Why Do My Eyes Hurt? 11 Possible Causes of Eye Pain and Soreness

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Where Does It Hurt?
• Common Eye Problems
• Other Symptoms
• Tests to Diagnose Eye Pain
• Treatments

Nearly everyone has had sore eyes at some point. Sometimes they get better on their own, but they can also be a sign of something more serious.

Your eye doctor can figure out what’s going on and find the right treatment for you.

Sometimes discomfort or pain results from a problem in your eye or the parts around it, such as:

• Cornea: The clear window in the front of your eye that focuses light
• Sclera: The whites of your eyes
• Conjunctiva: The ultra-thin covering of your sclera and the inside of your eyelid
• Iris: The colored part of your eye, with the pupil in the middle
• Orbit: A bony cave (eye socket) in your skull where the eye and its muscles are located.
• Extraocular muscles: They rotate your eye.
• Nerves: They carry visual information from your eyes to your brain.
• Eyelids: Outside coverings that protect and spread moisture over your eyes.

Blepharitis: An inflammation or infection of the eyelid which typically is not painful

Conjunctivitis (pinkeye): This is inflammation of the conjunctiva. It can be from allergies or infections (viral or bacterial). Blood vessels in the conjunctiva swell. This makes the part of your eye that’s usually white look red. Your eye could also get itchy and gunky. This condition is typically not painful.

Corneal abrasions: That’s the official name for a scratch on this part of your eye. It sounds minor, but it can hurt. It’s easy to do, too. You can scratch your eye while rubbing it. Your doctor will give you antibiotic drops. It should get better in a couple of days without further problems.

Corneal infections (keratitis): An inflamed or infected cornea is sometimes caused by a bacterial or viral infection. You may be more likely to get it if you leave your contacts in overnight or wear dirty lenses.

Foreign bodies: Something in your eye, like a bit of dirt, can irritate it. Try to rinse it out with artificial tears or water. If you don’t get it out, it can scratch your eye.

Glaucoma: This family of conditions causes fluid to build up in your eye. That puts pressure on your optic nerve. If you don’t treat it, you could lose your sight. Most of the time there are no early symptoms. But a type called acute angle-closure glaucoma causes pressure inside your eye to rise suddenly. Symptoms include severe eye pain, nausea and vomiting, headache, and worsening vision. This is an emergency. You need treatment ASAP to prevent blindness.

Iritis or uveitis: An inflammation inside your eye from trauma, infections, or problems with your immune system. Symptoms include pain, red eye, and, often, worse vision.

Optic neuritis: An inflammation of the nerve that travels from the back of the eyeball into your brain. Multiple sclerosis and other conditions or infections are often to blame. Symptoms include loss of vision and sometimes deep discomfort when you look from side to side.

Sinusitis: An infection in one of your sinuses. When pressure builds up behind your eyes, it can cause pain on one or both sides.

Stye: This is a tender bump on the edge of your eyelid. It happens when an oil gland, eyelash, or hair follicle gets infected or inflamed. You may hear your doctor call it a chalazion or hordeolum.

Eye pain can happen on its own or with other symptoms, like:

• Less vision
• Discharge: It can be clear or thick and colored
• Foreign body sensation — the feeling that something is in the eye, whether real or imagined
• Headache
• Light sensitivity
• Nausea or vomiting
• Red eye or pinkeye
• Tearing
• Your eye is crusted shut with discharge when you wake up.

Other symptoms along with sore eyes can be a clue to what is causing the pain.

See your eye doctor if you have eye pain, especially if you have less vision, headache, or nausea and vomiting.

Eye doctors use a variety of tools to diagnose eye pain:

• A slit-lamp exam uses bright light to look at all the structures of your eye.
• Dilating drops expand your pupil to let the doctor see deep into your eye.
• A tonometer is a tool that measures eye pressure. The doctor uses it to diagnose glaucoma.

Just as causes can vary, so do treatments. They target the specific cause of eye pain.

Conjunctivitis: Antibacterial eyedrops can cure bacterial conjunctivitis. Antihistamines in the form of eyedrops, a pill, or a syrup can improve conjunctivitis from allergies.

Corneal abrasions: These heal on their own with time. Your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic ointment or drops.

Glaucoma: You’ll get eyedrops and maybe pills to reduce pressure. If they don’t work, you may need surgery.

Infected cornea: You may need antiviral or antibacterial eyedrops.

