Can a stye in one eye infect the other eye?

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Question:
Can a stye in one eye infect the other eye?

Answer:
No. Most styes are isolated and occur in one lid only. The underlying conditions that allow a stye to develop are present in both eyes and sometimes a stye will occur in another lid in the same or the other eye but this is not due to transfer from the first one. Your ophthalmologist can recommend the best treatment which is likely to include the frequent application of very warm washcloths over the lid that is infected.

Answered by: Richard Bensinger, MD

Categories: Eye Conditions, General Eye Health

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