Is It A Stye Or Chalazia? Important Facts You Should Know

Treating Chalazia

Chalazia tend to disappear on their own with minor at-home treatments, but they take longer than styes to vanish. A mild to moderate case of chalazia will last anywhere between eight to sixteen weeks. As with styes, milder cases can be treated with a warm compress and/or warm water cleansing of the infected eyelid. Moderate chalazia, however, will require antibiotics, which can be prescribed by a primary care physician or an ophthalmologist. Severe cases tend to require antibiotic tablets.

Recurring Chalazia Prevention Techniques

Chalazia can be recurrent, especially in individuals with chronically dry skin and/or dry eyes (for example, individuals with Sjogren's Syndrome). If chalazia recur, the individual is encouraged to undertake preventative techniques, which can include cleaning the eyelid daily with warm water, getting a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acid or flaxseed oil supplements (which can help create moisture in the body), and topical antibiotic ointment as prescribed by a doctor. When all of these methods fail, a doctor will typically recommend that the patient take antibiotic tablets, which are often prescribed for a three-month period and have an effect that lasts for many months afterward.