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An external stye or hordeolum is an infection of the sebaceous glands of Zeis at the base of the eyelashes, or an infection of the apocrine sweat glands of Moll. External styes form on the outside of the lids and can be seen as small red bumps. Internal styes are infections of the meibomian sebaceous glands lining the inside of the eyelids. They also cause a red bump underneath the lid with only generalized redness and swelling visible on the outside. Styes are similar to chalazia, but tend to be of smaller size and are more painful and usually produce no lasting damage. Styes are characterized by an acute onset and usually short in duration (7-10 days without treatment) compared to chalazia that are chronic and usually do not resolve without intervention.

A stye, or hordeolum, is a small bump that can appear on the outside or inside of the eyelid.

A stye develops from an eyelash follicle or an eyelid oil gland that becomes clogged from excess oil, debris or bacteria. Styes seem to be brought on by increased stress, but can also be a complication of another condition, called blepharitis.

Although the appearance of a stye can be unsightly at times, it is usually harmless.

A general bacterial infection at the edge of the eyelid, affecting the hair follicle of an eyelash is called an Eye Stye. It has the appearance of a boil or a pimple. This infection leads to the hair follicles getting blocked and swollen resulting in pain, itching and discomfort. When one of the very small glands situated at the base of the eyelash gets infected with staphylococcal bacteria, it causes an eye stye. This infection normally spreads from one hair shaft to another, during rubbing to get relief from constant itching.

An eye stye normally takes 3 to 7 days to develop. While the inflammation may block vision, an eye stye does not impair vision. The early symptoms of an eye stye are: pain, inflammation of the eye or eyelid, difficulty in blinking, light sensitivity, blurred vision accompanied by redness of the eye. Sometimes tearing of the eyelid may also happen. Generally, an eye stye starts with a small pimple. Within the next few days, it gets filled with pus and consequently bursts and heals on its own with the draining of infection. As soon as pressure is relieved, there is marked relief from pain and inflammation.

This disease condition is believed to be caused by some debility in the system. It can even be caused due to blockage of glands by dirt or refraction error. It is advisable to seek a professional medical opinion, to avoid any wrong diagnosis between a stye and a chalazion. Chalazion is a lump, formed on the eyelid, caused by non-bacterial infection. An examination of the eyelid is needed to know the cause of the infection.