Can You Get a Stye From Allergies? Yes & How to Treat

If you’ve ever had a stye, you know it can be annoying. Not only uncomfortable and unsightly, but wondering what caused the infection can be worrisome. Here’s why it may be your allergies & what to do.

Even for those in the medical field who deal with eye infections, there may still be some uncertainty about whether allergens might also play a role in developing a stye. 

So if you’re wondering if you have a stye, or care for others who may have allergies, you’re probably wondering, can you get a stye from allergies? 

The answer is yes–but it’s essential to understand how and why this happens so you can properly treat and prevent them. 

This article explores how allergies can lead to styes and provides possible treatments. For your convenience, quick links are below, or you can read the entire article.

What is a Stye?

A stye (also spelled sty), is a small, visible red lump or abscess on the edge of the eyelid that is usually filled with pus and looks like a pimple or boil. 

Typically painful, this eye infection is commonly caused by bacteria or dead skin cells that get trapped on the edge of your eyelid and block oil glands (called meibomian glands), sweat glands, or hair follicles around your eye.

This blockage becomes a bacterial infection and forms a red bump.

Styes are common and affect any race, sex, and people of all ages.

There are no medical tests or exams needed to diagnose a stye. In like fashion, most styes do not require medical intervention and can be treated with self-care.

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Types of Styes

Styes can form both on the upper or lower eyelid and on the outside (external) or inside (internal) of your eyelid. The location determines the type of a stye. 

• External styes are the most common and usually start forming in an eyelash follicle, but they can also start in an oil gland. These styes can form anywhere along the eyelid but the most common location is along the outer edge of the eye where the eyelashes and eyelid meet. These are most common in children.
• An internal stye (or internal hordeolum) is located on the inside of your eye when a meibomian gland gets infected and can be on either the upper or lower eyelid. While less common than styes on the outside of your eyelid, an internal stye can have worse eye infection symptoms and can cause complications because of the closer proximity to your eye. However, often an internal stye will resolve on its own in about 7 days or less.

Symptoms of a Stye

The most common symptom of a stye is the obvious painful bump on your eyelid. 

However, a stye may also produce the following symptoms :

• Eyelid pain
• Eyelid swelling, tenderness, and redness
• Watery eyes (with normal vision)
• Eyes itch
• Light sensitivity
• Feeling like there’s something in the eye
• Rough or gritty feeling in the eye
• Discharge (usually yellow)
• Crusting on the edge of the eyelid
• Pain while blinking
• Droopy eyelid

Eye styes are not contagious (so you can go to work or school), are usually harmless, and do not affect eyesight or cause vision problems. 

There have been some rare cases, however, where complications have occurred. Severe cases may cause cellulitis (a serious bacterial skin infection).

Another condition that causes swelling of the eyelid is a chalazion, which occurs when there’s a blockage in a small oil gland near the eyelash. A chalazion isn’t usually painful and is usually found on the inner side of the eyelid.

Treatment is similar for both of these eye conditions. 

Risk Factors of Getting a Stye

The most common cause of a stye is staphylococcus bacteria (that generally live on your eyelid surface) which has been transferred to your eye and gotten caught in a gland or hair follicle when you touched or rubbed your eye. 

 Other causes of styes include bacteria overgrowth or poor hygiene.  In particular, improper use or care of contact lenses or sharing makeup, or reusing makeup that has been contaminated with bacteria from a stye. 

Diabetes is another common condition with a risk of getting a stye. 

Other medical conditions include:

• Having a stye or chalazion in the past
• Skin conditions like rosacea (chronic inflammation along the edge of an eyelid) or seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff)
• Blepharitis (eyelid swelling)
• Rubbing the eyes (for any reason, for example being tired) with unwashed hands
• Sleeping with makeup on
• Using contaminated eyeliner or mascara
• Using old or expired cosmetics
• Dysfunction of a meibomian gland
• Itchy eyes from allergies (hay fever)
• Having high cholesterol

Can You Get a Stye From Allergies? Yes & Here’s How to Treat Them!

Seasonal allergies can be a major cause of itchy and dry eyes, which makes not touching and rubbing your eyes almost impossible, putting you at a higher risk of getting a stye.

How Do Allergies Cause a Stye?

When you have an allergic reaction to common allergens like dust, pollen, or even pet dander you can experience eye irritation and burning. You may also develop eye allergies. 

Having allergies is a setup to rub your dry itchy eyes, creating the mode to move the staphylococcus aureus bacteria normally on your skin toward your eyelid glands putting you at risk of developing eyelid infections or styes (the painful lump). 

Other allergy symptoms may include:

• Swelling 
• Watery eyes
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Sneezing

If possible, allergy exposure avoidance is the first place to start to prevent reactions to known allergens. This may include:

• Monitoring pollen counts
• Wear glasses while outdoors to protect your eyes
• Staying indoors when pollen counts are high
• Talk to your doctor about allergy shots

But, there are a few things you can do to manage your allergy eyes too. 

