A stye is a pimple or abscess on the upper or lower edge of the eyelid. It is a sign of an infected eyelid gland. The bacteria which are involved are usually Staphylococcus aureus. A stye is a red tender bump on the eyelid that is caused by an acute infection of the oil glands (sebaceous glands) of the eyelid.
Styes are usually harmless and rarely affect your eye or sight. Styes can occur at any age and tend to recur elsewhere in the lid. Styes are not contagious. Styes can occur at any age group and equally affects males and females.
A stye is sometimes confused with a chalazion, which is a cyst or a specific type of scarring (due to chronic inflammation) arising in the meibomian glands of the eyelid. In contrast to a sty, a chalazion is usually painless.
Types of styes
There are two types of styes:
Styes are caused by staphylococcal bacteria. This disease appears due to debilitated condition of the system. A stye occurs when staphylococcal bacteria infect one of the tiny glands at the base of the eyelid hairs and then becomes inflamed.
The symptoms include the following:-
Complications of a sty are rare. The infection may spread to other eyelash follicles, leading to multiple Styes. A chalazion (a form of scarring of the glands in the eyelid that may include the formation of cysts) is the most common complication that develops from a sty. Chalazia can be large enough to deform the cornea of the eye and interfere with vision, and they may cause a cosmetic problem.
Other potential complications include a generalized infection (cellulitis) of the eyelid, and improper drainage of a sty may lead to deformity or disruption of eyelash growth. Progression of a sty to a systemic infection (spreading throughout the body) is extremely rare, and only a few instances of such spread have been recorded.
While it is impossible to completely prevent the development of a stye, good hygienic practices, including proper hand washing, can help prevent all forms of infection, including a sty. Other measures that can help prevent Styes include.