Does Dry Eye Cause Recurring Stye Infections? Understanding the Connection

The Connection Between Dry Eye and Styes

Many people suffer from dry, irritated eyes. This condition, known as dry eye disease, affects millions worldwide. One complication that can arise from chronic dry eye is the development of styes in the eyelids. A stye is a localized infection that causes a tender bump on the eyelid margin. Understanding the link between dry eye and styes can help patients prevent and properly treat these frustrating eye problems.

What Is a Stye?

A stye, also referred to as a hordeolum, is a bump that forms on the eyelid when bacteria invade and infect an oil gland. This often occurs in glands located along the edge of the eyelid. There are two types of styes:

• External styes - These styes form on the outside of the eyelid. They are typically more painful and visible.
• Internal styes - These occur inside the eyelid, causing the inner surface of the eyelid to swell. They may be less visible but can still cause discomfort.

In both cases, styes are often red, swollen, and tender. They may feel like a localized eyelid infection. Pus may collect inside a stye, causing a visible white or yellow spot. Styes can cause annoying symptoms but typically resolve on their own or with simple treatment in a few days.

What Causes the Development of a Stye?

Styes occur when bacteria invade and clog up an oil gland along the eyelid margin. A few factors allow this to happen:

• Bacterial overload - Stye-causing bacteria, especially Staphylococcus aureus, multiply along the lash line and infect oil glands.
• Oil gland blockage - Dead skin cells, oil secretions, and bacteria can obstruct a gland's opening.
• Inflammation - The blocked gland becomes inflamed, swollen, and tender.
• Compromised immunity - Anything that compromises the immune system can increase the risk of developing a stye.

The Role of Dry Eye in Stye Formation

How exactly does dry eye disease relate to styes? Dry eye is a chronic lack of sufficient lubrication for the surface of the eye. It occurs when tear quantity and/or quality do not meet the eye's moisture needs. This causes inflammation, irritation, and damage to the surface tissues of the eye. People with dry eye often experience gritty, scratchy, stinging eyes along with symptoms like eye redness, discharge, and blurry vision.

Dry Eye Causes Changes Along the Eyelid Margins

There are a few ways dry eye creates an environment conducive to stye development:

• Irritation and inflammation - Dry eye causes generalized irritation and swelling along the margins of the eyelids. This makes oil glands more prone to clogging.
• Bacterial overload - The inflammation and irritation of dry eye allow more bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus to colonize and thrive along the lash line.
• Decreased oil flow - Severely dry eyes send signals to oil glands to decrease oil production. This can thicken oils in the glands, increasing chances of obstruction.
• Plugging from debris - Eyelids have to work overtime to clear debris from the dry eye surface. This leads to plugging of glands.

Who Gets Styes Related to Dry Eye?

Anyone with dry eye disease is at increased risk of developing recurrent styes. However, certain groups tend to be most affected:

• Women - Hormonal fluctuations in women can exacerbate dry eye. Therefore, women get more dry eye-related styes.
• Contact lens wearers - Contacts interfere with tear film stability, causing dryness and irritation.
• Seniors - Oil gland function declines with age. Combined with age-related dry eye, styes may occur.
• Rosacea patients - Ocular rosacea causes inflammation and dryness, allowing styes to develop.
• Sjogren's patients - Deficient tear function from this autoimmune disease significantly increases stye risk.

Treating Styes Related to Dry Eyes

It's important to treat both the stye and the underlying dry eye when the two conditions occur simultaneously. This helps resolve the stye infection while also preventing recurrences in the future. Treatment measures include:

Stye Treatment

To treat the stye itself, options include:

• Warm compresses - Applying a warm, moist washcloth to the affected eyelid helps ease inflammation and potentially open up drainage.
• Antibiotic ointment - An ophthalmologist may prescribe antibiotic eyedrops or ointment to clear a bacterial infection.
• Steroid injection - For very swollen and painful styes, a steroid shot to shrink the bump may be warranted.
• Incision and drainage - If pus has built up internally, a doctor may surgically open and drain it.

Dry Eye Treatment

Crucial dry eye treatments to minimize stye recurrences include:

• Tear supplementation - Using daily artificial tear drops or gels to lubricate the eyes.
• Warm compresses - Heat helps loosen built-up oils and clear tear duct obstructions.
• Prescription anti-inflammatories - Medications can calm inflammation causing dryness.
• Omega fatty acid supplements - Oral omega-3s reduce dry eye inflammation for some people.
• Humidifier - Adding moisture to the air prevents tear film evaporation.
• Good lid hygiene - Gently scrubbing eyelids with soap and water removes debris.

When to See an Eye Doctor About Dry Eye Related Styes

Make an appointment with an ophthalmologist or optometrist if:

• Multiple styes keep recurring
• A stye does not improve within one week of at-home treatment
• Vision becomes impaired from a stye
• Severely irritating, painful dry eye persists despite over-the-counter drops
• Eyelid redness, swelling, irritation, crusting, or discharge worsens or does not resolve

A doctor can properly diagnose dry eye disease through an exam. They may also test for underlying autoimmune conditions. From there, they will determine the best dry eye treatments to stop chronic stye formation.

Preventing Recurrent Styes

Preventing repeat stye infections involves controlling both oil gland blockages and dry eye disease. Key prevention tips include:

• Adhere strictly to dry eye treatments, both at-home and prescription
• Apply warm, moist compresses to eyelids daily
• Gently massage eyelids to prevent oil gland clogs
• Use lid scrubs formulated for blepharitis and dry eye
• Keep skin around eyes clean and scale-free
• Avoid sharing linens or towels with active stye infections
• Replace old makeup and mascara regularly
• Stop wearing eye makeup during stye outbreaks

Implementing a diligent dry eye and eyelid care regimen minimizes the risk of continually battling frustrating, painful styes.

The Takeaway

Dry eye disease can allow recurring stye infections to take hold. The inflammation, irritation, and impaired oil flow related to chronic dry eyes promote an environment conducive to oil gland infection and blockage along the eyelids. Making sure any case of dry eye is effectively managed while also keeping the eyelids and lashes clean can help prevent recurrent styes. With proper treatment, dry eye patients can have healthy, comfortable eyes free of nagging styes.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.