Painful eyeball causes

Introduction to Eyeball Pain

People often describe pain being felt in the eyeball as burning, sharp, dull, gritty, aching, throbbing or stabbing, so, there are many different types of eye pain that people tend to experience.

Sometimes it is very hard for people to find what the exact source of the problem is and what is exactly causing the pain. It could be caused by a headache or sinus pain, which are two of the main reasons that a person’s eye will hurt.

Causes of Eyeball Pain

There are two types of eye pain, ocular and orbital.

Ocular pain occurs in the outer structures of the eye, while the orbital pain originates from the deeper structures of the eye and the pain is usually felt behind the eye.

One of the most common causes of ocular eyeball pain is conjunctivitis, which is regularly referred to by many people as pink eye.

The symptoms of this condition include redness, drainage and itching.

It can sometimes be an allergic reaction to a chemical or bacteria. Pink eyes occurs when the membrane that lines the eye is infected.

Another common cause of ocular pain are corneal abrasions. This occurs when the surface of the cornea is scratched, which is usually caused by a foreign body in the eye or from the overuse of contact lenses.

Chemical burns can also cause ocular pain. This can occur from welding or in tanning booths, so in both such situation and activities it is very important to protect the eyes very well.

Blepharitis is when an oil gland on the edge of the eyelid is blocked, which will cause the eyelids to become inflamed and painful.

A sty is also another common problem that can cause ocular pain of the eyeballs.

Orbital eyeball pain has many different possible causes as well.

Glaucoma is a common cause, and it occurs when there is an increase in intra-ocular pressure. This condition can lead to a diminished vision or even blindness when it goes untreated and unregulated.

Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve located at the back of the eye and it can also lead to pain.

Multiple sclerosis can also lead to inflammations of the optic nerve. A number of injuries to the eye can also lead to ocular pain. Any kind of injury that penetrates the eyes by way of a foreign object or a blow to the eye can lead to pain.

Iritis is an inflammation of the iris and it can cause intense and deep eye pain.