Iritis: The doctor will treat this with steroid, antibiotic, or antiviral eyedrops.

Optic neuritis: It’s treated with corticosteroids.

Styes: Use warm compresses at home for a few days.

The only way to sort out the causes of eye pain and to get the right treatment is to see a doctor. Your vision is precious. Protect it by taking eye pain seriously.

Top Picks

Why Do My Eyes Hurt? 11 Possible Causes of Eye Pain and Soreness

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Where Does It Hurt?
• Common Eye Problems
• Other Symptoms
• Tests to Diagnose Eye Pain
• Treatments

Nearly everyone has had sore eyes at some point. Sometimes they get better on their own, but they can also be a sign of something more serious.

Your eye doctor can figure out what’s going on and find the right treatment for you.

Sometimes discomfort or pain results from a problem in your eye or the parts around it, such as:

• Cornea: The clear window in the front of your eye that focuses light
• Sclera: The whites of your eyes
• Conjunctiva: The ultra-thin covering of your sclera and the inside of your eyelid
• Iris: The colored part of your eye, with the pupil in the middle
• Orbit: A bony cave (eye socket) in your skull where the eye and its muscles are located.
• Extraocular muscles: They rotate your eye.
• Nerves: They carry visual information from your eyes to your brain.
• Eyelids: Outside coverings that protect and spread moisture over your eyes.

Blepharitis: An inflammation or infection of the eyelid which typically is not painful

Conjunctivitis (pinkeye): This is inflammation of the conjunctiva. It can be from allergies or infections (viral or bacterial). Blood vessels in the conjunctiva swell. This makes the part of your eye that’s usually white look red. Your eye could also get itchy and gunky. This condition is typically not painful.

Corneal abrasions: That’s the official name for a scratch on this part of your eye. It sounds minor, but it can hurt. It’s easy to do, too. You can scratch your eye while rubbing it. Your doctor will give you antibiotic drops. It should get better in a couple of days without further problems.

Corneal infections (keratitis): An inflamed or infected cornea is sometimes caused by a bacterial or viral infection. You may be more likely to get it if you leave your contacts in overnight or wear dirty lenses.

Foreign bodies: Something in your eye, like a bit of dirt, can irritate it. Try to rinse it out with artificial tears or water. If you don’t get it out, it can scratch your eye.

Glaucoma: This family of conditions causes fluid to build up in your eye. That puts pressure on your optic nerve. If you don’t treat it, you could lose your sight. Most of the time there are no early symptoms. But a type called acute angle-closure glaucoma causes pressure inside your eye to rise suddenly. Symptoms include severe eye pain, nausea and vomiting, headache, and worsening vision. This is an emergency. You need treatment ASAP to prevent blindness.

Iritis or uveitis: An inflammation inside your eye from trauma, infections, or problems with your immune system. Symptoms include pain, red eye, and, often, worse vision.

Optic neuritis: An inflammation of the nerve that travels from the back of the eyeball into your brain. Multiple sclerosis and other conditions or infections are often to blame. Symptoms include loss of vision and sometimes deep discomfort when you look from side to side.

Sinusitis: An infection in one of your sinuses. When pressure builds up behind your eyes, it can cause pain on one or both sides.

Stye: This is a tender bump on the edge of your eyelid. It happens when an oil gland, eyelash, or hair follicle gets infected or inflamed. You may hear your doctor call it a chalazion or hordeolum.

Eye pain can happen on its own or with other symptoms, like:

• Less vision
• Discharge: It can be clear or thick and colored
• Foreign body sensation — the feeling that something is in the eye, whether real or imagined
• Headache
• Light sensitivity
• Nausea or vomiting
• Red eye or pinkeye
• Tearing
• Your eye is crusted shut with discharge when you wake up.

Other symptoms along with sore eyes can be a clue to what is causing the pain.

See your eye doctor if you have eye pain, especially if you have less vision, headache, or nausea and vomiting.

Eye doctors use a variety of tools to diagnose eye pain:

• A slit-lamp exam uses bright light to look at all the structures of your eye.
• Dilating drops expand your pupil to let the doctor see deep into your eye.
• A tonometer is a tool that measures eye pressure. The doctor uses it to diagnose glaucoma.

Just as causes can vary, so do treatments. They target the specific cause of eye pain.

Conjunctivitis: Antibacterial eyedrops can cure bacterial conjunctivitis. Antihistamines in the form of eyedrops, a pill, or a syrup can improve conjunctivitis from allergies.

