Eye Diseases and Conditions Slideshow Pictures Pink Eye Slideshow Pictures Cataracts Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Grant G. Gilliland, MD

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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When to Seek Medical Care

Sometimes, complications may occur from a seemingly innocent problem. Immediately contact your ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery) if any of the following problems occur:

• The eye is swollen shut.



• Redness appears around the entire eye.



• You have any change or disturbance in your vision.



• Swelling lasts for more than three weeks.



• The sty or styes come back or bleed.



• Your eyelashes fall out.



• The sty is on the bottom eyelid, near the nose.



• The white part of the eye becomes red.



• Pus or thick discharge continues to drain from the eye.



• You have a fever higher than 100.5 F.



• You have excessive persistent tearing.



• You have persistent redness of the surface of the eye.



• You have significant pain.



• The sty recurs, especially if the sty does so in the same location as a previous sty.



• You have swelling of the lymph nodes in your neck.



• You experience double vision.

You should go to your ophthalmologist for any of the above symptoms. If you are unable to be evaluated by your ophthalmologist, you should go to the hospital's emergency department if you experience any of the above problems.