Are Eye Styes Caused by Stress?

Eye Styes and Stress: What’s the Connection?

Ever woken up to find a tender, red bump near your eyelid? That’s an eye stye, and they’re more common than you might think. But what causes them? Is stress really to blame? 

Read on as we take a look at the science behind eye styes, uncovering what causes them, whether stress plays a role, and how to treat and prevent them. Plus, we’ll share practical tips for reducing stress and keeping your eyes healthy.

Key Points

• Eye styes are painful red bumps along the eyelids caused by bacterial infection or blocked oil glands.
• Home remedies for styes include warm compresses, gentle eyelid cleansing, and over-the-counter eye drops.
• Eye conditions like chalazion, milia, and blepharitis can be mistaken for styes and require accurate diagnosis by an eye specialist.

Understanding Eye Styes

Before we jump into the stress-stye connection, let’s break down what eye styes are. Eye styes, also known as hordeolums, are painful red bumps that pop up along the edge of your eyelids. They look a bit like pimples and can appear on the upper or lower eyelid, and outside or inside of the eyelid.¹

Eye styes happen when tiny oil glands at the base of your eyelashes get inflamed or infected. These glands usually keep your eyes lubricated, but when they’re blocked or infected, bacteria can build up and cause a stye.¹

Symptoms of Eye Styes

If you have an eye stye, you may experience some of these common symptoms of a stye:^1,2

• Pain or tenderness: You may feel discomfort or soreness in the affected area of your eyelid, especially if touched.
• Redness and swelling: The skin around the stye may appear red or swollen, making it feel larger than usual.
• Watering of the eye: You may experience increased tearing or watering of the eye, especially if the stye is near the edge of the eyelid.
• Crustiness: As the stye progresses, it may develop a crust or scab on the surface.
• Light sensitivity: Some individuals may experience increased light sensitivity (photophobia) during a stye outbreak. Wearing sunglasses or avoiding bright lights can help alleviate discomfort.
• Blurred vision (rare): In some cases, a stye may cause temporary blurred vision if it affects the eyelid’s position or interferes with the eye’s normal function. However, this is uncommon and usually resolves once the stye heals.

If you experience worsening symptoms or symptoms that persist over time, make an appointment to see your eye doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Causes of Eye Styes

So, what’s behind those pesky styes? While stress gets a lot of blame, it’s not the main culprit. Styes usually happen because of a bacterial infection, often from a type called Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria hang out on your skin and can sneak into the tiny oil glands near your eyelashes or inside your eyelid, causing irritation and swelling.²

Some people are more likely to get styes than others. If you have a condition like blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids), meibomian gland dysfunction (malfunction of the eyelid oil glands), or if your hormones are changing (like during puberty or pregnancy), you might be more prone to styes. While stress can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to infections, it’s not the main cause of styes.

To prevent styes, it’s important to keep your eyelids clean and avoid sharing makeup or contact lenses. If you’re prone to styes, practicing good eyelid hygiene and managing any underlying conditions can help reduce your risk.

Are eye styes caused by stress?

Let’s set the record straight: stress alone doesn’t cause eye styes. Sure, it can make you more vulnerable to infections, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Other factors, like eyelid hygiene and underlying health issues, are usually more to blame for stye flare-ups.

Risk Factors and Contributing Conditions

Understanding the risk factors and conditions that contribute to eye styes can help you better prevent and manage them. Here are some factors to consider:²

• Contact lenses: Wearing contact lenses can increase the risk of eye styes, especially if proper hygiene practices aren’t followed. Make sure to clean and disinfect your contact lenses as directed by your eye care professional.
• Eye makeup: Using expired or contaminated eye makeup can introduce bacteria to your eyelids and increase the likelihood of stye formation. Replace old makeup regularly and avoid sharing eye makeup with others.
• Hormonal changes: Fluctuations in hormone levels, such as those that occur during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, can contribute to stye development. Maintaining good eyelid hygiene and managing hormonal imbalances can help reduce the risk.
• Blocked meibomian glands: Meibomian glands, located along the edge of the eyelid, produce oil that helps lubricate the eye. When these glands in your eyelash follicles become blocked, it can lead to the formation of a stye. Using warm compresses and gentle eyelid hygiene can help prevent blockages and promote healthy gland function.

Effective Home Remedies for Eye Styes

Now, let’s talk about how to kick those styes to the curb with some home treatment options:

• Warm compress: Hold a clean, warm washcloth against the affected eye for 10-15 minutes a few times a day. CorneaCare self-heating warm compress can help ease pain, reduce swelling, and encourage the stye to drain.¹
• Gentle eyelid cleansing: Keep your eyelids clean by gently washing them with warm water and mild soap or baby shampoo. You can also try cleansing your eyelids with CorneaCare eyelid wipes. This helps remove bacteria and excess oil that can lead to stye formation.³
• Tea bag compress: Try placing a warm, moist tea bag (black or green tea works best) over the stye. Tea contains compounds that may help soothe inflammation and speed up healing.
• Over-the-counter eye drops: Some over-the-counter eye drops, such as CorneaCare artificial tears, may help alleviate symptoms of eye styes, such as redness and irritation. 

If home remedies aren’t enough to improve your stye symptoms, see your healthcare provider for an eye exam.

Eye Conditions Misdiagnosed as Styes

Sometimes, what seems like a stye might actually be something else. A visit to an eye specialist (optometrist or ophthalmologist) is the best way to know for sure. Here are a few eye conditions that can be mistaken for styes:

• Chalazion: A chalazion is a painless, slow-growing lump caused by a blocked oil gland in the eyelid. Unlike styes, chalazia often don’t hurt and may not go away on their own. Treatment may include warm compresses, steroid injections, or surgical removal.¹
• Milia: Milia are small, white cysts on the eyelid caused by keratin (a protein found in skin cells) trapped beneath the skin’s surface. Unlike styes, milia aren’t usually red or painful. Treatment may involve gentle exfoliation or extraction by a dermatologist.⁴
• Blepharitis: Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids, often caused by bacteria, overgrowth of mites, or skin conditions like rosacea. Symptoms can include redness, itching, and crusting along the eyelid margins. While blepharitis can sometimes lead to styes, it’s a separate condition that requires its own treatment, such as warm compresses, good eyelid hygiene, and antibiotic ointments.¹

Tips to Reduce Stress and Promote Eye Health

Now, let’s shift gears and focus on reducing stress and keeping your eyes healthy:

• Relaxation techniques: Take time to unwind with activities like deep breathing, meditation, or gentle yoga. These can help lower stress levels and promote overall well-being.⁵
• Quality sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night to give your body and eyes the rest they need to function properly.⁵
• Balanced diet: Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats to support your immune system and keep your eyes in top shape.⁵
• Limit screen time: Give your eyes a rest by taking regular breaks from screens and practicing the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.⁶
• Stay hydrated: Drinking water throughout the day is essential to keep your eyes and body well hydrated.

Are Eye Styes Caused by Stress FAQ

Putting It All Together

While stress may contribute to eye stye flare-ups, it’s not the sole cause. Styes are usually the result of a bacterial infection, with factors like hygiene and underlying health conditions playing significant roles. By using home remedies to treat styes, practicing stress-reduction techniques, and taking steps to maintain eye health, you can minimize the occurrence of styes and keep your eyes feeling happy and healthy. 

What’s Next

Read more about styes and how to keep your eyes healthy for life on the Eye Health & Wellness blog!

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