1. Apply cold compresses to relieve the itching and swelling
2. Take prescription or over-the-counter oral allergy medications or antihistamines
3. Take prescription or over-the-counter eye drops, or artificial tears to reduce symptoms

Looking for more articles about allergies?

Allergies Cause High Blood Pressure: How to Lower Your Risk

How to Stop Snoring and Sleep Apnea When Allergies Cause Snoring

3 Simple Ways How to Treat Hearing Loss Due to Allergies

What To Do For Dry Mouth Caused By Allergies

Can Allergies Cause Dry Eyes? Yes & Here’s Treatment.

How to Treat a Stye with Self-care & Home Remedies

The good news is most styes will resolve on their own in a week to 14 days, so you can safely try self-care measures at home before seeking medical treatment. 

But before getting into that, if you’re tempted to squeeze or ‘pop’ the stye to get rid of the stye quicker, don’t do it. The infection may spread.

You’ll also increase your risk of 

• Developing a severe infection
• Scarring your eyelid
• Pigmentation damage
• Corneal abrasions

Treat a Stye with Self-care 

The best way to get rid of a stye is appropriate stye self-care. Here are 5 self-care treatment options for a stye.

1. Handwashing should always be the first thing you do before you touch your eyes. Proper handwashing is essential for the treatment and prevention of styes.
2. Apply warm compresses for 10-15 minutes, 3-5 times throughout the day to reduce pain and swelling, and help the stye ‘burst’ on its own by drawing the pus to the surface in a ‘head’ which will allow the stye to drain and allow your immune system to fight off the infection. To create a warm compress fold a washcloth into a small square, run it under hot water (which you can touch), wring it out, and place it on your eyelid. If you have a stye on each eye, use a different one from each eye. (American Academy of Ophthalmology.)
3. Avoid wearing contact lenses until the stye resolves.
4. Avoid wearing eye makeup or using eye creams until the stye is resolved (and throw away contaminated makeup after having a stye because they can return).
5. Use pain relief medication if necessary (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

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9 Self-care and Home Remedies to Prevent Developing a Stye

There are ways to lower your risk or prevent getting styes. Consider implementing the following suggestions:

1. Remove all makeup and wash your face with mild soap or baby shampoo before going to sleep.
2. Avoid sharing makeup or personal items with someone with a stye.
3. Discard expired or rarely used eye makeup.
4. Properly use and care for contact lenses including:
   1. Cleaning contacts properly.
   2. Washing your hands before touching your contacts.
   3. Remove the lenses before sleeping.
   4. Throwing away disposable contacts as instructed.
   5. Disposing of expired contacts.
5. Follow your doctor’s treatment plan if you have skin conditions.
6. Prevent allergen exposure or take allergy medications as needed.
7. Implement good sleep hygiene to get enough sleep each night to prevent rubbing your eye due to sleep deprivation.
8. Eat a healthy diet to keep your cholesterol within normal limits.
9. Manage your diabetes.

When to See a Doctor for Treatment

Now that you know you can get a stye from allergies, be sure to contact your doctor if:

• The stye doesn’t start improving after 48 hours.
• The redness and swelling involve the entire eyelid or extend into your cheek or other parts of your face. <source>
• The bump grows rapidly.
• The bump has a lot of bloody drainage.

Should you see an eye doctor for medical help? Maybe. In some cases, oral antibiotics may be used if the stye doesn’t heal properly on its own.

A stye can be diagnosed and properly treated by a general physician or nurse practitioner (medical professionals generally found in a primary care, internal medicine office, or urgent care) however if there is any doubt or the stye is unresponsive to conservative treatment, an appointment with an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) is a always good idea to determine the best course of treatment. <source>

Don’t forget your FREE Self-care Starter Guide! Get it HERE. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you know if you have a stye or pink eye?

The most common symptoms of pink eye include inflammation, itching, redness around the eyes, tearing, yellow, green, or white discharge, and blurred vision. Some strains of pink eye are contagious.

While both a stye and pink eye can have similar symptoms like itchy eyes, pain, and red eyes, usually an eye stye also has a red bump on the eyelid. Pink eye can be a viral infection or a bacterial infection. 

Viral pink eye and styes may likely go away on their own but bacterial pink eye may require antibiotic ointment.

2. What is a chalazion?

A chalazion is a stye (formed by a blocked gland) that doesn’t get better and develops scar tissue around it. The pain resolves but the bump remains.

Like styes, they are also usually harmless but seek medical advice if you have significant pain, or swelling to the point they create double vision or redness. 

Hopefully, this article has answered your original question, “Can You Get a Stye From Allergies?”.

Styes can develop when bacteria gets caught at the base of an eyelash or hair follicle and eventually creates a clogged oil gland (or sweat gland) and having allergies puts you at a bigger risk. However, with proper self-care and treatment at home, usually, this painful red bump will resolve within 1-2 weeks. And that’s great news!

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