OPHTHALMOLOGY

Q: Sometimes my eyes just hurt. It doesn’t usually last long but it is recurring. Should I be worried? How would I know if it is an emergency? A: Pain in and around the eye can have many causes and nearly everyone has sore eyes at one time or another. Eye pain sometimes gets better on its own but may also be a sign of something more serious. In some cases, the source of eye pain is obvious such as from a scratch on the cornea or an eye injury. At other times it may be difficult to know just why your eyes hurt or are painful.

Eye pain can occur by itself or be accompanied by other symptoms and sensations including sharp, stabbing sensations; burning; throbbing; or a foreign body sensation – the feeling that something is in your eye. Eye pain may also be accompanied by blurred vision, eye redness, and sensitivity to light. Dry eyes is a common cause for quick, sharp, jabbing pain that lasts only a few seconds. Artificial tears can be used 2-4 times daily to see if this helps your symptoms. Dry eye pain is often worse when doing activities such as reading or working on a computer. Keeping a log of your eye pain occurrences, symptoms, and severity will help your eye doctor determine the cause of your discomfort. Eye pain emergencies: see your eye doctor immediately if: 1) The pain occurred immediately after grinding metal, sawing wood, or other activities that might cause a foreign body injury especially if you were not wearing protective eyewear. 2) The pain is due to injury or trauma. 3) The pain is severe, of sudden onset, and accompanied by blurred vision and/or sensitivity to light. 4) You have had recent eye surgery including LASIK and cataract surgery. 5) You have redness and discharge from the eye. 6) You have a history of glaucoma. When it comes to eye pain, don’t ignore the symptoms. The only way to sort out the potential causes of your eye pain and get appropriate treatment is to visit your eye doctor. If you have concerns about your eye pain or are not sure what to do, call your eye doctor’s office and describe your symptoms. They will assist you in setting up an appointment in the appropriate time frame to address your symptoms.