Corneal abrasions: These heal on their own with time. Your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic ointment or drops.

Glaucoma: You’ll get eyedrops and maybe pills to reduce pressure. If they don’t work, you may need surgery.

Infected cornea: You may need antiviral or antibacterial eyedrops.

Iritis: The doctor will treat this with steroid, antibiotic, or antiviral eyedrops.

Optic neuritis: It’s treated with corticosteroids.

Styes: Use warm compresses at home for a few days.

The only way to sort out the causes of eye pain and to get the right treatment is to see a doctor. Your vision is precious. Protect it by taking eye pain seriously.

Top Picks

Headache and pressure on eyes.

Causes of pain that presses on the eyes.

Headache and pressure on eyes. Causes of pain that presses on the eyes.

Gimranov Rinat Fazylzhanovich
Neurologist, neurophysiologist, experience – 33 years;
Professor of Neurology, MD;
Clinic for Rehabilitation Neurology. About the author

Publication date: June 26, 2021

Updated: October 24, 2022

Headache is a common phenomenon that periodically visits healthy people. The negative influence of external factors, banal fatigue and / or a number of diseases can lead to the fact that a person’s well-being will deteriorate sharply.

If there is a headache around the eyes, an increase in eye pressure is felt and such sensations become habitual, then it is worth contacting the doctors for a complete diagnosis[1].

Special attention should be paid to cases when taking painkillers does not help to get rid of discomfort. Especially when the pathology is accompanied by accompanying symptoms, indicating a third-party disease.

Article content:

• 1 Causes
  • 1.1 Provoking factors
  • 1.2 When you need a doctor
• 2 Signs of dangerous conditions
• 3 Diagnosis
• 4 Treatment
• 5 Prevention
• 6 References 900 27

Causes

Headache is a non-specific symptom that indicates dozens of different diseases .

Including those that, at first glance, do not relate to problems with the head.

One should be attentive to one’s condition and, if unpleasant sensations arise, analyze whether this is due to external factors.

Provoking factors

Severe headache that presses on the eyes is caused by various reasons:

1. Labile emotional state. Impressive people, experiencing strong emotions, often begin to feel bad. As a rule, this is manifested by localized head cephalgia and an increase in blood pressure, causing an unpleasant feeling in the eye area. A similar picture is typical for VVD of the hypertonic type.

1. Lowering blood glucose levels. This problem concerns not only people with diabetes, but also healthy people. Hunger has a negative effect on well-being. To get rid of discomfort, you need to eat and see if the pain syndrome goes away.

1. Bad habits. The use of substances that gradually destroy the body leads to similar consequences.

1. Inadequate and insufficient sleep, regular severe violation of the regime of rest and work, sleep.

1. Increased intracranial pressure. A dangerous condition that causes severe headache and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes. With head movements, tilt, discomfort will intensify.

1. Wrong choice of devices to improve vision[2]. Glasses and lenses should be selected by a doctor for each person after passing the diagnosis. You may not take into account the specific features of your own vision and provoke a deterioration in the condition. You can avoid discomfort if you turn to an ophthalmologist.

1. Tumors and cysts, which have a specific location in the frontal lobes of the brain, can lead to the fact that a person will regularly feel unwell. If the pain persists and painkillers do not help, you should immediately consult a doctor.

1. Infectious diseases. Intoxication of the body in acute infections is often manifested by such unpleasant symptoms. Soon the rest of the spectrum of symptoms develops – fever, weakness, muscle pain.

1. Concussion. Traumatic brain injuries are dangerous because their consequences are extremely difficult to predict.

1. Physical and psycho-emotional overwork. The manifestation of symptoms is typical for people who devote too much time to intellectual work that requires constant eye strain. Reading, working at a computer, constant access to gadgets are fraught with complications – this is what leads to “dry eye syndrome” [3].

When a doctor is needed

Due to such variability of causes, it can be difficult to understand the situation.

If something regularly presses strongly on the left or right eye from the inside and the head hurts, eye pressure rises, then even the doctor will not immediately tell what kind of disease it is.

A comprehensive examination using instrumental techniques will help to understand the diagnosis.

Pathological processes developing in the organ itself can cause discomfort in the eye area. This situation is dangerous, as it can lead to blindness. You should not postpone a preventive visit to the doctor if the discomfort has become frequent or increases in intensity.

You can read more about the detailed symptoms of a headache.

