At first, a chalazion looks and feels like a stye, swollen eyelid, pain, and irritation. The term chalazion refers to a cystic swelling with chronic inflammation in an eyelid. Sometimes the bump on your eyelid is actually a chalazion, which looks similar to a stye. A chalazion is sometimes confused with a stye which also appears as a lump in the eyelid.
In rare cases, cancerous tumors of the eyelid can appear like a stye or chalazion. Do not wear eye makeup or contact lenses until the stye or chalazion heals. Granulomas are inflammatory growths on the inside or outside of the eyelid, and can occur after a stye, or chalazion.
In some cases of staph blepharitis, a red eye may develop or a sty may form. Inflammation of an eyelash follicle with a lump called a sty or hordeolum is usually caused by staph.
If you get styes frequently, see your eye doctor for an examination. Finally, if you suffer from recurring styes, your eye doctor might prescribe a low-dose antibiotic for long-term use. Consult an eye specialist if the inflammation persists for more than 2 weeks, styes recur, or the stye rubs against the eye and irritates it. Bad styes or recurrent styes may need an antibiotic eye ointment as prescribed by your specialist.
Some good prevention method for eye stys are simple things like not sharing make up. Avoid sharing eye makeup, especially if you are prone to recurring styes. Refrain from wearing eye makeup while the stye is active. Although most styes and chalazia are not contagious, best practice should also include not sharing towels, washcloths, or handkerchief.
Your eye doctor may recommend replacing your contact lenses after the stye has healed to prevent recurrence or spread of the infection. If you do not, the infection may spread to the oil glands of the eyelid and cause a stye. Ask an optometrist a question about eye styes when you are purchasing any new contact lenses.