Patient education: Chalazion (The Basics)

What is a chalazion? — A chalazion is a painless lump in the eyelid. It is caused by a blockage in a gland that makes tears.

A chalazion is different from a "stye," which also causes a lump on the eyelid. But a stye is caused by an infection and is painful. A chalazion is not tender or painful, but it often lasts longer than a stye does.

What are the symptoms of a chalazion? — A chalazion often begins with redness and swelling. Then, a firm, painless lump forms, usually in the upper eyelid. The lump can be as large as a pea. If a chalazion forms in the lower eyelid, it looks like a yellow-white bump (picture 1).

Is there a test for a chalazion? — No. But your doctor or nurse should be able to tell if you have a chalazion by doing an exam and talking with you.

Is there anything I can do on my own to treat a chalazion? — Yes. You can put warm, wet pressure on the chalazion. Wet a clean washcloth with warm water and put it over your chalazion. When the washcloth cools, reheat it with warm water and put it back over the chalazion. Repeat these steps for 15 minutes, 4 times a day.

Do not squeeze or pop your chalazion.

How is a chalazion treated? — Most of the time, a chalazion goes away with the treatment described above within a few weeks. It might even go away on its own. But if you have a large chalazion that does not go away or keeps coming back, your doctor might refer you to an eye doctor. They can do a procedure in the office to remove the chalazion or inject a medicine into the chalazion to reduce the swelling.

More on this topic

Patient education: Stye (The Basics)