Chalazion of the eye, Chalazion removal surgery and treatment

Ten months is a very long time for a stye to remain. Most probably, what you have is not a stye, but a chalazion. The length of time combined with the absence of pain seems to indicate such a diagnosis.


This is essentially a blocked meibomian gland, whereas a stye is an infection of a sebaceous gland in the eyelid. This is probably a little bit confusing, but it is always good to know exactly what your problem is so that you do not take the wrong treatment and also so that you understand the severity of the problem. Fortunately, a chalazion is not a very serious problem. It is simply a kind of cyst, but it is not caused by any infection.

The meibomian glands are the glands in the eyelids that produce the lubricating fluid for the eye; sometimes, for reasons not fully understood, the duct of a meibomian gland may become blocked by the oily fluid it secretes, causing the gland to start swelling up. Chalazia are usually painless, and often last for several months. A stye, on the other hand, is a bacterial infection of a sebaceous gland in the eyelid, and usually lasts for about a week.

There is no real home remedy for either problem, except for applying a warm compress. This eases the pain, and in the case of a chalazion, sometimes also helps to liquefy the hardened oil and get it flowing, thus clearing the blockage. This can be done four or five times a day; a couple of days of this treatment should be enough. If it doesn't work in a couple of days, it won't work at all, and you should visit your doctor. The doctor will need to remove the chalazion surgically, and will also decide whether you should perform any tests to determine the cause of the chalazion.