why does my eye hurt when i blink
Do you also feel pain in your eyes when you blink, and this is what worries you?
Why there is pain in your eyes when you blink?
What can we do to help relieve eye pain? Is eye pain when blinking a concern and a sign of a serious and dangerous complication?
Read on to find out the answers to the above questions and similar questions:
What you will read next:
Eye pain when blinking
This pain may be felt all over your eye or you may feel pain in certain parts of the eye or on your eyelid. There are a variety of different causes that can be in the background of eye pain when blinking and there are also causes that require prompt medical care and treatment.
And also, in addition to the above, be aware that normally dust and dirty particles that come from the environment inside the eye can cause pain when blinking.
in any case or for any reason that your eye hurts when blinking, if this issue persists and does not resolve or worsens after rinsing your eyes with water, you should take the issue seriously and see an ophthalmologist for an examination to prevent medical disorders and further injuries.
What causes pain when blinking?
What causes a person to have eye pain when blinking? Here are some of the most common causes of eye pain when blinking and we explained them briefly.
- The first cause is considered to be eye injuries.
The eye is designed to be less damaged, in other words, the location of the eye and the protective structures are such as to protect the eye from damage, but very severe swelling and contaminated waste can cause pain when blinking in the eyeball.
One of the most common types of eye injuries that is very common is scratches on the surface of the eye or in fact scratches on the corneal layer.
Corneal abrasions are one of the most common injuries to the eye and cause pain when blinking.
Corneal abrasions are caused by scratching or rubbing and touching the eyes, which means that corneal abrasions do not require severe and bizarre trauma. It is also possible to get damaged and burnt on the surface of the cornea due to excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays and lamps that have artificial light, or through contact with certain materials.
- Conjunctivitis or inflammation of conjunctiva
Inflammation of the clear membrane of the conjunctiva that covers the surface of the eye and the back of your eyelids is called conjunctivitis. Blood vessels in this layer become swollen, which causes the eye to look red, swollen and inflamed, and conjunctivitis has a variety of causes:
Types of infections (viral or bacterial), Allergies such as hay fever or allergies to pets, etc.
If the conjunctivitis is infectious, it is highly contagious..
- Stye
Stye occurs when the sebaceous glands at the base and roots of the eyelash follicles become blocked for some reason. When the meibomian glands, which are responsible for secreting fat and are located at the root of the eyelashes, become blocked, the blocked gland becomes inflamed and sometimes bacterial infections build up on it.
Stye is an inflammatory swelling in the eyelid and can cause you to have eye pain when you blink.
The blockage and swelling itself, which is secondary to the obstruction of the meibomian gland outlet, is not contagious, but bacteria may build up on it and If the infection is bacterial, it can be spread from person to person.
stye is caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, and can be spread through close contact and contact with eye discharge from an infected person.
- Tear duct infections
If the lacrimal ducts become blocked and become inflamed and infected, it can cause pain in the corner of the eye when you blink. This unilateral infection usually occurs in only one eye.
- Blepharitis or inflammation of the edges of the eyelids
It is a disorder in which the sides and edges of the upper or lower eyelids become inflamed and when a person with this inflammation blinks it causes pain in the eye.
Blepharitis may occur due to blockage of the secretory glands at the root of the eyelashes, as well as some skin problems such as seborrheic dermatitis.
- Corneal ulcers
Corneal ulcer is a wound that spreads to the surface of the eye and these sores are usually caused by the rupture of several layers of the cornea and usually if the person does not observe hygiene, the infections agent will build up on it. It may also be caused by injuries such as scratches and burns.
- Inflammation of the sinuses or sinusitis
There are small, hollow cavities in the structure of the facial bones around the forehead, eyes, and nose. Inflammation of the lining of the walls inside the facial sinuses is called sinusitis. The main cause of these sinusitis is viruses.
In a person with sinusitis, blinking can cause eye pain.
Other symptoms of sinusitis include:
- Nasal obstruction
- runny nose
- Headache
- Facial pain
- Feeling full and heavy on the forehead and around the eyes and face
- You can also experience flu-like symptoms
- optic neuritis
Optic neuritis is caused by inflammation of the optic nerve and interferes with the transmission of signals and visual information received by the eye from the environment to the brain. This inflammation causes pain that occurs when the eye moves and blinks. Inflammation of the optic nerve can also cause temporary vision loss and loss of clear vision.
- The ninth cause is dry eye syndrome or dry eye
Dry eye or dry eye syndrome is common and, in this disease, there are problems with the production of tears, ie the amount and quantity produced is not enough or the amount is sufficient, but the structure of the tears is abnormal and there is no natural fit between the components of tears.
The above condition causes dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome causes irritation and increased susceptibility of the eye to injury, infection, irritation and sensitivity.
Dry eye syndrome causes pain when blinking.
- Graves' disease
Graves' disease is a disease that is actually one of the autoimmune disorders, means that the body mistakenly considers the thyroid tissue to be foreign and attacks it, and thus the thyroid is overworked and it produces substances that affect different parts of the body, and one of the parts that is damaged is the eye. The disease can cause inflammation in and around the eyes. This inflammation can cause pain when blinking.
- Keratitis and corneal infections
Infectious keratitis occurs when bacteria and viruses enter the cornea from scratch or corneal ulcers. This infection causes pain in the eye, the sensation of a foreign body such as grains of sand in the eye, and sensitivity to light and excessive tears, along with pain when blinking.
- Astigmatism
It is a refractive error and can cause blurred vision, change in the axis of vision, as well as eye pain and headaches.
- Chemical burns
A person exposed to chemicals has an increased risk of eye damage, and eye irritation, scratches, and corneal burns can all cause eye pain when blinking.
- Cluster headaches
cluster headaches are perceived on one side and behind your eyeball. These headaches are accompanied by other manifestations such as eye pain when blinking, redness of the eyelids, drooping eyelids or eyelid ptosis, and swelling of the eyelids.
Glaucoma is a rare increase in intraocular pressure, but in cases of acute angle-closure glaucoma, it can suddenly cause symptoms that cause sudden eye pain and headache.
- Eye burns with welding machine
People who have to work with a welding machine in their work environment will experience corneal irritation and inflammation, if they see too much light. Also, another factor that can cause corneal burns and inflammation is staring at the sun.
- Inflammation of the iris
The iris is the colored part of your eye. Inflammation of its muscles can cause pain and sensitivity to light.
In what cases should we go to the emergency room immediately with an eye when blinking?
See an ophthalmologist if you have an eye pain when blinking with one of the following symptoms:
- Unbearable pain
- Severe pain when touching your eyes.
- Vomiting
- Having an abdominal pain
- Your vision is impaired or your lateral vision is lost.