One of the most common reasons prompting a visit to an opthalmologist is eye pain. There are many causes for eye pain. Contrary to popular belief, wearing an eyeglass prescription that is incorrect or needing glasses is not a common cause of eye pain. The most common complaint we hear is feeling a dull ache or pressure behind both eyes. This type of pain is more commonly associated with sinus congestion and sinus inflammation rather than with the eyes themselves. The eye sockets are surrounded by sinuses, so sinus inflamation can cause pain or pressure that feels as if it is coming from behind the eyes. This is known as “referred” pain.
In a young person, conditions such as “latent hyperopia”, and “dysphoria” can produce eye strain with headaches and difficulty sustaining prolonged reading. In latent hyperopia, there is a degree of far-sightedness present that is overtaxing the person’s ability to compensate. With a dysphoria, one has to exert effort to keep both eyes in alignment and avoid seeing double
There are many causes of eye pain in adults. They include tear film insufficiency, corneal basement membrane dystrophy, narrow angle glaucoma, iritis, and other conditions. Tear film insufficiency commonly causes a general soreness to the eyes which is worse toward the end of the day. Burning of the eyes is commonly felt and one may also have excess tearing as well. Basement membrane dystrophy is a looseness of the surface layer of the cornea. This can cause a foreign body sensation which is classically somethung that people awake with.
This condition can affect one or both eyes and can be quite aggravating! Narrow angle glaucoma may become symptomatic early in it’s course with episodes of browache, particularly at dusk. Nightfall may bring halos around lights as well. Iritis is an inflamation that causes redness, pain and sensitivity to light.
Anyone who wears contact lenses is at risk for having a corneal ulcer. A corneal ulcer is caused when bacteria are able to get beneath the surface layer of the cornea. This results in redness, pain and light sensitivity.
There are many causes of eye pain. Proper treatment depends on arriving at the correct diagnosis after a careful evaluation. If you are experiencing a recent onset of eye pain associated with decreased vision, call us for a same day appointment. If you have been having chronic eye pain, let us help you make your eyes more comfortable.
For more information please call Helm Vision at 661-259-3937