Do Your Eyes Hurt? Here are 6 Reasons Why This Can Happen

Do you rub your eyes constantly? Do they make you uncomfortable most of the time to the extent that you cannot open them? If your answer is yes, then you should see an ophthalmologist who can help detect the cause behind your discomfort. Although seeking professional help is the best thing to do, you should also educate yourself about what can make your eyes hurt so that you can take preventative measures or treat the pain when it happens. Not all eye pain is serious; some can be just mere exhaustion that can be treated by having some rest. So if you want to know common reasons for eye pain, read on to find out six reasons why your eyes might hurt.

1. Eyestrain

If your work demands that you stare at a computer screen for long hours, you probably will develop eyestrain. When you focus your eyes for a long period, they get tired and develop eyestrain. This doesn’t only apply to screens; your eyes can get tired from driving, reading, or being exposed to bright lights. You should rest your eyes for a while as this will help relieve the eyestrain. Try to take a break every 20 minutes by looking away from the screen and at a faraway object for 20 seconds as this will help relax your eyes; I call it the 20-20 rule. Try to adjust the screen brightness, lowering it a little, so that it is as comfortable as possible for your eyes. If you’ve been wearing your eyeglasses for a long time, consider regular checkups with your doctor as a wrong prescription for eyeglasses can cause eye strains.

2. Dry Eyes

A condition a lot of people suffer from is called dry eye that makes a person’s eye sting and become itchy. If you have dry eyes, they may be red and sensitive to lights. The usual cause of this symptom is staring at screens, be it a mobile screen or a computer screen, which causes you to blink less causing the tear ducts to dry. If you suffer from dry eyes, your doctor will advise you to use hydrating eye drops and some medications that can help the body produce more tears. Experts at Block Blue Light explain that blue light disturbs our eyes, causes sleep disruption, and headaches, so if you check out their site you will find that block-blue-light glasses are an excellent solution to help you live a healthier life. A lot of people use computer glasses that prevent eye irritation.

3. Red Eyes

Red eye or conjunctivitis happens when your eyes have bacteria or a virus. It can also be referred to as pink eye. The symptoms are usually red eyes, burning or itching, and a discharge that can be yellow, white, or green. This case is usually treated without any medications and will go away on its own, however, people with severe conjunctivitis may need antibiotic eye drops prescribed by a doctor.

4. Fungal Infection

If you often wear contact lenses or work on a farm or in a garden, you have a higher risk of getting a fungal infection in your eyes. This infection can cause eye redness, pain, discharge, blurred vision and sensitivity to light. It is essential to seek professional help and see a doctor as you will need antifungal eye drops and medications. Some severe cases may require surgery.

5. Corneal Abrasions

This is the scientific name for a scratched cornea and that can happen when you rub your eyes too vigorously, wear contact lenses, or apply makeup. Cornea scratches can often go away on their own within a couple of days, yet if the scratch is deep, it may take up to one week to heal after using eye drops prescribed by your doctor. When you scratch your cornea, you may feel like something is stuck in your eye, have high sensitivity to lights, and suffer from blurred vision.

6. Alien Bodies

Dirt, bacteria and germs are everywhere and are spread easily. If any of that enters your eye, it can become easily irritated and hurt. Make sure you wash your eyes out immediately with water or artificial tears to get rid of any foreign body. Not getting it out can scratch your eye and cause corneal abrasion. If you wear contact lenses, make sure you don’t wear them for too long as this can stimulate eye infection.

There are many things around us that can cause our eyes to hurt. Focusing on something for too long, rubbing the eyes, and being exposed to bacteria can easily irritate the eyes and result in diseases. If your eyes usually hurt and you want to find out why this happens, the above points will help you understand more, so make sure you check them out.