What’s Causing My Eye Pain?

Eye pain comes from many causes, and you should see one of our eye doctors in Mesa and Chandler or go to the nearest emergency room if you have sudden, severe eye pain or chronic pain that doesn’t get better over time. At Swagel Wootton Eye Institute, we have an expert team of eye doctors in the Phoenix metro area. We’ll examine your eyes to determine the cause of pain and give you options for a treatment plan.

On a brighter note, in most cases, eye pain doesn’t usually signal a serious condition. The technical term for eye pain is ophthalmalgia, and it usually gets better without treatment or medication.

Types of Eye Pain

If you have pain on the surface of the eye, it’s called ocular pain. Pain within the eye is called orbital pain. Typically, they have unique causes.

If you feel itching, scratching or burning sensation, you probably have ocular pain. This pain is often caused by trauma, infection or a foreign object in the eye. Eye doctors in Mesa and Chandler often prescribe rest or eye drops to treat it.

Here are the main categories of eye pain and typical treatment:

• Eye pain within the eye may produce a stabbing, gritty, throbbing or aching sensation. Often, this condition requires more intensive treatment.
• If you experience loss of vision with your eye pain, call your eye care provider right away.
• Eye pain accompanied by vision loss may be a symptom of an emergency medical issue. Call your eye doctor immediately if you begin to lose your vision while experiencing eye pain.

What Causes of Ocular Eye Pain? (Eye Surface)

The 7 main causes of pain on your eye’s surface include:

• Foreign object (most common)
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye) – infection of tissue lining the eye and beneath the eyelid)
• Contact lens irritation
• Corneal abrasion (injury to the clear portion of the eye)
• Injury (often flash burns or chemical burns)
• Blepharitis (infection of oil glands on eyelid)
• Stye (raised bump on eyelid)

Make an appointment with one of our eye doctors in Mesa and Chandler for a treatment option that can help you feel better and heal the source of the pain.

What Causes Orbital Pain? (Within the Eye)

Here are the 6 most typical causes of orbital eye pain:

• Glaucoma (pressure inside the eye increases)
• Optic neuritis (inflammation of optic nerve, accompanied by vision loss)
• Sinusitis (sinus infection build pressure behind your eyes)
• Migraines
• Penetrating injury
• Iritis (inflammation in the iris)

Not all eye conditions cause pain and eye pain doesn’t always indicate that you have a serious eye condition. To find out what’s going on, make an appointment for an eye exam with one of our caring eye doctors as soon as possible.

Swagel Wootton Eye Institute focuses on cataract and LASIK surgery in Mesa and Chandler. We also have a variety of eye care specialists in the Phoenix metro area to treat the source of your eye pain. Contact us with any questions you may have.