What Causes Stinging Eyes and How Does It Clear?

What causes stinging eyes and how it clears is one of the important questions for people who experience it. A great many conditions cause discomfort, soreness and burning in the eye. It can arise when something enters the eye, and it can also arise from more complicated situations. Among the situations that cause stinging in the eye are:

• Dry eye
• Eye infections
• Eye strain
• A foreign body entering the eye
• Allergy
• Wearing contact lenses

Although stinging sometimes appears for temporary reasons, it can also be the sign of greater problems. It most often appears when something irritates the surface of the eye: extreme dryness of that surface, something entering the eye, or other problems. Where the tear system is disturbed, the eye is not moistened sufficiently. The cornea and the white of the eye must be moist at all times. Otherwise the surface of the eye dries out, and problems such as stinging follow. The feeling of dryness and the stinging appear at the same time, although stinging can sometimes have very different causes. Redness, itching and watering of the eye can be seen alongside stinging, as can problems such as blurred vision and headache. There are many treatments for clearing this situation.

What is Stinging in the Eye?

Questions such as what stinging in the eye is and how it clears are looked into by those who wonder about the cause of the most common of all eye problems. Some of the situations that lead to it are:

• Wearing contact lenses: paying attention to hygiene matters a great deal with contact lenses. Small objects or fibres left on the part of the lens that touches the eye cause stinging, and because wearing lenses also dries the eye, a stinging sensation can follow.
• Allergy: this is the situation seen most often in people with pollen and dust allergies. Because certain chemicals and foods also cause allergy, problems such as redness, watering and stinging are possible.
• Dry eye: most people with dry eye do not notice it. Where the eye is not moistened sufficiently its surface dries out, which causes a feeling of discomfort. Staying in very dusty, dry or windy surroundings can also cause short-lived dryness. Beyond these, looking at a computer a great deal, reading, exposure to strong light, hormonal conditions, infection and age all trigger dry eye.
• Eye strain: eye strain appears as a result of intense activity such as long exposure to light, looking at a screen and reading. It leads to pain and to a stinging sensation.
• Eye infection: infections occurring in the eye cause stinging and itching. Seeing a specialist ophthalmologist matters so that the situation can be identified and treatment begun.
• Foreign body: small particles of dust or foreign bodies can sometimes enter our eye without our noticing. Watering of the eye follows, which is the eye's most natural defence mechanism: as the eye waters, the object shifts and is expelled. In some situations, however, the object does not come out, which causes strong stinging, itching, redness and, as things progress, headache.

Although the situations above are the simplest examples of what causes stinging, other problems can lead to it. If the stinging does not clear for a long time, a specialist should be consulted promptly and a detailed examination carried out.

Which Conditions Cause Stinging Eyes?

The question of which conditions cause stinging eyes is the subject looked into most by people who have experienced it for a long time. Where eye health is under threat, the body gives a great many signals and shows symptoms, and stinging is one of them. Deeper and more complex problems can lie behind it. Some of them are:

• Inflammation of the cornea (keratitis): inflammation of the cornea is among the conditions that cause stinging. It is inflammation of the transparent tissue, the cornea, that allows the eye to focus while seeing. It can arise from infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Neglecting hygiene when wearing contact lenses, and injury to the transparent part of the eye, can also lead to it.
• Conjunctivitis: this is inflammation of the transparent part of the eye called the conjunctiva. It can arise from viral, bacterial or allergic causes. Itching, redness and stinging are among the most common symptoms.
• Blepharitis: blepharitis appears with inflammation of the roots of the lashes. It may be chronic or a temporary situation. It is a blockage or infection of the oil glands, and stinging, watering, redness and pain can form in the eye as a result.

How Does Stinging in the Eye Clear?

The answer to how stinging in the eye clears varies with the situation causing it. Stinging can arise from conditions of the eye, from stress, fatigue, lack of sleep and dry eye, and it can also arise from other problems. Some straightforward methods can be applied at home to clear it. They are:

• Contact lenses: wearing contact lenses is among the greatest factors in dry eye. A lens that stays in the eye for long hours can cause stinging. In that case it should be removed immediately and the eyes rested. Particles left on the inner side while inserting a lens can also cause stinging.
• Eye health: for the eye to stay healthy, attention must be paid to hygiene in particular. On waking in the morning, the hands and face should be washed first. The discharge and flakes that form during sleep should be cleaned away thoroughly, and hygiene observed through the day. Care should also be taken to remove make-up before sleeping.
• Rest: because reading a great deal, looking at a screen and heavy exposure to sun or dry air all cause stinging, resting the eyes matters a great deal. Even if you have to work for long hours, breaks of fifteen minutes help your eyes to rest.
• Artificial tear drops: in situations caused by dryness, artificial tears are recommended by a doctor. When these drops are used regularly, the stinging caused by dryness clears.
• Warm compress: with a warm cloth or similar product placed gently on the eyelids, blockages at the base of the lashes and in the oil glands of the eyelids clear. The eye is relieved both in terms of hygiene and structurally.

Even so, a doctor should be seen to be sure whether the situation is serious.