Signs of dangerous conditions

As a rule, a slight indisposition in the form of a headache around the eyes and a feeling of pressure is eliminated by taking painkillers or even using a folk prescription.

However, there are situations when you need to urgently seek medical help, since the symptoms that appear indicate the development of a serious pathology:

1. Unpleasant sensations regularly return, their intensity increases.
2. Taking painkillers, massage, rest do not help, the pain does not go away.
3. The condition arose suddenly, against the background of well-being or physical, psycho-emotional overload.

1. In addition, the temperature rises, other signs of the development of an infectious disease can be traced.
2. The head hurts very much, with time the sensations become only more acute.
3. Nausea and vomiting are additional symptoms.

Severe headache in the region of the eyes and orbits, felt inside the skull, can have dangerous causes, the symptoms are characteristic of a number of serious diseases [4].

Dangerous diseases occur with similar symptoms: meningitis, strokes, tumor processes. In this case, immediate medical attention can save a life.

Diagnosis

If you experience frequent severe headaches and a feeling that something is pressing on your eyes, you need to immediately find out the causes of the unpleasant condition.

To do this, contact your GP for a basic diagnosis. Based on the results of the initial examination and further tests, the doctor will be able to determine what caused the painful sensation and refer you to a specialized doctor.

To make an accurate diagnosis, find out:

• the nature and strength of the pain that occurs;
• place of concentration of unpleasant sensations;
• duration and frequency of seizures.

After the initial examination, the doctor will refer the patient to a number of studies necessary to clarify the diagnosis:

• electroencephalography (EEG), which will show the electrical state of the brain;
• laboratory blood tests for inflammation, hormonal disruptions, tumor markers;
• Ultrasound or x-ray for suspected intracranial pathology;
• MRI to exclude tumors, search for signs of different types of encephalopathies.

Based on the results of the examination, a therapeutic course is drawn up, adapted to a particular patient.

Treatment

Pressure on the eyes from the inside, headache are symptoms of many diseases, so self-medication in this case is extremely dangerous.

If this condition occurs only once, then it is possible to take an anesthetic, before carefully studying the instructions [5].

If the head hurts a lot around the eyes or in the area of ​​the eye sockets for about a week, then the doctor must first determine the causes. And then – to prescribe a therapy corresponding to the identified pathology.

Depending on the detected disease, it is possible to use several methods of treatment:

• Drug component. The selection of drugs makes it possible not only to quickly get rid of discomfort, but also to cure the root cause. At the same time, it is extremely important to complete the course of prescribed medications to the end in order to consolidate the result.

• Physiotherapy is prescribed if indicated. With certain diseases, they give a noticeable positive effect: they improve blood circulation in the brain, relieve pain. As a rule, the following are used: acupressure, electrophoresis, laser therapy, balneological (water) procedures.

• Some patients may require surgery.

After the doctor prescribes the treatment, you should not add various folk remedies to it without prior approval. In combination with already prescribed medications and procedures, they can have a negative effect, harm.

Prevention

The ailments in question are possible for every person, but this does not mean that one should not try to avoid them. As a rule, a headache around the eyes or near them can be prevented by applying a set of preventive measures.

Most diseases that lead to the development of such symptoms are the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. By applying simple rules and slightly rearranging your daily life, you will significantly improve your well-being and prolong youth without diseases.

Current events:

• Reduce the amount of harmful substances in life. Avoiding drugs, alcohol and nicotine-containing mixtures will positively affect the entire body.
• Reducing the time spent at the computer, with the phone in hand and with other gadgets. The influence of a bright screen, even taking into account modern technologies, has an extremely negative effect on eye health.
• Decreased consumption of fast food and the transition to a healthy diet rich in vitamins. No bias towards fatty and fried foods.

• Control the amount of sweets in the daily diet.
• Regular traffic. Even with sedentary work, you need to devote 20-30 minutes to walking every day. During the working day, take breaks for a short warm-up, relieving unnecessary stress.
• Physiotherapy exercises 3-5 times a week will noticeably improve physical condition and immunity.

If, despite following all the recommendations, headaches and pressure in the eyes bother you regularly, you need to contact a specialist[4]. Only timely diagnosis will ensure quick and correct treatment and subsequent relief from the problem without complications.

References

Was this article helpful?

You can subscribe to our newsletter and learn a lot of interesting things about the treatment of the disease, scientific achievements and innovative solutions:

Your e-mail

I agree with the privacy policy and the processing of personal data
Please leave this field empty.

