If you ignore some of the symptoms, you can permanently lose your sight. Read on to find out.
When you urgently need to see a doctor
Go to an ophthalmologist's appointment as soon as possible or, depending on how you feel, call an ambulance.
- Acute pain started immediately after sawing wood, sanding metal, or performing any other action that could drive a sharp foreign body into your eye.
- Severe pain was the result of trauma. For example, you bump into a solid object or get hit in the eye socket.
- Pain is accompanied by blurred vision and/or increased sensitivity to light and visual distortion - for example, you see rainbow circles around light sources. These can be symptoms of glaucoma, an irreversible disease that causes optic nerve atrophy.
- In addition to pain, you experience bouts of nausea and vomiting.
- You underwent ophthalmic surgery shortly before the pain began.
- The affected eye not only hurts but also reddened, edema, something is released from it.
- The pain is severe, it arose suddenly, and at the same time, at the prophylactic examinations, the ophthalmologist had already assumed that you had a risk of developing glaucoma.
- You find it difficult to move the affected eye or cannot keep it open.
One and even more so, a few symptoms are enough to contact a doctor immediately: there is a risk of quickly losing sight.
Fortunately, situations requiring urgent medical attention are not so common. In most cases, eye pain has less serious causes. Which, however, should not be tolerated either.
Read also: How To Remove Bruises Under The Eyes Quickly And Permanently
Why eyes hurt and what to do about it
1. Muscle tension
This is a common contributor to eyestrain. Perhaps you gaze too long and actively at the screen of a laptop or smartphone, work too carefully with papers, or have to keep your gaze on some object in the distance. In this case, the muscles responsible for the eye's work are constantly in the same tense position. Lactic acid builds up in them, and this turns into pain.
What to do
First of all, remember that the eyes also need rest. When dealing with paperwork or "sticking" in devices, do not forget to take a break for 5-10 minutes at least once an hour and a half. It is enough to perform exercises at least once a day.
2. Refusal of glasses
Many people deteriorate with age, but not everyone can recognize this moment in time. Nearsightedness or farsightedness, not corrected by glasses or lenses, again causes the eyes' muscles to overextend. Furthermore, for this, it is not even required to work with documents or at the computer. Simply observing the environment around you is sufficient.
What to do
Get your vision checked regularly (at least once a year). If necessary, select glasses or contact lenses with your ophthalmologist.
3. Dryness of the cornea
The cornea is the outer transparent membrane of the eye. This is an amazing tissue: there are no blood vessels, and tears deliver nutrients and oxygen. Of course, not crocodiles but that small amount of fluid released from the lacrimal glands in a normal state.
Doctors call this condition dry eye syndrome. Various reasons can cause it.
- The air around is too dry. As a result, the tear liquid evaporates without having time to give up what is needed.
- You are too focused and forget to blink. This often happens when working with gadgets.
- You are taking medications that change the composition of the tear film, which makes it dry faster. These medicines include some antidepressants and oral contraceptives.
- You wear contact lenses every day.
- You have a chronic medical condition (condition) that affects the composition of the tear fluid. These are, for example, diabetes, menopause, blepharitis (chronic inflammation of the eyelids).
What to do
To get started, install a humidifier in the room where you spend most of the day. Learn to distract yourself from your gadgets to blink properly regularly.
If pain and burning sensation in the eyes still makes itself felt, be sure to visit an ophthalmologist. Your doctor will analyze your health, lifestyle, medications, and other factors and recommend reducing dry cornea. For example, he will prescribe drops with an artificial tear.
4. Sinusitis
Pulling pain behind and above the eyes against the background of sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, or other types of sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses) - a natural phenomenon. The infection causes swelling of the mucous membranes; they press on the eyeballs from the inside, causing soreness.
What to do
Treat sinusitis, naturally, under the supervision of a therapist.
5. Corneal burn (photokeratitis)
A stinging, burning, gritty sensation in the eyes may appear after a day on a sunny beach or snow-covered slope. Well, or after you dared to look at welding.
What to do
Unpleasant sensations go away rather quickly by themselves. For the future, be sure to wear dark glasses when going out into the sun, and do not neglect the safety rules when welding.
6. Eye infections
Depending on what exactly is inflamed, eye infections are divided into.
- blepharitis - inflammation of the eyelid
- keratitis - inflammation of the cornea
- conjunctivitis - inflammation of the conjunctiva (protein)
- iritis - inflammation of the iris
- endophthalmitis - inflammation of the inside of the eye
These conditions are caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungus, which enter the visual organ from the outside (through the smallest scratches) or blood flow.
What to do
The infection is accompanied not only by pain and itching, tearing, redness and swelling of the affected eye (or both at once), and purulent discharge. If you suspect inflammation, see your doctor as soon as possible. Self-medication is dangerous!
Also read: 5 Tips For Healthy Eyes
8. Neuritis of the optic nerve
This is the name of the nerve's inflammation that transmits information from the eyeball directly to the brain. Optic neuritis is one of the most prevalent causes of a sudden deterioration in the vision at a young and middle age. It often accompanies the development of multiple sclerosis.
This type of pain increases when the eyes move from side to side. Also, it is necessarily accompanied by a decrease in vision and a violation of color perception.
What to do
Contact an ophthalmologist faster. With timely treatment, neuritis can be defeated, and vision can be restored almost completely.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker
