What’s Causing My Eye Pain?

Pain is a message guiding you to take care of your body. This is especially true for the eye, a delicate, precise organ that needs careful attention when injured or diseased. At ICON Eyecare, our eye doctors in can help you find the source of your eye pain and treat it. Here are 10 common causes of eye pain.

1. Corneal Abrasions

Scratches on the surface of your eye can be quite painful and can result from rubbing your eyes as well as external causes. Antibiotics can help them heal.

2. Corneal Infections or Keratitis

Often a result of over wearing or not cleaning contact lenses, these viral or bacterial infections of the eye surface should be treated by experts like our eye doctors in the Denver metro area.

3. Foreign Bodies in the Eye

Even a grain of sand or pollen can cause pain from your eye’s sensitive surface. Usually, rinsing with water or artificial tears can help remove the foreign body. Rubbing or leaving it in can scratch your eye.

4. Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma

This uncommon version of glaucoma has a rapid onset and requires emergency care to prevent vision loss. Eye pain is one of several significant symptoms as well as nausea, headache, and worsening vision.

5. Iritis and Uveitis

Inflammation inside your eye from several causes including trauma and infection. Red eye and vision problems may accompany pain.

6. Optic Neuritis

Infections and multiple sclerosis are possible causes of this inflammation of the optic nerve. Loss of vision and pain when looking side to side may be symptoms.

7. UV Light Overexposure or Photokeratitis

An excellent reason to wear UV blocking sunglasses, this condition can result from too much sunlight or other UV light sources and is basically a sunburn of your corneas. It usually improves over several days, and an eye doctor can help.

8. Sinusitis

A buildup of sinus pressure near your eyes due to allergies or infection can result in eye pain.

9. Stye

Infection of the hair follicles or oil glands on the edge of your eyelid can be painful. Medical treatment and home care such as warm compresses can help.

10. Blepharitis and Conjunctivitis

These two conditions, inflammation of the eyelid or the conjunctiva, aren’t typically painful but can be alarming. They are often the result of allergies and other similar causes.

Post-Surgical Discomfort

Our expert eye doctors in the Front Range strive to make sure your eye procedures involve as little discomfort as possible. That’s one of the many reasons that patients choose us for procedures from cataract and LASIK surgery in the Denver Metro area to treatments for eye injuries, eye diseases, and hereditary vision conditions.

At ICON Eyecare, we want you to be comfortable taking good care of your eye health. We encourage you to visit us or an emergency room when you experience severe eye pain, and not wait for it to resolve without treatment. With your eyes, prompt attention to any concerns can help preserve your valuable sight. Contact us for your vision needs, including routine and preventive eye exams.