Chalazion and Styes

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What are Chalazion and Styes?

• A Chalazion is a swelling of the lid caused by noninfectious eyelid meibomian gland occlusion.
• A Stye or Hordeolum is an infection of the eyelid meibomian gland seen at the eyelid margin.

Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology

What are the Meibomian glands?

The meibomian glands are a part of the lubrication system secretes the oil layer in our tear film.

Source: American Academy of Ophthalmology

Symptoms of Stye and Chalazion

• Early on lid soreness or tenderness
• Later an onset of lid swelling
• If the lid lesion is not treated early on enough, a non-resolving lump on the lid may occur requiring surgery.

Who is at risk? 

While anyone can get a stye or chalazion, you are more likely to get one if you have:

1. Blepharitis, a disorder that causing crusting of the edge of your eyelid
2. Have already had a stye or chalazion in the past
3. Skin condition, such as rosacea or seborrhea
4. Diabetes or other medical problems 

The Latest Treatment of Stye and Chalazion

• IPL (Intense Pulsed Light).

IPL is an advanced method to assist the meibomian glands drainage assisting many chalazion or stye to resolve much quicker. It is a brief in-office treatment that requires no injections or incisions. Instead, we use a special computer modulated light is placed over the lesion to liquifies the secretion trapped in your meibomian glands. This allows the trapped contents of meibomian glands resulting in the chalazion or stye to be more readily expressed. IPL is painless and performed in a matter of minutes. InVision is one of the few practices in New Jersey offer this new in office technology to help patients resolve quicker. This latest treatment generally has out-of-pocket cost. 

Traditional Treatment of Stye and Chalazion

1. Warm compresses

While some doctors recommend a compress using a washcloth in hot water, we suggest a tall warm glass of water wrapped in a tissue to hold on your eyelid for 10 minutes at a time, several a day. The tall warm glass of water stays warmer longer than a washcloth and works better.

2. Antibiotics

Antibiotic steroid combination eyedrops or intermittent are sometimes helpful. If there is a significant infection the we prescribe oral antibiotics.

3. Injections

Some doctors advocate injecting a chalazion with steroids. There is a rare risk of blindness by doing this.

4. Surgery

If a stye or chalazion does not go away, a local in office surgery is sometimes indicated. 

Prevention of Recurrent Stye and Chalazion

1. Lid hygiene if you have blepharitis. This may include the treatment of demodex, a type of mite that lives on your eyelid.
2. Oral supplements such as flaxseed oil or high-quality omega 3 fatty acids that thin your meibomian secretions and prevent these eyelid glands from clogging.
3. Taking better care of your skin, in particular the treatment of rosacea with IPL and avoiding things that inflame your skin.