Eye pain, ophthalmalgia for medical, is often described as a burning, throbbing, aching, deep, severe or stabbing sensation in or around your eye. Pain in an eye can also involve the feeling that something is in it.
Eye strain is eye fatigue. And it involves different causes and treatment than that of eye pain.
Other symptoms that may accompany your eye pain include:
- blurry vision
- photophobia
- tunnel vision
- double vision
- eye tenderness
- protruding eyes
- new eye floaters
- severe headache
- excessive tearing
- loss of eyelashes
- halos around lights
- swollen eyes, eyelids
- eyelids stick together
- red, itchy, watery eyes
- eye movement limitation
- eyelid edema & erythema
- various levels of vision loss
- pain with any eye movement
- flashes, light streaks sensation
- eye discharge ~ crusting, pus, blood
- bright red blood patch in whites of eye
- pupils ~ nonreactive, distorted, constricted
Because painful eyes are often brought to you with other symptoms, those additional symptoms are very helpful in determining the cause of your eye pain.
Pain in your eyes, or eye, may be an indication of numerous eye problems. Some of the eye related health conditions that can cause eye pain are:
- hay fever
- influenza
- trachoma
- glaucoma
- pinguecula
- sarcoidosis
- optic neuritis
- conjunctivitis
- corneal ulcer
- dacryocystitis
- corneal abrasion
- giant cell arteritis
- eye tumors ~ rare
- migraine headache
- subdural hematoma
- Sjogren’s syndrome
- episcleritis, scleritis
- lacrimal gland tumor
- erythema multiforme
- keratitis, sclerokeratitis
- contact lens complications
- eye trauma~ direct blow, surgery
- sinus problems ~ sinusitis, polyps
- subconjunctival hemorrhage ~ usually painless
- burns, chemical burns, ultraviolet radiation burns
- eyelid infection ~ blepharitis, hordeolum, chalazion
- eye infection ~ herpes viruses, fungus, bacteria, endophthalmitis
- something in your eye ~ foreign material, sand, damaged contact lens
- iritis ~ frequently caused by ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis
For mild eye pain, home care treatment starts with resting them. If your pain arises from the feeling that something is in it, then gently flush your eye with lukewarm water or irrigate your eye with a prepared eyewash. Never rub because this can cause even more eye damage.
For a bit more pain in eye treatment, OTC pain relievers, i.e. ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin, should reduce your discomfort. Apply warm compresses for treatment of minor skin infections around your eye, i.e. stye or chalazion. Blepharitis may require a very gentle scrub around your eyelid edges with baby shampoo.
When your contact lenses are causing you eye pain, stop wearing them for a couple days. And avoiding bright light is a helpful treatment for minor pain in the eyes as well.
If your eye pain is caused by a bacterial infection, then an antibiotic, prescribed by your a health care provider, might be necessary. And generally, if the pain in your eye(s) is persistent, severe, associated with vision disruptions, a penetrating injury or blunt force trauma, then seek health care attention immediately for required treatment.