Eyelid Bump: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Eyelid Bump

What is an eyelid bump?




Eyelid bumps are often harmless and don’t always require medical treatment. They often go away on their own or with basic home care. However, if an eyelid bump becomes increasingly painful, doesn’t respond to home treatments, or begins to interfere with your vision, you may want to talk to your doctor about ways to manage your symptoms or to look for signs of a more serious problem.

What are the types of eyelid bumps?

 Type 1

There are three types of common eyelid bumps. The type and underlying cause of your eyelid bump will determine the best course of treatment.


A stye is the most common type of eyelid bump. Styes occur when bacteria get into the oil glands in the eyelids. A stye is a round, red bump that appears close to your eyelashes. It can make your eyelid feel sore. A stye can also cause you to be sensitive to light and make your eye watery or feel scratchy. It typically takes a few days for a stye to form, and you may have more than one at a time.


A chalazion is an inflammatory lesion that occurs when the oil-producing glands or tear gland in the eyelids become blocked. A chalazion usually grows further on your eyelid than a stye. It’s painless in most cases. It can interfere with your vision depending on where it grows and how big it gets.


Xanthelasma are harmless, yellow bumps that occur when certain fats build up under the skin. These bumps tend to appear in older adults. In some cases, they indicate high cholesterol levels.

What are the symptoms of an eyelid bump?


Most eyelid bumps appear as red or skin-colored lumps, and they typically occur along the edge of the eyelid. Sometimes, they can be tender. Other symptoms include red, watery eyes, a gritty, scratchy sensation in the eye and sensitivity to light.

Although most eyelid bumps are mild or harmless, some can indicate a more serious condition. You should see your 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, you should have a doctor look at it to make sure it’s not a sign of a more serious medical condition or to discuss options to treat it.

What causes an eyelid bump?


Styes occur when bacteria enter and inflame your oil glands.

Your risk of having styes increases if you have a condition called blepharitis, which is inflammation of the eyelash follicles.

A chalazion can form when the oil glands in your eyelids are blocked. Styes that don’t drain can turn into chalazia.

Xanthelasma occur when you have collections of fat just below the surface of the skin. They can sometimes indicate that you have an underlying condition that causes high cholesterol, such as diabetes. They can also form without a connection to any medical conditions.

What are the treatment options for an eyelid bump?


Your doctor can diagnose a stye or chalazion by looking at it. Depending on the location, your doctor may quickly flip your eyelid over to take a closer look. No other tests are necessary unless there’s a concern that you may have a different medical problem.

Home care

Don’t try to squeeze or pop a stye or chalazion. This can increase your risk of infection and can also spread bacteria to your other eye. You can treat a stye at home by holding a warm compress on it for 10 minutes up to four times per day. Heat and compression can help drain the stye, loosen blockages in the oil gland, and aid in healing.

Xanthelasma don’t require home care.

Medical care

If you have a large stye, your doctor might need to puncture it to drain the infected fluid. If you keep getting styes or have ones that won’t go away, your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic cream to put on your eyelid.

Surgery may be an option if you have a large chalazion that doesn’t go away on its own. Your doctor might give you antibiotic eye drops to use before and after surgery to treat or prevent infection. This is usually done in the doctor’s office. Anti-inflammatory steroid injections can relieve swelling.

You can have a xanthelasma surgically removed if its appearance bothers you. Otherwise, no treatment is necessary.

What is the long-term outlook?


Styes normally heal on their own after draining, which usually takes a few days to a week. Call your doctor if the stye doesn’t go away within one to two weeks. You might also get more styes after the initial one heals.

A chalazion usually disappears within a week to a month when treated at home, but you should let your doctor know if it keeps getting bigger or isn’t improving at all with warm compresses after a couple of weeks.

Xanthelasma are harmless, but you should talk to your doctor about testing for underlying conditions.

How can I prevent an eyelid bump?


Practicing good hygiene can help reduce your risk of getting a stye. Prevent the spread of bacteria with regular hand washing and don’t touch your eyes unless you’ve just washed your hands with hot, soapy water.

You can help prevent chalazia by rinsing your eyelids once per day if you have blepharitis. You should also put a warm compress on your eyelid as soon as it feels irritated.

Controlling your cholesterol levels by eating healthy and losing weight if you’re overweight might help prevent xanthelasma that are due to high cholesterol levels.

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