Along with this foreign body sensation, your eye may tear, and the irritation can turn to pain.
You may have picked up an eyelash or dust, or there may not be anything there.
This article covers the potential causes, when to seek help, and how to find relief.
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Treatment
Avoid rubbing your eye.
In some cases, blinking will allow your eye to flush out whatever may be bothering you.
If that doesn’t work, try carefully splashing the eye with water or flushing it with artificial tears.
This can help even if you cannot see the particles that are irritating your eye.
Dry Eyes
Withdry eyes, you might feel a foreign body sensation even when nothing is there.
The tear film usually allows the lid to glide over the eye.
But if there aren’t enough tears, these surfaces rub together and can cause discomfort.
Using artificial tears can help lubricate the surface and counteract this in the short term.
Treating the underlying causes of the dry eye can provide more permanent relief.
Instead, you may be switched to another medication.
Chalazion or Stye
Achalazionis a lump on your eyelid due to a blocked oil gland.
The warmth may also bring more blood flow to the area to reduce inflammation.
In some cases, your eye specialist may recommend a steroid injection or surgical draining of the chalazion.
Blepharitis
Blepharitisis inflammation of the eyelids.
It can be due to bacteria or a blocked oil gland.
They may also prescribe steroid eye drops to tamp down on redness and swelling or antibiotics to fight infection.
Pink eye often resolves on its own within a week or so.
Using a warm compress or lubricating artificial tears may also help soothe discomfort.
If it doesn’t resolve and you have bacterial pink eye, your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotic drops.
There is no prescription medication for the viral form.
If something is stuck in your eye, do not attempt to remove it.
Your ophthalmologist may also prescribe eye drops and pain while this heals.
Corneal Ulcer
Acorneal ulceris an open sore or erosion on the cornea.
It can make it feel as if something is trapped in your eye.
Treatment for a corneal ulcer will depend on what is at the root.
Your ophthalmologist may prescribe medications to fight bacteria, fungi, or the herpes virus.
Also, you may be given corticosteroid drops to reduce inflammation.
It can emerge seemingly out of nowhere, developing into anything from a cold sore to aneye ulcer.
The eye may be red, and there may be discharge and sensitivity to light.
Those with a fungal keratitis infection will be given topical and systemic antifungal medication.
The infection may also be managed with anti-inflammatory steroid medication.
An eye specialist may also scrape away affected tissue.
It may also become necessary to remove the infection surgically.
Pterygium
Apterygiumis a fleshy bump on the conjunctiva.
This can make it feel as if there is something in your eye.
If the lesion begins to get bigger, it may have to be surgically removed.
In addition, steroids may be given to reduce redness and swelling.
They may give Salagen (pilocarpine) to help you produce more saliva and tears.
If your eye is not improving, see an eye specialist who can take a closer look.
Treatment depends on the cause.
See an eye specialist for any ongoing eye symptoms or to address an object lodged in the eye.
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