What is a chalazion?
A chalazion looks like a red bump or follicle, which slowly develops as a cyst, usually on the inside of the eyelid, towards the middle. Caused by a blockage of the meibomian glands, a chalazion generally isn’t painful and if there’s more than one, they’re called chalazia. The larger the size of the chalazion, the more it can result in blurry vision and watery eyes, as it presses on the cornea. Chalazia are often confused with styes (hordeolum), another type of eye infection that appears as smaller pimple-like bumps on the upper lid, base of the eyelashes or lower lid or edge of the eyelid due to blocked glands of Zeis (different oil glands). A stye can be more painful and appears yellow at the centre, potentially bursting naturally after a few days. If a stye doesn’t drain or heal properly, it can turn into a chalazion.