Is a Stye Contagious?

Is a stye contagious? This is a common question that many people ask when they develop a stye. When someone develops a stye they will have a lump along their eyelid; this will also happen if someone develops what is known as a chalazia. Although a stye can be very uncomfortable, it is not usually serious and in most cases will resolve itself without medical intervention.

When someone develops a stye, what has happened is they have an infection. The stye will often develop along the edge of the eyelid, but it can also develop under the eyelid. Often when a chalazia develops it can be mistaken for a stye, but they are two different conditions. With chalazias, the red lump that develops will usually be larger and cause a lot more discomfort.

The most common cause for a stye is a bacterial infection; this will happen when bacterial grows along the root of the eyelash. If the stye occurs beneath the eyelid this is usually caused by bacterial in the oil glands of the eyelid. The development of a chalazion is often due to a blocked pore under the eyelid.

The symptoms for a stye include a small red bump that develops along the eyelid. The stye will grow causing the eyelid to become swollen; this will probably cause some pain and the eyes to water. Within a few days the stye will usually break open and drain, but it will be approximately a week before the stye will actually be healed. During this time you may be wondering about how and if stye contagious problems will have to be considered. The fact is, even though the stye itself is not contagious, the bacteria that caused the infection can be passed to someone else.

Although you can get a diagnosis from a doctor, styes are easily treated at home. To treat your stye you can apply a warm, wet compress to your eye several times a day. This will help the stye heal faster as it will promote draining of the stye and aid in opening blocked pores. There is also the option of using some over the counter medication for the treatment of styes; there are several available to choose from including “Stye.”

Most people try to ignore the problem and let it open and drain on its own. If you choose not to treat the stye, it is still important to remember that you should not try to squeeze the stye in order to get it to drain, plus you should avoid wearing any eye makeup until the stye is completely healed.

If the stye does get worse instead of healing on its own you can contact your doctor for advice. Your healthcare provider will likely want to examine your eye to see how badly it is infected, plus he or she can prescribe an antibiotic to help fight the infection.

There are several steps you can take to help prevent the development of a stye. The most important thing you can do for prevention is to not rub your eyes; this can irritate them and promote the growth of bacteria. Another common source of bacteria is eye makeup such as mascara. After eye makeup becomes old it can grow bacterial that will get into your eyes when you use it; for this reason you should replace your mascara or liquid eyeliner at least every six months. When applying makeup to your eyes, always make sure that you have washed your hands with soap and water so that you are not transferring and bacteria that might be on your hands to your eyes. Stye contagious is one of the main reasons that you should never share eye makeup with someone else, as you can pass bacterial to another person this way.