subject: Types of Eye Pain [print this page] Types of Eye Pain Types of Eye Pain
Eye pain comes in many forms such as burning, throbbing, or stabbing, but no matter what kind of eye pain you are experiencing it is almost impossible to ignore. With a very broad range of causes, eye pain can be the sign of something fairly harmless or of a vision-threatening or life-threatening emergency.
Types of Eye Pain
While there are many types of eye pain sensations, there are two primary types of pain based on location.
Ocular eye pain is pain on the outside of your eye, including pain on the surface and surrounding structures such as the inner eye lids. It typically includes burning, general irritation, shooting pain, and is sometimes accompanied by itching. Orbital pain feels like it is coming from deep inside the eye or behind the eye. It is often in the form of throbbing or a dull ache.
Causes of Eye Pain
There are a wide range of causes for eye pain. Pain on the surface of your eye, ocular pain, may be the result of:
Foreign object or substance in your eye
Eye infection
Allergies
Scratched cornea
Chemical burn
Sunburn and burns from other intense light sources such as welding
Sty
Blocked tear ducts
Dry eye
Eye strain
Orbital pain, the pain you can experience deep inside your eye, may be the result of:
Keratoconus
Glaucoma
Migraine
Inflammation of the optic nerve
Sinus infection
Inflammation of the iris
Brain aneurysm
Retinopathy
When Eye Pain is an Emergency
Eye pain can be an indication of a serious medical emergency. For instance, in acute angle-closure glaucoma the pressure inside of the eye increases rapidly. If the pressure is not relieved right away, it can cause blindness.
You should seek emergency care from your ophthalmologist, or in an emergency room, if you experience eye pain combined with any of the following symptoms:
Loss of vision
Blurred or double vision
Swollen or bulging eye
Difficulty moving your eye
Dizziness
Nausea
Excessive redness
Flashes or streaks of light
Severe headache
Pupils not the same size
Of course, if your eye pain is caused by any kind of burn or injury to the eye, you should immediately seek medical care.
Eye Pain as a Symptom of Other Health Problems
Eye pain and the causes of eye pain can be signs of other underlying health conditions including, but not limited to:
Diabetic retinopathy: eye pain is often the first symptom people notice with diabetes
Multiple sclerosis and infections can both cause inflammation of the optic nerve
Sjorgren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease that can cause dry eye, but can also attack your vital organs
