A FEW LUMPS AND BUMPS
There are two bumps that most people will experience at least once in their lifetime, sties and chalazia.
A stye is maybe the easier for us to relate to. A tender, reddish bump that may also produce a great deal of lid swelling, a stye (or external hordeolum) is an infection or abscess of a small gland in the eyelid. It may begin as a simple sore spot near the eyelid margin but then progress to a rather painful bump in a day or two. It is most likely caused by the staphylococcal bacteria. An internal hordeolum is a similar bump but it will appear deeper in the eyelid and affect a different gland. Although these bumps can be quite tender and disconcerting, they will resolve by themselves in a few days. Probably the most effective treatment for external and internal hordeola is the warm to hot compress. Applied to the lesion 4-5 times per day for 20 minutes, hot compresses will activate your own immune system at the site of infection, and should allow for faster healing. Eyedrops or ointments applied to the affected area have a difficult time penetrating the skin and are therefore of limited help. On occasion, an oral antibiotic is used, but that may be overkill for a self-limited, local infection.
A chalazion, like a stye, is also a bump on the eyelid but there are several important differences. A chalazion is more like a cyst and is NOT tender to the touch. It may actually begin with a staph infection (acute chalazion) but resolves to a firm painless nodule. Chalazia may persist for weeks or even months but for those willing to persevere, hot compresses can be used to help in reabsorption of the nodule. I have heard of cases that finally resolved after six months of compresses! For those of you not willing to carry around a compress all day, chalazia can be surgically excised. This is an out-patient procedure that will put you back to work the next day. The trick to chalazion surgery is to attempt to remove the entire cystic wall of the nodule. Many cases tend to recur even after surgery.
Sties and chalazia are more apt to occur in patients who have a chronic blepharitis, or inflammation of the lid margins. Blepharitis is one of the most common afflictions known to man. The majority of people who have it are probably unaware of its presence because of the mild and chronic nature of the inflammation. Virtually everyone carries the staph bacteria in and around their eyes; it is normal flora. However, the people that are more sensitive to staph will show some signs and symptoms of the disease. A flaky residue on your eyelashes, a redness to your lid margins, occasional loss or whitening of your lashes, a gritty or sandy feeling in your eyes, rubbing your eyes frequently, and a case of the "itchy-burnies", may all lead to a clinical diagnosis of blepharitis.
If you are getting frequent sties or chalazia, it may be prudent for you to seek treatment for the probable cause, blepharitis. Your eye doctor will more than likely prescribe a "lid scrubbing" routine to keep the lids free of debris and bacteria, as well as an ophthalmic ointment to be used at bedtime. The treatment may take from 4-6 weeks to be effective but in almost all cases you will see a reduction in symptoms and fewer lumps and bumps.