We’re sorry!

How can this article be improved?

Please leave this field empty.

For more information, you can check with neurologists on our forum!Go to the Forum

More about headache

If you have any questions, ask your doctors on our forum!

Go to forum

ADD/VIEW COMMENTS

Gimranov Rinat Fazylzhanovich

Make an appointment with a specialist

×

Let’s help relieve pain that radiates to the eyes, teeth, head

Pain that radiates to the eye, tooth, head

Nov 12, 2019

teeth, eyes. This is a fairly common symptom of a sore throat – when the pain syndrome literally fetters the entire head, bringing a person to exhaustion. At the same time, it can be difficult to understand what exactly became the primary source of pain.

Page navigation:

• Symptoms and types
• Causes
  • Angina
  • Other causes
• Diagnosis
• What to do if the pain radiates to the eye, teeth and head
• Peculiarities of treatment in “Betterton”
• Possible complications
• Prevention

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Symptoms and types in the temple, often on both sides. From there, the headache radiates to the eye. Often in such cases, a person cannot see normally – he feels strong pressure on the eyeballs. In this state, looking at something becomes painful, tears flow profusely from the eyes.

Parallel to this, the pain mechanism may spread along a different path. From the neck, the pain goes to the teeth – and it begins to seem that the reason is precisely to them. Often the way it is – an infection from the throat enters the tooth, provoking caries and pulpitis. People who have partial exposure of the roots due to inflamed gums or tartar are especially at risk. Bone tissue becomes inflamed. There is a sharp pain in the tooth, gives to the temple and eyes. It is usually aggravated by brushing teeth and chewing.

Causes

If the pain in the neck radiates to the head, it is most often associated with a sore throat. It can also appear for other reasons.

Angina

Acute tonsillitis causes a severe pain syndrome that tends to spread throughout the head. The tonsils become inflamed, in advanced cases they can become covered with a dense white crust of pus. The most popular reason why a sore throat develops is an infection in the throat. It can get from the air, or from infected neighboring ENT organs. Triggers can be hypothermia, drafts, the use of cold foods and drinks.

Other causes

• Caries, pulpitis and other diseases of the oral cavity – in this case, pain from the tooth radiates to the temple
• Pharyngitis and laryngitis – can also give a severe pain syndrome that spreads to neighboring structures in the eye, spreads to the teeth and neck

Diagnostics

0027

What to do if the pain radiates to the eye, teeth and head

, the answer suggests itself – analgesics. And indeed, in some cases, when pain gives off to the head, they help. But it is important to understand that painkillers do not solve the cause of the problem, they only relieve the symptom. If you just drink them and do nothing else, inflammation in the throat will not go anywhere, it will go into a chronic phase. Instead, it’s best to see a doctor. He will find out the exact cause of the pain and prescribe the correct treatment.

Features of treatment in “Betterton”

If you have neck pain that radiates to your head, make an appointment at our ENT Center. Here you will be examined by experienced otolaryngologists using modern endoscopic equipment. If it is confirmed that the pain syndrome is associated with a sore throat, they will prescribe a complex treatment:

• Taking antibiotics to kill pathogenic microflora
• Medicines to relieve swelling and inflammation
• Sprays, lozenges and other topical agents that relieve sore throat
• Washing the throat with antiseptic solutions
• Washing the lacunae of the palatine tonsils
• Physiotherapeutic procedures

In advanced cases, when there are serious changes in the tissues of the tonsils, we offer cryotherapy. A jet of liquid nitrogen of ultra-low temperatures is directed into the throat. Under its influence, the affected tissues are frozen and rejected, and healthy ones begin to actively regenerate.

Possible complications

When a headache radiates to the eye, it is very painful. It is hard to endure the pain syndrome, the body is literally exhausted. But the most dangerous thing is that diseases that cause pain can lead to complications. Especially often this happens with ENT diseases. There is a risk that neighboring organs and structures will become inflamed – the lower respiratory tract, sinuses, ears, bone tissue, nerves, and the meninges.

Prevention

In order not to feel the pain in the temple radiate to the eye, you need to:

• Treat ENT diseases in time
• Protect the respiratory tract from infection during outbreaks
• Maintain oral hygiene, regularly visit a dentist
• Refuse from bad habits
• Protect yourself from stress and nervous strain
• Go in for sports and harden

If you still feel a strange pain that spreads from the neck to the eye sockets, contact our specialists.