Bump in eyelid is often painful or irritating, but are typically harmless. Though bumps can disappear easily, small home treatments can help speed healing.
Lashes protects the eyes against small objects which may irritate the eye. The oil gland in the eyelid keeps lashes healthy. Infection and swelling can affect eyelids and can cause bumps.
Although most eyelid bumps are mild and harmless, some can indicate a more serious condition. Possible symptoms of a more serious issue include:
- Blisters on the eyelid
- Copious discharge from the eye
- Color change to the white part of the eye
- Eyelids that bump, bleed, get bigger or very painful Scaly, crusty, or red eyelids
What are bump in eyelids?
Our eyelids have hundreds of small oil glands near the eyelashes. These glands help to lubricate the eye; sometimes they can become blocked or infected, causing a small red bump. The two types of bumps are Chalazion and Stye.
Types and causes of bump in eyelids
Eyelid bumps come in many forms, including styes, chalazia, xanthelasma, and milia. They might be white, red, or yellow.
Chalazion
A chalazion often starts out as a very small, red, tender, swollen area of the eyelid and is generally not an infection
Causes of chalazion
A chalazion is a swollen bump on the eyelid. It happens when the eyelid’s oil gland clogs up. It may start as a small lump, and may grow over time. At first, you might not know you have a chalazion as there is little or no pain. But as it grows, your eyelid may get red, swollen, and sometimes tender to touch.
If the chalazion does not go away after several weeks, it may require medical treatment, which may include an incision to drain or an injection of steroids to reduce the inflammation and swelling.
Stye
A stye usually stems from an infection in an eyelid oil gland or eyelash follicle. It is a small fluid filled sacs. Stress and hormonal changes can also cause it.
A stye is an inflamed oil gland on the edge of your eyelid, where the eyelash meets the lid.
It may have a small spot of pus in the middle of the bump. It is likely to irritate the eye, making it feel itchy or as if there is something in the eye. A stye may cause the edges of the eyelid to become crusty, and a person’s eyes may water a lot. In some cases, the entire eyelid may swell up. A person who has a stye may also be more sensitive to light.
Symptoms of a stye
Stye Small red, tender bump on the edge of the eyelid.
Causes of stye
A stye is caused by a blockage of one of the oil glands in the eyelids. This allows bacteria to grow inside the blocked gland. Styes are a lot like common acne pimples that occur elsewhere on the skin.
You may have more than one stye at the same time. Styes most often develop over a few days. They may drain and heal on their own.
For a stye, your doctor may: Prescribe antibiotic ointment Make an opening in the stye to drain it (Do NOT try this at home)
Styes often get better on their own. However, they may return. The outcome is almost always excellent with simple treatment.
Sometimes, the infection may spread to the rest of the eyelid. This is called eyelid cellulitis and may require oral antibiotics
Fish oil taken by mouth may help prevent plugging of the oil glands.
A stye can become a chalazion , which occurs when an inflamed oil gland becomes fully blocked
Other possible common bump in eyelid
Xanthelasma : Raised yellow patches on your eyelids that can happen with age. These are harmless, although they are sometimes a sign of high cholesterol.
Papillomas: Pink or skin-colored bumps. They are harmless, but can slowly grow, affect your vision, or bother you for cosmetic reasons.
Bump in eyelid Symptoms
In addition to the red, swollen bump, other possible symptoms of a stye include:
- A gritty, scratchy sensation, as if there is a foreign body in your eye
- Sensitivity to light
- Tearing of your eye
- Tenderness of the eyelid
Bump in eyelid Treatment
To treat bump in eyelid at home:
Apply a warm, wet cloth to the area for 10 minutes. Do this 4 times a day. Do NOT attempt to squeeze a stye or any other type of eyelid bump. Let it drain on its own. Do NOT use contact lenses or wear eye makeup until the area has healed.
In the unlikely event that an eyelid bump becomes infected, a person may need antibiotics. This may be in the form of eye drops or ointment. If the infection has spread, then a person might need to take an antibiotic medication by mouth.
Warm Compresses to treat bump in eyelid
Most chalazions require minimal medical treatment and clear up on their own in a few weeks to a month. Apply warm compresses to the eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes, 4 to 6 times a day for several days. The warm compresses may help soften the hardened oil that is blocking the ducts and allow drainage and healing.
Create a warm compress by dipping a clean, soft cloth in warm water and then wringing it out. Remoisten the cloth frequently to keep it wet and warm.
We recommend the following treatment for both styes and chalazia:
Put a warm water, moist compress on your closed eye for about 10 minutes, at least twice a day.
Use a clean cloth or piece of gauze moistened with warm tap water.
Alternatively, you can microwave a damp face cloth for about 20 seconds. Make sure the towel is not too hot before you place it on your eyes.
Eyelid Cleansing
We highly recommend Avenova eyelid cleanser. Some recommend no tears baby shampoo.
When to See Your Doctor bump in eyelid
Call your health care provider if:
- You have problems with your vision.
- The eyelid bump worsens or does not improve within a week or two of self-care.
- The eyelid bump or bumps become very large or painful.
- You have a blister on your eyelid.
- You have crusting or scaling of your eyelids.
- Your whole eyelid is red, or the eye itself is red.
- You are very sensitive to light or have excessive tears.
Consider seeing a doctor if any of the following occur: you’re having trouble seeing your eyes are extremely watery there’s copious discharge from your eye the white part of your eye changes color your eyes hurt even in low lighting your eyelid bump bleeds, gets worse, grows very big, or is very painful your eyelid is scaly, crusty, or red, which can indicate an infection your eyelid has blisters, which can indicate an infection.
If a stye or chalazion doesn’t go away over time with home care, a doctor can determine whether it’s a more severe.
Styes that don’t go away on their own may need to be treated with antibiotic eye drops or an antibiotic ointment.
Outlook bump in eyelid Prevention
Prevention The best way to prevent a chalazion is with good hygiene. Wash hands before touching around eyes or removing contacts. Wash face at bedtime to remove dirt and makeup. Remove makeup on the eyes before going to bed and replace mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow every 3 months. The doctor may recommend gentle eyelid scrubs to prevent chalazions from recurring.
It is usually a good idea to avoid wearing eye makeup or contact lenses until the eyelid bump has healed.
Outlook (Prognosis)
Expand Section Styes often get better on their own. However, they may return. The outcome is almost always excellent with simple treatment. Sometimes, the infection may spread to the rest of the eyelid.
References
Eyelid Bump Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors Medically Reviewed by Whitney Seltman, OD on April 04, 2022
Benign and premalignant tumors of the eyelid. In: Fay A, Dolman PJ, eds.
Red and painful eye. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds.
Xanthelasma: An update on treatment modalities. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5921443/ Nair, P. A., et al. (2018
