Stye or chalazion? The differences between these two eye diseases

By Cristiano Antonino On Dec 13, 2022

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Stye and chalazion: sometimes it happens to have eye discomfort without really knowing what it is. For example, when we notice inflammation in the eyelids, we often use as synonyms terms that are not at all, such as chalazion and stye. In fact, they are diseases of different origin, which should not be confused

What is stye?

Stye is the inflammation of a follicle found in the eyelids, the Zeiss glands to be precise.

These sebaceous glands, found at the base of the eyelashes, can become inflamed due to a bacterium, staphylococcus.

Inflammation styepresents itself through a small, yellowish-white growth located at the root of the eyelash.

The area affected by stye is accompanied by swelling and redness of the eyelids.

How to treat stye?

Stye generally tends to regress spontaneously, through the discharge of the purulent contents within a few days.

It should not be squeezed out, but it is advisable to cleanse the area with special disinfectant solutions, and moisten it using sterile solutions.

As long as there is inflammation, it is best to avoid wearing makeup or contact lenses.

If it becomes chronic, surgical removal may be necessary.

What is chalazion?

When we talk about chalazion, however, we mean first and foremost a small cyst.

It forms as a result of chronic inflammation of the Meibonium glands, glands that produce the lipid component of tears.

In case of an occlusion of the excretory duct, the product of the gland, instead of being excreted through tears, accumulates, causing the gland itself to increase in volume and result in painful inflammation.

In addition, if the chalazio is large, the support of the thickened eyelid can lead to astigmatism.

Chalazion should not be underestimated, and especially if it persists or tends to recur, an eye examination should be performed.

The causes of chalazion can be different.

On the one hand, in case of personal predisposition, especially when combined with stress; on the other hand, from improper diet, perhaps too rich in fat, or even due to gastrointestinal diseases.

How is chalazion treated?

Treatment of chalazion requires the use of antibiotic-based ointments, so as to counteract any further overinfection, but also corticosteroids, which can reduce swelling and help the purulent material to escape.

The gradual reduction of swelling indicates that the chalazion is healing.

If drug therapy is not resolving, surgery on an outpatient basis may be necessary.

The choice of operation will be at the discretion of the surgeon, who will assess the site of the chalazion, the patient’s condition, and the patient’s age.