# What Causes Eye Pain and What Helps It?

Source page: https://www.kudretgozistanbul.com/en/blog/eye-diseases/what-causes-eye-pain

**Author:** Kudret Eye İstanbul | **Medical Approval:** Op. Dr. Mehmet Ali Özdil | **Date:** 2026-09-16

> **Summary:** Eye pain, felt as burning, throbbing or itching in or around one or both eyes, can come from fatigue and long screen use or from conditions such as infection, glaucoma, dry eye, corneal injury, sinusitis or migraine. Mild fatigue-related pain eases with rest, but because the cause cannot be judged by the person themselves, a doctor should determine it.

## Quick Facts
- **Common causes:** Infection, glaucoma, eye fatigue, dry eye, sinusitis, migraine, foreign body
- **Screen rule:** Look at something distant for twenty seconds every twenty minutes
- **Urgent signs:** Sudden vision loss, nausea or vomiting with eye pain, serious trauma or chemical exposure

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## Causes of Eye Pain
- **Foreign body:** Watering, itching, stinging, blurring, redness. A lash can be removed by the person; other foreign bodies must be removed by a doctor.
- **Conjunctivitis:** Inflammation of the tissue over the white of the eye; redness, discharge, itching, sandy feeling, stinging, burning.
- **Corneal abrasion:** A scratch on the cornea, usually from trauma; strong stinging and burning, watering, light discomfort, blurred vision. See a doctor as soon as possible.
- **Keratitis:** Corneal inflammation, often in soft lens wearers with poor hygiene; needs urgent treatment, as it can cause permanent damage and vision loss.
- **Glaucoma:** Optic nerve damage with raised pressure as the main risk factor. Open-angle glaucoma usually causes no pain; acute angle closure causes sudden pressure rise, severe pain, nausea, vomiting and headache, and needs urgent care to prevent irreversible damage.
- **Dry eye:** Can range from mild to serious, with pain, stinging, burning, light sensitivity and blurred vision.

## What Helps Eye Pain?
For pain from a specific condition, follow the doctor's treatment exactly. For pain from daily activities:
- Close and rest the eyes; rest in a dark room away from light
- Warm or cold compresses as the doctor recommends
- Wash the eye with clean water
- During screen use, look at something distant for twenty seconds every twenty minutes and blink at intervals
- Artificial tears for dry eye
- Glasses that rest the eyes
- Antibiotic and antiviral drops only with a doctor's approval

## When to See a Doctor
- Nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain with the eye pain
- Sudden, serious decline in vision
- Visibly protruding eye
- Restricted eye movement
- Pain so severe the eye cannot be touched
- Serious trauma or chemical exposure: urgently

## Treatment
- **Home care:** Resting the eyes is the best treatment in some situations.
- **Glasses:** Contact lens wearers should switch to glasses at times to rest the cornea.
- **Antibiotic drops:** For infection.
- **Eye drops:** Artificial tears in dry eye; pressure-lowering drops in glaucoma, as often as the doctor recommends.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Does eye pain clear by itself?**
A: Pain from mild fatigue can clear with rest; pain lasting several days or severe pain needs an ophthalmologist.

**Q: What helps eye pain at home?**
A: Resting in a dark room, artificial tears and a warm or cold compress.

**Q: Is eye pain dangerous?**
A: It can signal a serious condition; sudden sight loss, nausea or light sensitivity need urgent examination.

**Q: How can eye pain be prevented?**
A: Reduce screen time, blink regularly, get enough sleep and attend eye examinations.

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## References
- Eye pain, NHS
- Understanding Glaucoma, AAO
- What Is a Corneal Ulcer (Keratitis)?, AAO