A small, pimple-like lump that appears in your child's eyelid or eyelash is similar to a pimple, but is not actually acne. Likely, that lump is either a stye or a chalazion. Sties and chalazia--plural for chalazion--can grow under or inside the eyelid or along the rim of the eyelash. Styes and chalazia occur in children and adults. Both conditions usually cause no harm and typically go away on their own, according to All About Vision.
Styes
A stye, also referred to as a hordeolum, is an infection that causes a red, tender lump along the edge of the eyelid. Doctors refer to a stye that develops inside the eyelid as an internal hordeolum. Sties usually result from bacteria that grow in the root of an eyelash. Internal hordeola are caused by infections in oil glands inside the eyelid.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a stye may include a red, inflamed bump; sensitivity to light; tearing; tenderness; and/or a scratchy sensation that feels like a particle is under the eyelid. Sometimes, a crusty puss is excreted that will make the eyelid stick closed a little when waking up in the morning. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that sties usually improve within a few days to a week as the infection weakens.
Chalazion
A chalazion is a small, painless cyst inside the eyelid. Chalazia occur when the body's immune response has successfully fought off the infection of a stye, but the pore remains blocked. Secretions from oil glands and puss remaining from the infection accumulate under the skin. Chalazia can also develop in some people without the prior occurrence of a stye. According to All About Vision, chalazia occur more commonly in people who have rosacea rashes or blepharitis, an often chronic condition caused by malfunction of oil glands at the root of eyelashes.
Chalazia Symptoms
Chalazia are not inflamed and so do not have the tenderness that accompanies sties. The lump will feel harder when pressed and may continue to grow. They can sometimes grow to the point they press on the cornea of the eye, causing an astigmatism--a blurriness or distortion in vision.
Treatment
You can treat sties and chalazia by applying a warm compress for 10 minutes about four times a day. This will draw out the puss and hasten the natural healing of the infection. Never try to squeeze a stye or any lump around the eye. Antibiotic creams or antibiotic-steroid cream combinations can be applied until stye symptoms have cleared.
When to See the Doctor
While sties usually heal on their own, some cases require medical care. The NIH recommends that if a stye persists for more than seven days, you should consult a physician. Likewise, call your child's physician if the whole eyelid is red, the eye itself becomes red, the bumps become very large and painful, vision is affected or the bump bleeds. If your child is prone to recurring sties or chalazia, speak with her pediatrician.
Precautions
Sties are caused by staphylococcal bacteria, according to All About Vision. These bacteria can be spread to nearby eyelashes, to the other eye or to family members. Have your child keep his eyes and hands clean, and don't allow your child to share washcloths or towels with other family members. Don't allow your daughter to share eye makeup with others if she has a stye. Your child should not wear contact lenses when there is an infection or drainage.
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