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The human body comprises cells, tissues, and organs that have a complex structure and function with an even more complex mechanism. While some organs are hidden deep under our skin, some are more exposed. For example, our eyes.
Though taking care of every part of our body is incalculably important, eyes require a little more care owing to their delicacy and complexity. A widespread problem that arises is experiencing hurt during blinking. This leaves you wondering, why does my eye hurt when I blink?
Let’s offer you a helping hand in your hunt for the answer with this article.
Do You Need To Worry?
Mild eye pain can be treated at home and is not a cause to worry. But acute pain or partial blindness can signal that you must make an appointment with an ophthalmologist.
Knowing the causes behind the pain can help clarify the question. So let’s dive into the depths of the reasons behind the pain that’s haunting you.
Common Causes Of Eye Pain During Blinking
Accumulation Of Foreign Objects
Accumulation of foreign objects can be a common cause of constant eye pain. If the foreign particle is left to take space in your eyes for quite some time, then even after getting rid of it, the pain may still be there. But there’s nothing to worry about since it’s a minor issue.
Causes
The foreign objects include dust and dirt, chalk particles, sand, sawdust, cosmetics, eyelashes, atom-sized insects, pollen, mold, pet dander, eyelashes, dried mucus, etc. As these accumulate in your eyes, they can result in hurt while moving your eyelids. Sometimes metal particles and glass shards can also be responsible for it.
Home Treatment
- Rinsing the Eyes: Rinse your eyes with clean water to eliminate the foreign particle stuck in your eye.
- Blink frequently: Blink frequently as it will help pull out the dust and dirt or sand particles.
Excessive Rubbing
Rubbing your eyes excessively when you are tired, doing so when you are sick, or getting rid of the foreign substance accumulated in your eyes can cause pain and irritation while blinking.
Causes
Irritation due to contact lenses, having vision issues that need correction, having a cold or flu, or sleep disturbances can spark a constant urge to rub your eyes. It may seem to be a harmless habit, but practicing this for a long time can cause damage to your cornea and retina.
Home treatment
- Rinsing the Eyes: Rinse your eyes with clean water helps to rest the urge to rub the eyes.
- Say no to contact lenses: Your eyes need time to heal and retain the necessary moisture. Contact lenses can slow down the process of healing.
Wearing Contact Lenses For long
Lenses have a vast variety from daily, bi-weekly, monthly. However, it’s generally advised to wear contact lenses for a maximum of 14 hours a day. The discomfort takes root when you exceed the limit.
Causes
Wearing lenses while sleeping can ruin things where the health of your eye is concerned. Another cause for hurt while blinking is when you wear contact lenses after the expiry date has passed. Or you keep on wearing them even when your eyes are giving signals that the limit has been crossed.
Home treatment
- Eye drops: Eye drops can provide relief from the burn and pain that your eyes are experiencing. It’s always advisable to follow your doctor’s recommendation for the eye drop product you should use.
- Cold compress: If you have a sore eye, the best way to cure it is to place a cold washcloth over your closed eyes. Do this for 4-5 minutes, two to three times a day.
- Dry Eyes: Our eyes are kept moist by tears. But sometimes, these tears are not produced in adequate amounts, or poor quality of tears are produced, resulting in dry eyes.
Causes
Dry eyes are a widespread condition that can occur when you are in an air-conditioned room, on an airplane, staring at a screen for a long time, or while riding a bicycle or motorbike at high speed. These things can soak the moisture from your eyes and result in pain while blinking.
Home treatment
- Warm compress: Wet a washcloth with warm water. Place it over your closed eyes for a minute or two while gently pressing along the edge of the eyelid.
- Artificial tears: Eye drops will help restore the necessary moisture in your eyes. Ensure that the date is not expired. It’s advisable to follow your doctor’s recommendations while purchasing.
- Blink frequently: The simplest and the best way to treat dry eyes is to blink as frequently as possible. This will retain the moisture and keep dryness at bay.
- 5. Sty: It is a painful red bump that pops up on the edge of the eyelid, just like a pimple pops out on your face. It’s caused when an oil gland near the eyelashes is blocked or infected. Both internal and external sty can cause pain while blinking.
Causes
When the style pops out, it takes up quite a space and causes pain and irritation. This gives rise to a constant urge to scratch it. And when it’s rubbed or scratched, it results in pain while blinking.
Home treatment
- Clean your eyelids: With the help of eyelid wipes, gently wipe away the eye discharge. Be meticulous while wiping. And don’t rub or squeeze or pop a stye.
- Warm compress: Take warm water in a bowl and wet a clean cotton cloth with it. Place it on your eye for 5-10 minutes three to four times a day. It’ll give relief to the stinging pain and heal the style naturally.
But you can treat not every cause at home. Some warrant urgent care from an eye specialist. So let’s consider them now.
Concerning Causes Of Eye Pain During Blinking
Pink Eye
Conjunctivitis or Pink eye is an infection of the transparent membrane known as the conjunctiva, connected to small blood vessels. When these vessels become inflamed, the white part of your eye appears reddish or pink as if blood is leaking out from somewhere in your eye.
Causes
Viruses, irritation, and bacteria generally cause it. For example, the primary virus responsible for pink eye is an adenovirus. Another virus that can pave the way for conjunctivitis is the simplex varicella-zoster virus.
Optic Neuritis
When the optic nerve (nerve fibers responsible for transmitting visual information to the brain) is damaged by swelling, the condition is termed optic neuritis. One of the many symptoms of optic neuritis is pain in eye movement and temporary vision loss in an eye. If you are experiencing the problems mentioned above, you must lean on an eye care provider for treatment.
Causes
Though the exact cause of optic neuritis remains unknown, certain conditions are often associated with it. For example, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, infections, etc., can be responsible for it.
In these situations, seeking professional help is a must. Since only they can answer your question. Why does my eye hurt when I blink?
Conclusion
We all are well versed in the fact that the eyes are the most delicate organ of any living being. And we can’t afford to take it easy when it comes to keeping the health of our eyes a top priority. But now and then, moving your eyelids becomes hard.
We’ve listed the reasons behind a commonly asked question in this article. Why does my eye hurt when I blink? In addition to the answer to this question and the causes behind the pain.
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