Cleveland Clinic.Styes — How to Treat Them, How to Avoid Them.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Optometric Association.Hordeolum (stye).University of Illinois College of Medicine.Blepharitis, Stye and Chalazion.National Rosacea Society.Ocular Rosacea:What Your Eyes May Be Trying To Tell You.Cleveland Clinic.Styes — How to Treat Them, How to Avoid Them.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Optometric Association.Hordeolum (stye).University of Illinois College of Medicine.Blepharitis, Stye and Chalazion.National Rosacea Society.Ocular Rosacea:What Your Eyes May Be Trying To Tell You.Cleveland Clinic.Styes — How to Treat Them, How to Avoid Them.
American Optometric Association.Hordeolum (stye).
University of Illinois College of Medicine.Blepharitis, Stye and Chalazion.
National Rosacea Society.Ocular Rosacea:What Your Eyes May Be Trying To Tell You.
Cleveland Clinic.Styes — How to Treat Them, How to Avoid Them.
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