Signs & symptoms of stye

A stye is a small, painful lump on the inside or outside of the eyelid. If you have a stye, your eye may also be watery and you may have a red eye or eyelid. A stye – also called a hordeolum – usually only affects one eye, although it's possible to have styes in both eyes or to have more than one stye in the same eye. Your vision shouldn't be affected. It is not contagious.

The symptoms of a stye are:



- foreign body sensation (particularly with blinking)

- pressure

- sometimes pain in the area of the bump



There may also be blurred vision if thick sebum or pus from within the sty spreads over the eye's surface.

Signs of a stye include:



- presence of a bump or lump in the eyelid

- redness

- swelling, and

- puffy appearance of the eyelid



It is not always necessary to see a doctor if you develop a stye. It is usually self limiting. However, you should have a painful external stye checked.