Common Sources of Eye Pain

Eye pain is something that can literally stop everything. Losing one of your senses affects everything you do, and greatly lessens your quality of life. It can be hard to sleep, travel, or even interact with the people in your life if the pain is overwhelming. Pain and discomfort can include burning eyes, dull aches, sensitivity to light, or that irritating feeling that there is something in your eye that shouldn’t be there.

Some common sources of such discomfort or pain are:

• • Corneal Foreign Body. This is when something is actually in your eye and has adhered and become embedded in the surface of your cornea. Such foreign items can be grit and sand, metal shavings, or sawdust. Most of these substances can be easily removed and treated in your eye doctor’s office.

• • Corneal Abrasion. Although usually not serious, this issue can cause serious discomfort that may include watery eyes and sensitivity to light, making life difficult. Many scratches will heal on their own within a day or two, but deeper abrasions will need the attention of an eye doctor to keep an infection from the beginning.

• • Dry Eyes. This often begins slowly and gradually over time, and can sometimes lead to a corneal abrasion due to the lack of tears and their moisturizing effect. This issue doesn’t require urgent attention from your eye doctor, but tests can be performed to determine the severity and the most effective treatment.

• • Computer Eye Strain. We spend a lot of time looking at screens these days and quite often our eyes will be negatively affected.
  • Other Issues. Conjunctivitis, infections, inflammation, contact lens discomfort – these eye concerns are less common, but painful all the same. Migraines can affect your eyes as well and let’s not forget those sinus infections!

You may experience pain on, in, or even behind/around your eye, and it can be in either your right or left eye, or in both at the same time. The cause of your pain will be obvious when you have suffered an actual injury to your eye, but at other times it can be difficult to know why it is happening. The severity of your pain won’t be a perfect indicator of just how serious the cause of your discomfort is, either. For example, a fairly minor problem such as a superficial abrasion of your cornea can be extremely painful, while some very serious conditions like cataracts, macular degeneration, or a detached retina are not painful at all. You will need the help of a professional to determine what is going on when it comes to your eyes and any pain or discomfort you are experiencing.

You should consider any pain you are experiencing in your eyes as a serious medical condition and seek the help of an eye doctor as soon as possible. Only an eye care professional can properly diagnose the exact cause of your eye pain and prescribe the right treatment. Don’t take chances with your vision! Call us here at Classic Vision Care today if you are experiencing eye pain.