There are two types of styes: external hordeolum (which form along your eyelashes and are more common) and internal hordeolum (which grow from the oil-producing glands inside your eyelid and are relatively rare). Though styes are not a strictly pediatric condition—they can affect people of all ages—they are common in children.
Stye Symptoms
The diagnosis of a stye is usually based on the way it looks or feels. Symptoms of a stye include:
A red bump on the upper or lower lashline that might look like a pimpleSwelling on the edge of the upper or lower lidTenderness or pain on the edge of the eyelidCrusting along the lashlineScratchiness or a feeling that something is in the eyeSensitivity to bright light
Causes
Anyone can get a stye. Staph (Staphylococcus aureus), the bacteria that almost always causes the infection that leads to a stye, is common in the environment and even in our own mouths and noses. Blepharitis, a low-grade bacterial infection of the eyelids, can sometimes cause repeated styes. With this condition, your child may have thin scales on their eyelids. There are some eye conditions that put you at risk for styes because they prompt you to rub or touch your face frequently, inviting bacteria from your hands or fingernails into your delicate eye area. These stye risk factors include:
Allergies Contact lens use Wearing makeup (especially old makeup that might harbor bacteria) Other skin conditions like rosacea or dermatitis
People with high serum lipids, which is usually associated with high cholesterol or diabetes, may also be at increased risk for developing styes.
Treatment for Styes
Even when left alone, a stye usually resolves itself within a few days. Like a pimple, it will sometimes pop and ooze a bit and then fade away. If a stye is painful or your child is self-conscious about it, you can try to speed up the draining process. Warm compresses are the main treatment for a stye. They should be applied to the area of the stye up to five times a day for at least 10 to 15 minutes, or as long as your child will tolerate the compress. You can create a warm compress by simply placing a washcloth in warm water and wringing out some of the excess water before applying. Let your child place it on their eye. By letting them put the compress on, you can help to make sure it isn’t too hot. If there is crusting or oozing, you can carefully and gently wash the area with baby shampoo. There is no need to keep your kid away from others when they have a stye. Unlike pink eye, styes are not thought to be contagious from one person to another.
Are Antibiotics Needed?
You can ask your doctor about the use of an antibiotic ointment to speed up healing. Since a stye will usually go away without antibiotics and some experts think they don’t help, antibiotics are often reserved for styes that linger for more than a week. Most important: Don’t try to squeeze the stye, as it can spread an infection that could require prescription oral antibiotics or antibiotic eye drops.
When to See a Doctor
It’s not usually necessary to get medical help about a stye. But you should reach out to a doctor if:
The stye isn’t improving within a couple of days, despite treatment with warm compresses.A week goes by and it hasn’t gone away completely.There is bleeding.The stye affects your vision.Redness spreads into the white of the eye or other parts of the face (which can indicate widespread infection).
Styes can be confused with chalazions, which are blocked glands in the eyelid, or xanthelasma, with are fatty deposits around the eye. These are not infections and are usually not painful, so they don’t usually require treatment. A doctor can remove these growths if they are bothersome, however. Rarely, a bump on or around the eye can be a sign of skin cancer. This is one reason why it’s important to talk to a doctor if your symptoms are not getting better within a week or so.
Prevention
Keeping your hands and face clean is the best way to prevent styes. Here are some reminders for kids and teens that can help keep styes at bay:
Remember to wash hands before touching your face.Use a cleaning solution for contact lenses, and wash your hands before putting lenses in or taking them out.Wash your face before bed.Replace old mascara and other eye makeup every 2 to 3 months and don’t share makeup with other people.
If your child is rubbing their eyes a lot because of allergies or other itchy skin problems, treating those underlying issues will help prevent styes, too.
A Word From Verywell
There are a lot of pediatric health problems that should merit your concern, but in most cases, styes shouldn’t be among them. These eyelid bumps can be irritating and unsightly, yes, but they usually go away on their own in a few days with a little TLC by way of gentle, warm compresses. If your child is prone to styes, it’s worth it to work with them to improve their hand and face hygiene, which will help keep them healthier in general. Don’t hesitate to involve a doctor if styes or eye bumps persist, however. Pediatricians and pediatric ophthalmologists can provide tips for prevention and check to make sure what may look like a stye isn’t another type of eye growth that can be treated or monitored differently.
