Eye or eye pain are common symptoms. If it is generally a benign sign, some eye pain has a cause that requires rapid treatment.
Eye pain is most of the time benign. Following an operation, in the event of glaucomaabuse of screens, migraine… multiple causes may explain eye pain. Sometimes they require support emergency. What are the causes of eye pain? How relieve them?
Definition: what is eye pain?
THE eye or eye pain constitute a frequent reason for consultation. The causes of these symptoms are multiple and most of the time not serious. “Patients are often worried about this symptom, but they should be reassured: the origin is often easy to assess, especially when there is no loss of visual acuity or photophobia.“, explains Professor Claude Speeg-Schatz, head of the ophthalmology department at the Strasbourg University Hospital. A consultation with your doctor or a specialist (ophthalmologist) can determine the origin of this symptom.
Where is eye pain?
Eye pain can manifest itself acutely or chronically. They can have different locations: behind the eyeball, below the eyes or above. Depending on the cause, they may in some cases require emergency treatment.
Migraines, sinusitis and the flu can cause eye pain
What are the symptoms of eye pain?
Eye pain may be associated with other signs, depending on the origin of the symptom. A eye trauma (blow, shock, etc.) will cause pain as well astearinga photophobia (hypersensitivity to light) and eye redness. “Typically, it is the nail on the cornea: this being innervated, the slightest lesion exposes to intense pain “associated with tearing and sensitivity to light“, specifies Claude Speeg-Schatz. Other symptoms can be found, depending on the origin of the eye pain: headaches (and more rarely, neck pain), a amputation of the visual field, the appearance of bright spots, A oculomotor imbalance, dry eye related to fever (in the case of an infection), sinus pain or pain during eye movements.
What are the causes of eye pain?
Eye pain can have many causes, mainly affecting the cornea or linked to variations in eye pressure.
► Intraocular pressure too high.
► Exophoria (tendency to deviate the eyes outwards, readily associated with convergence insufficiency) is another cause. “This often occurs in people who do not wear their glasses, especially when they have prolonged use screens“, specifies Professor Speeg-Schatz.
► Migraines can also cause eye pain, as can sinusitis, flu, even colds, which are responsible for potentially algogenic dry eye. Facial infections are also part of the causes. “These infections can be caused by vigorously pressing a pimple on the cheek, for example“.
► More rarely, eye pain has a neurological origin. A neuropathy that can be seen in multiple sclerosis causes pain with eye movement. “It may then be an inflammation of the optic nerve; if it is associated with a decrease in visual acuity, we will look for a neurological cause“.
► “Certain pathologies such as acute angle closure glaucoma will cause eye pain associated with redness, hardness of the eyeball and mydriasis (dilated pupil). The circulation of aqueous humor inside the eye is impeded, which increases intraocular pressure and causes particularly intense pain“, specifies Professor Speeg-Schatz. Note that ocular hypertension is defined by an intraocular pressure greater than 21 mm / Hg.
► The eye may also be painful in a post-operative context, due to infection or inflammation.
Treatment of eye pain depends on the cause. In case of trauma resulting in corneal damage, a topical antibiotic will be applied as well as a cicatrizant in the form of drops or ointment. “The patient should also be placed in the dark.“, adds Professor Speeg-Schatz. In case of ocular hypertension, we will administer beta-blocker eye drops, alpha2 adrenergic agonist eye drops, prostaglandins or even carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, in order to reduce eye pressure. Ocular inflammation will be treated with anti-inflammatories. For pain related to not wearing glassesOr a phoria, orthoptic rehabilitation will be proposed as well as the constant wearing of optical correction. “For pain, analgesics such as paracetamol can be used, but keep in mind that this only treats the symptom and not its cause.“, concludes the specialist.
Thanks to Pr Claude Speeg-Schatz, head of the ophthalmology department at the Strasbourg University Hospital.