What Causes Eye Pain?
Your eyes are a particularly delicate and sensitive part of your body. Eye pain can be particularly excruciating because of that. If your eyes are sore, there are many possible explanations. You should never ignore eye pain. Here are possible causes for pain in one or both of your eyes:
1. Tiredness
When you're tired, your whole body can feel the effects of fatigue, including your eyes. This can manifest as a burning or stinging sensation. The symptoms of fatigue in your eyes can be due to dryness or eye strain. If dryness is the culprit, placing eye drops in your eyes can help. Eye strain is best remedied by getting some sleep. If that isn't possible, try resting your eyes by allowing them to focus on something in the distance. Focusing on computer screens, books, or papers for too long can cause stress to your eyes that can manifest as pain.
2. Allergies
Allergies occur when your body's immune system falsely identifies a harmless substance as a threat. In response, your body produces histamine, which can cause itchy skin, a runny nose, and itchy or painful eyes. Treating your allergies can relieve the symptoms they cause. If possible, stay away from known allergens. If you're allergic to pets, keep away from them as much as possible. Wash your hands after handling potential allergens and avoid rubbing your eyes. If you can't get away from the source of your allergies, such as pollen, you can take antihistamine drugs to relieve allergy eye symptoms.
3. Injury
Eye injuries can cause pain. If you get a foreign object embedded in your eye, you may feel a scratching sensation when you blink. In some cases, you may be able to see the foreign object when you look in the mirror. To perform immediate first aid, you can flush your eyes out with cool water. Avoid rubbing your eye, since that may further damage the cornea. If you're unable to dislodge the object in your eye through flushing, make a visit to a eye doctor, like those at Northwest Ophthalmology. They may need to perform surgery to remove the foreign object from your eye to prevent further damage.
4. Infection
Eye infections can cause pain, itchiness, and discharge. If your eye is red, swollen, painful, or leaking pus or discharge, it's likely you have an eye infection. Make an appointment with your eye doctor at once. Most eye infections require antibiotics or topical creams in order to be resolved.
