Eye pain varies in intensity from barely noticeable to sharp and unbearable. In order to find out the cause of the pain in the eyes, you need to consider its characteristics and the circumstances in which it arose.
Common causes of eye pain
When the pain in the eyes of many I think first and foremost that the cause of the disease lies in the eyes. This may indeed be true. But also we must not forget that eye pain may occur diseases of other organs and systems.
So, the cause of pain in the eyes can serve as:
- Ophthalmic diseases (inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases, injuries of the organ of vision);
- Neurological diseases (migraine, neuritis of the trigeminal and optic nerves, cervical osteochondrosis);
- Diseases of ENT-organs.
Ophthalmic diseases
Perhaps one of the most common causes of pain in the eyes is inflammatory diseases of the eye. So, many of us at least once in life, faced with acute conjunctivitis – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. For inflammation of the conjunctiva sometimes don’t need much – just to RUB with dirty hands eyes. Acute conjunctivitis is manifested by redness, watering, burning sensation, pain in the eye, discharge from the eyes.
The inflammatory process can spread quickly with other mucous membrane of the eye. So, with the spread of the infection to the cornea occur keratitis. Symptoms of keratitis are photophobia, lacrimation expressed, the feeling of sand, the pain in the eye. Also characterized by blepharospasm – when the patient is difficult to raise the eyelids.
When inflammation of the choroid – uveitis of the person concerned:
- Redness of the eyes;
- The feeling of heaviness, pain in the eye;
- Blurred vision;
- The appearance of fog before eyes;
- Photophobia, and lacrimation.
Eye pain can also occur due to intraocular pressurethat is characteristic of glaucoma. This disease is manifested not only by pain but also by narrowing of visual field, blurred vision, appearance of bright circles before eyes when focusing look at bright light. An acute attack of glaucoma occurs very rapidly. Pain with eye extends to the corresponding half of the head, nausea and vomiting, General weakness.
Unpleasant painful sensations are also characteristic for xerophthalmia or dry eye syndrome. With such a problem faced by people who spend a lot of time on the computer. Staring at the monitor, people forget to blink, which dries out the cornea. The consequence is a feeling of burning, pain, feeling of “sand” in the eyes, redness of the eyes.
Pain in the eye are accompanied by trauma to the organ of vision.
Distinguish between these types of eye injury:
- Non-penetrating;
- Penetrating.
To non-penetrating injuries include erosion and foreign body of the cornea. Erosion, in fact, is a scratch on the surface of the cornea. Immediately after receiving the injury the person experiences acute pain in the affected eye. At the same time with the pain there is severe tearing, redness of eyes and photophobia. When the foreign body of the cornea of the patient is concerned about all the same symptoms plus a feeling as if something interferes in the eye.
Penetrating injuries classified as severe, it is possible complete destruction of the structures of the eye and loss of vision. At the time of receiving stab wounds, a person experiences severe pain, then join the watery eyes, the inability to look at bright light, reduced vision. Such conditions require emergency medical care.
Neurological diseases
Neurological disease such as migraine manifested by severe pain in one side of the head, descending to the eye area. The pain is paroxysmal in nature and is so intense that a person becomes almost motionless. The pain increases with bright light, sounds. At the height of headache nausea, vomiting.
A characteristic feature of migraine – presence of aura, when before the attack there are visual, olfactory or neurological disorders. So, patients may feel that before my eyes flashes of light, colored spots.
Eye pain may be a manifestation of trigeminal neuralgia.
The trigeminal nerve has three branches:
- Eye;
- Maxillary;
- Mandibular.
The pathological process may affect the whole nerve, and only one branch. The main symptom of the disease are attacks of severe, excruciating pain in the area of innervation. If involved in the pathological process of the eye branch of the trigeminal nerve, so the person will disturb a total pain in the forehead, the nose, the eyes. During the pain attack the man freezes, as if afraid to move, because any movement increases the pain. Also may include blepharospasm, lacrimation.
Pain in the eye and is accompanied by optic neuritis. Inflammation of the nerve develops on the background of demyelinating diseases or infectious lesions. Optic neuritis starts with a sudden deterioration of vision, disturbances of color vision, the appearance of various light flashes before my eyes. People start to bother pain in the eye, which are particularly aggravated by the movement of the eyeballs.
Eye pain also is observed in aboutosteohondroze the cervical spine. Deformed vertebrae compress nerve roots and blood vessels, which leads to the formation of a characteristic clinical picture. The main complaint of people with cervical osteochondrosis is a nagging headache from occiput to brow. You can get sick and eyes, and an unpleasant nagging feeling in the back focus of the eyeballs. Also with cervical degenerative disc disease may experience symptoms such as:
Diseases of ENT-organs
Quite often the organ involved in the disease processes emanating from ENT-organs. This is facilitated by the proximity of the orbit and paranasal sinuses. So, pain in the eyes can feel people suffering from sinusitis.
Sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses) usually develops against SARS. In the sinuses of the accumulated mucus and pus, which increases the pressure inside the sinuses. These changes lead to the onset of pain, which also applies to the eye area. Pain in the eye in this case is usually dull and aching, correspond to the side of the face where the sinus is inflamed.
By the way, during SARS, people often complain of feeling a pressing pain in the eyeballs when the eyes are even difficult to move. This symptom is a consequence of intoxication. Also with SARS often develop conjunctivitis. In this case, in addition to signs of respiratory infection (weakness, runny nose, sore throat, cough) person would be bothered by redness of the eyes, lacrimation, and a burning sensation, itching in the eyes.
Treatment for pain in the eyes
Causes of pain in the eyes – the mass. To purposefully deal with the pain in his eyes makes no sense, until you found and fixed the true cause of this symptom.
Pain as a symptom will disappear with treatment of the underlying disease:
- If eye pain, provoked by prolonged work at the computer, it is necessary to limit the stay behind equipment, to do exercises for the eyes and use hydrating eye drops;
- For eye pain resulting from inflammatory diseases of the eye, topically administered antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic;
- With eye pain due to glaucoma, prescribe means of reducing the intraocular pressure;
- For eye pain caused by migraine, protivomigrenoznae prescribed drugs, and also NSAIDs;
- If eye pain, triggered by trigeminal neuralgia, the patient is credited with anticonvulsants, antispasmodics and muscle relaxants;
- For eye pain caused by sinus infection, prescribe antibiotic and antihistamines, vasoconstrictor nose drops.
If the pain is caused by an eye injury, you must do the following:
- Rinse the eye with running water;
- If the foreign body is situated superficially, to try to remove it with eye. With penetrating wounds not to attempt to extract a foreign body from the eye;
- For disinfection in both eyes drip one drop of sulfacyl, sulfacetamide or gentamicin;
- Apply a sterile bandage on the affected eye. In penetrating wounds the bandage applied to both eyes.
- Immediately contact the clinic.
