If you are having eye pain, the first thing to check out is that whether there are any visible causes for eye pain. These can be a stye ( a pimple that forms on the eyelid ) , redness in the eye or foreign body in the eye ( something may have gone into the eyes and you may not have noticed ). Sharp objects like glass cause sharp pain in the eyes. Secondly check whether one is able to open the eyes. In case of foreign bodies, it may be difficult to open and shut the eyes. Finally check for any swelling around the eyes, temples, nose, ears and forehead.
The common causes and symptoms associated with eye pain are :
- Excessive strain on the eyes for long periods of time without adequate rest to the eyes. This happens to some people who work hard at a computer screen or who spend too much time watching something on the computer or television. Eyes should be frequently washed with cool water. One should provide them relief by putting cool cucumber over the eyes. Use a good eye drop to relieve the tension developed in the eyes.
- Eye pain along with redness, watery eyes and itching and burning sensation is a sign of conjunctivitis. It is an infection of the conjunctiva of the eyes. This condition resolves itself when the infection is reduced. One should get treatment for this condition.
- If there is eye pain with reduced field of vision, eye pressure and other symptoms like blurred vision, lack of light etc then it could be definitely a sign of an eye disease like cataract or glaucoma. One should get treatment for these conditions.
- If there is eye pain with throbbing sensation near the eyes or some sensation in the temples, then it could be an early sign of temporal arteritis, a dangerous condition which often leads to sudden blindness. One should get a health checkup and talk to the doctor about this.
- Trigeminal nerve damage due to any disease can lead to strange kind of eye pain and pain in other areas of the face - near the cheeks, jaws and ears.
- Eye pain with headache or migraine is usually caused by the headache.
- Eye pain behind the eye ( it feels as though the pain is coming from deep within the eyes ) is a sign of sinus pressure.