What Is Eye Pain?
Eye pain means your eye, or the area around it, hurts or feels sore. It might be mild or very strong. People describe it in different ways.
Some people describe eye pain as burning or gritty, like sand in the eye. Others feel pressure or a throbbing ache, which may worsen when blinking or moving the eyes.
Sometimes eye pain is accompanied by redness, tearing, light sensitivity, or changes in vision. Other times, the eye looks normal even though it hurts.
It is important to tell the difference between true eye pain and general discomfort. Mild dryness or irritation after using screens is common and usually not serious. But if eye pain is sudden, severe, or does not go away, it could be a sign of inflammation, infection, injury, or changes in eye pressure.
Common Causes of Eye Pain
Eye pain can have many causes. It may start on the surface of the eye, inside the eye, or come from nearby nerves or sinuses. Finding the source helps determine how serious the problem is.
The surface of your eye is very sensitive. Even small problems can cause discomfort.
Dry eye disease is a common cause of eye pain. When your tears are not enough or do not protect the eye well, the surface becomes irritated. This can cause burning, stinging, or a gritty feeling. Sometimes, dry eyes can cause sharp pain, not just dryness.
Eye infections, like conjunctivitis or eyelid inflammation, can cause soreness, tenderness, or the feeling that something is in your eye. You may also notice discharge, redness, or crusting on your eyelids.
A foreign object, like dust, sand, or an eyelash under your eyelid, can cause sudden eye pain that gets worse when you blink. Even tiny particles can cause a lot of pain.
Pain that starts inside your eye is often more serious. It should be checked by an eye doctor.
A corneal abrasion or ulcer is a scratch or sore on the clear front part of your eye. This can cause severe pain, light sensitivity, and tearing. These injuries often happen after trauma, contact lens problems, or rubbing your eyes.
Uveitis and iritis are types of inflammation inside the eye. They can cause deep aching pain, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light. These problems may be linked to autoimmune diseases or infections.
Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a medical emergency. It causes sudden eye pain, headache, nausea, and halos around lights. Vision can change rapidly due to a sudden rise in eye pressure. If you notice these symptoms, seek immediate treatment to prevent permanent vision loss.
Increased pressure inside your eye, even if you do not have glaucoma, can cause discomfort or a feeling of pressure. Some people are more sensitive to these changes.
Pain behind your eye is often caused by sinus inflammation or congestion. This can happen during a cold, allergies, or a sinus infection. The pain may get worse when you bend forward or press on your sinuses.
Migraines and headaches can cause eye pain even when your eye looks normal. Migraine-related eye pain often comes with light sensitivity, vision changes, or nausea.
Eye Pain Symptoms: What Your Pain Is Telling You
How your eye pain feels, along with any other symptoms, can give important clues about the cause.
Redness with severe pain, light sensitivity, or vision changes is more serious and should be checked right away. If you notice any of these symptoms, see an eye doctor as soon as possible.
This type of pain is sometimes ignored because your eye looks normal. If the pain does not go away, gets worse, is only in one eye, or comes with vision changes, see an eye doctor.
Eye pain with blurred vision, double vision, halos, or sudden vision loss should always be taken seriously. These symptoms can mean a corneal injury, inflammation inside the eye, or dangerous changes in eye pressure.
Types of Eye Pain
Eye pain can feel different for each person. How it feels can help show what is happening inside or around your eye.
Below are the most common types of eye pain and what they may indicate.
- Corneal irritation or injury
- A foreign body trapped in the eye
- Corneal abrasions or ulcers
- Inflammation inside the eye, such as uveitis
If sharp pain gets worse when you blink or look at light, it is especially concerning. If the pain is severe, does not go away, or comes with vision changes or redness, see an eye doctor right away. These symptoms may need urgent evaluation to protect your vision.
Burning eye pain is usually not dangerous. But if it is severe or does not go away, it can affect your comfort and vision. Untreated surface problems may lead to more serious issues.
- Migraines or severe headaches
- Sinus congestion or infection
- Inflammation affecting deeper eye structures
Throbbing pain may get worse with movement, light, or changes in head position. If your eye pain comes with headaches or nausea, the cause may not be the eye itself. If you have vision changes or severe pain, get an eye exam right away to rule out serious problems.
Common causes include long screen use, uncorrected vision problems, eye muscle strain, or pressure from sinus issues. Stress and tiredness can also make this discomfort worse.
Dull eye pain is often not serious. But if it gets worse over time or makes it hard to do daily activities, it should be checked by a doctor, especially if it is only in one eye. If it is severe, sudden, or comes with vision changes, seek medical care right away.
- Sinus inflammation or congestion
- Migraine headaches
- Nerve-related conditions
- Increased eye pressure in certain situations
Severe pain behind one eye, or pain with vision changes, should be checked right away to find out if the cause is inside the eye, nerve-related, or from the sinuses.
- A foreign body or debris
- Corneal scratches
- Severe dry eye
- Eyelid inflammation
Pain when blinking is common after rubbing your eyes, using contact lenses, or minor injuries. If the pain does not go away after rinsing your eye or removing contact lenses, or if you notice vision changes, see an eye doctor promptly to check for a corneal injury.
