Is it allergies or something else?
Eye irritation is a common problem that may include redness, itching, pain, or stinging.
The eyes may feel dry and scratchy or watery, depending on the cause.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
You’ll learn about each of these conditions and their symptoms as well as how to get relief.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Dry Eye Syndrome
Eye irritation is commonly because of dry eyes.
Dry eye happens when the tear glands do not make the right amount of tears or make low-quality tears.
If your eyes sting or feeldry and scratchy, you may have dry eye syndrome.
How Common Is Dry Eye?
Dry eye syndrome is very common and affects millions of Americans every year.
Treatment for Dry Eye
Several treatments are available for dry eye.
Both are eye specialists who can diagnose and treat dry eye.
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
Irritation in the eyes can also be resulting from infections.
There are three main types of conjunctivitis: bacterial conjunctivitis, viral conjunctivitis, and allergic conjunctivitis.
The most noticeable symptom of conjunctivitis is eyes that look red or pink.
You may also feel like you have something in your eye.
However, bacteria and fungi can also cause pink eye.
For severe bacterial conjunctivitis, your eye specialist my prescribe antibiotic eye drops.
Antibiotics won’t help treat viral or allergic conjunctivitis, however.
There’s not really a treatment for viral conjunctivitis.
This key in usually goes away on its own.
For symptom relief, try placing a cool, wet washcloth over your eyes.
Allergic conjunctivitis treatment may involve eye drops to help with itchiness and puffiness.
Pink eye usually goes away on its own within about one to two weeks.
If pink eye hasn’t gotten better after two weeks, contact anophthalmologist.
They can run tests to confirm there is not a more serious problem.
Eye Injuries
Eye injuries are not to be taken lightly.
This goes for minor eye scratches and sand or other small particles in your eye.
Do not rub your eye.
Instead, try blinking, or rinsing out the eye with saline solution or running tap water.
Don’t attempt to treat severe eye injuries on your own.
Medical treatment will depend on the nature of the injury.
Make an appointment to see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible if you have an eye injury.
Serious eye injuries require immediate medical attention.
Contact Lenses Complications
Contact lenses come in different sizes and colors.
Most commonly, they are used to correct vision and certain eye problems.
One of the most serious possible complications from wearing contacts is corneal ulcer.
Practice good contact lens care by taking your contacts out at night and using appropriate cleaning solutions.
If propercontact lens hygieneis not helping, keep your contacts out and check in with your eye healthcare provider.
In some cases, you may need to have your contact lenses refitted or the lens material changed.
Depending on the exact cause of the problem, your healthcare provider may suggest antibiotic treatment or topical corticosteroids.
Many people with eye irritation haveseasonal eye allergies.
Eye allergies can be very uncomfortable and can get in the way of your usual daily activities.
The symptoms of eye allergies can includewatery eyes, burning, redness, andeye itching.
The “trigger” is theallergen(like pollen) that causes you to have symptoms.
Keeping your home’s windows closed and using quality filters on air conditioners can also help limit eye-irritating triggers.
If you’re not getting relief from OTC remedies, talk to anallergy specialist.
Blepharitis
Eye irritation can also be brought on by specific eye disorders.
Blepharitisis inflammation of the eyelid.
It commonly causes red, crusty eyelids in kids and adults.
If you have blepharitis, your symptoms will probably be worst when you first wake up in the morning.
You may find flakes of debris on your pillow or stuck to your eyelashes.
Treatment for Blepharitis
Treatment for blepharitis involves good eye hygiene.
Keep your eyelids clean and remove crusts daily.
you might use water and a gentle cleanser (like baby shampoo) to do this.
Blepharitis can lead to other eye problems, so it’s important to get your eyes checked out.
Talk to an eye specialist if you are having symptoms of blepharitis.
The specialist can help you figure out what’s causing blepharitis and how best to manage it.
The sores are common in people who wearcontact lenses.
Caring for your contact lenses properly can help prevent this complication.
Corneal ulcers can cause intense eye pain,light sensitivity, and redness.
Some people feel constant eye irritation from a corneal ulcer.
Treatment for Corneal Ulcer
You’ll need to see a provider for corneal ulcer treatment.
You might need to take an antibiotic, use special eye drops, or use OTC pain relievers.
You will probably have tostop wearing contactsuntil the ulcer heals.
See an ophthalmologist immediately if you think you have a corneal ulcer to prevent permanent damage to your vision.
Also, let your ophthalmologist know right away if your symptoms suddenly change or get worse during treatment.
Trichiasis
Eye irritation sometimes comes from the eyelashes rather than the eyeball.
Your eyelashes can be very coarse and can scratch your eye when you blink.
Your eyelashes can also grow in the wrong directiona condition calledtrichiasis.
Trichiasis can be subtleyou might not notice it when you’re looking at your eyes in the mirror.
Even if you’ve got the option to’t see it, you might feel irritation in your eyes.
It might not seem like a major problem but trichiasis can cause real damage to the cornea.
Redirecting eyelash growth is another treatment option.
Permanent solutions are helpful when problematiceyelashes grow back.
Surgery and other medical treatments may be an option if you have multiple eyelashes that are causing problems.
Why Is Only One Eye Irritated?
you might start by getting a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
Summary
Irritation in your eyes can have many causes.
Depending on what is causing your symptoms, eye irritation treatments can range from using medications to avoiding triggers.
Some causes of eye irritation can damage your eyes the longer they go on.
While it could have a simple cause, the problem may not resolve until you get the right treatment.
Other conditions may include dry eyes and blepharitis.If this doesn’t get better, see a healthcare provider.
COVID-19 can cause eye symptoms, including soreness or irritation.
Some people with COVID actually get conjunctivitis.
Anything that is near or on your eyes can cause irritation, especially if it’s a foreign object.
Eyelash extensions can cause eye irritation and may damage the eyes.
Botoxcan cause eye irritation if the injection is near your eye.
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