However, some sources of eye pain need to be looked into and may require immediate attention.
Usually, both eyes are involved.
Avoid wearing your contacts or rubbing your eyes, which can cause further irritation.
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Blepharitis
If you haveblepharitis, your eyelids will become swollen and inflamed.
When you blink, it may feel as if something is on the surface of your eye.
This is known as a foreign-body sensation and it might be painful.
Redness and blurry vision are also common.
Another prescription eye drop, Xiidra (perfluorohexyloctane), works by limiting tear evaporation.
Iritis
Iritisis inflammation of the colored portion of your eye (the iris).
This may result in eye pain, headache, sensitivity to light, and decreased vision.
The cause may be an injury, infection, or an autoimmune disease.
Treatment will depend on the cause.
In some cases, optic neuritis will get better on its own.
However, in others, an ophthalmologist must prescribe a steroid medication to reduce the inflammation.
If you experience serious eye trauma, seek immediate medical assistance.
Once the surface of the eye is damaged, any eyelid movement will cause pain.
To help with the pain, the eye may be numbed first.
It can cause pain when blinking.
Such scratches can be resulting from anything from a fingernail to a makeup brush to walking through foliage.
Small corneal abrasions take a day or two to heal, while larger ones can take a week.
This can potentially damage the cornea or the white part of the eye known as thesclera.
See a healthcare provider if the irritant remains or you feel like something is still in your eye.
Blunt Injury
An eye injury from a blow or object can cause pain while blinking.
Milder cases can produce irritation and a feeling that something is in your eye while blinking.
It may go away on its own and can be soothed with cold compresses and wearing sunglasses.
Also, resting with your eyes closed may help.
Facial Trauma
Facial injuries can cause eye pain when blinking.
Injuries can also cause swelling around the eye, possibly making it somewhat bulge.
See a healthcare provider for any facial trauma with symptoms affecting the eye.
Eye pain can occur with each blink.
Often, pink eye will heal on its own.
Bacterial conjunctivitis may need treatment with antibiotics.
It’s often possible to bring down the swelling and treat a stye at home.
Eye Pain Due to Other Causes
Sometimes headaches can cause eye pain when blinking.
And, sometimes the mechanisms that lead to eye pain aren’t fully understood.
Cluster Headaches
With acluster headache, you may feel a sharppain behind one eye.
You may also notice that the eyelid swells and droops somewhat.
Glaucoma
Whileglaucomacan be painless in some forms,angle-closure glaucomais another story.
This form of glaucoma happens when the eye’s drainage angle becomes suddenly blocked.
This blockage causes eye pressure to suddenly and dangerously rise.
Increased pressure can cause severe eye pain, which may be noticed while blinking.
You may be able to manage the pain with home remedies.
Consult a healthcare provider for any issue that doesn’t quickly resolve.
Seek help for anything extremely painful or ongoing, as it may threaten your vision.
Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.Eye allergies (allergic conjunctivitis).
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Why does it feel like something is rubbing against my eye when I blink?
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is blepharitis?
National Eye Institute.Dry eye.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is optic neuritis?
Kaiser Permanente.Burns to the eye.
University of Rochester Medical Center.Chemical burns of the eye in children.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Corneal abrasion and erosion.
Nvision Center.Eye pain: 9 likely causes and how to find relief.
Seattle Children’s Hospital.Eye injury.
American Optometric Association.Conjunctivitis (pink eye).
American Academy of Opthamology.What Is the Difference Between a Stye and a Chalazion?
Causes, Symptoms, Treatment.
Kellogg Eye Center University of Michigan Health.Glaucoma.