Eye Pain in One Eye vs Both Eyes
Whether eye pain is in one eye or both eyes can give important clues about the cause. This does not replace an eye exam, but it can help you know what might be happening and when to see a doctor.
- A foreign body or corneal scratch
- Eye infections affecting a single eye
- Inflammation inside the eye, such as uveitis
- Eye injuries or irritation from contact lenses
- Certain types of glaucoma or pressure-related issues
Pain in one eye is more concerning if it starts suddenly, worsens quickly, or is accompanied by redness, light sensitivity, or vision changes. If you notice any of these symptoms, see an eye doctor right away to protect your vision.
- Dry eye disease
- Allergies
- Eye strain from prolonged screen use
- Viral infections
- Environmental irritants such as smoke or wind
Pain in both eyes is usually less urgent, especially if symptoms develop slowly and get better with rest or eye drops. But if pain in both eyes does not go away, or if you have vision problems or severe discomfort, see an eye doctor.
Eye Pain and Headache: What’s the Connection?
Understanding this connection can help you and your doctor determine whether the problem is in your eyes, nerves, or sinuses.
- Uncorrected vision problems
- Eye muscle imbalance or fatigue
- Acute eye pressure changes
- Inflammation inside the eye
In these cases, treating the eye problem often helps the headache go away too.
When the Headache Causes Eye Pain
More often, eye pain is a symptom of a headache problem, not an eye disease.
Migraines, for example, can cause deep eye pain, light sensitivity, vision changes, and nausea, even when your eyes are healthy. Sinus headaches can also cause pressure and pain behind or around your eyes, especially during infections or allergy flare-ups.
Even though these conditions may not harm your eyes directly, it is still important to have an eye exam to rule out serious eye problems before assuming symptoms are only from headaches.
- Sudden or severe onset
- Vision loss or double vision
- Nausea and vomiting with eye pain
- Redness or halos around lights
- Pain that worsens rapidly
What Causes Eye Pain in Different Situations?
Eye pain does not always come from just one condition. It is often triggered or made worse by how and when you use your eyes. Noticing these patterns can help explain why eye pain appears at certain times and what steps may help relieve it.
- Blurred or fluctuating vision
- Headaches or eye fatigue
- Sensitivity to light
Most cases get better with regular breaks, good lighting, and lubricating eye drops. But if pain after screen use does not go away, it may be a sign of dry eye disease or other vision problems that should be checked.
Waking up with eye pain can be concerning. Morning discomfort is often caused by dryness that gets worse overnight. This is more common if you sleep with your eyes partly open or live in a dry area.
Other possible causes include eyelid inflammation, rubbing your eyes at night, or problems on the surface of your eye that you notice when you wake up. Sharp pain in the morning that gets better during the day may be a sign of a corneal problem. It should not be ignored.
Contact lenses can sometimes cause eye pain, especially if you wear them longer than recommended or do not clean them properly. Pain from contact lenses may feel sharp, gritty, or burning and often gets worse with blinking.
Possible causes include less oxygen reaching your cornea, surface irritation, or an early infection. If you wear contact lenses and have pain that does not go away, redness, or changes in vision, stop wearing your lenses and see an eye doctor right away.
Rubbing your eyes can irritate the surface and worsen inflammation, especially if you have allergies or dry eyes. Minor injuries, such as being poked in the eye or getting debris in the eye, can scratch the cornea and cause significant pain.
Eye pain after an injury should always be taken seriously. Even minor injuries can lead to infection or slow healing if not treated.
Eye Pain Treatment Options
The way you treat eye pain depends on the cause. Some types of eye pain improve with simple home care, while others require prescription medication or urgent medical attention. Understanding which treatments are safe and knowing when to see an eye doctor can help protect your comfort and your vision.
- At-Home Relief (When Appropriate)
Lubricating eye drops, or artificial tears, can help with surface irritation and make your eyes feel better. If you use drops often, preservative-free drops are usually best, especially for dry eyes.
- Medical Treatments for Eye Pain
- What NOT to Do When You Have Eye Pain
- Why Proper Diagnosis Matters
When to See an Eye Doctor for Eye Pain
- Sudden or severe eye pain
- Vision loss, blurred vision, or double vision
- Sensitivity to light that is intense or worsening
- Redness with significant pain
- Halos around lights or sudden eye pressure
- Nausea or vomiting with eye pain
- Eye pain following an injury or chemical exposure
- Persistent eye pain lasting more than a day or two.
- Recurrent eye pain that keeps returning
- Pain that worsens rather than improves
- Eye pain in contact lens wearers
- Eye pain with chronic dryness or irritation
- Review your symptoms and medical history.
- Examine the surface of your eye and the inside of your eye.
- Measure eye pressure if needed.
- Check vision and eye movements.
How Eye Doctors Diagnose Eye Pain
- When the eye pain started
- Whether it affects one eye or both
- What makes the pain better or worse
- Whether vision has changed
- Any recent illness, injury, or contact lens use
Managing Dryness and Allergies
