The eyes are a very delicate and sensitive part of the body. In addition to the presence of many specific diseases, some visual disturbances are sometimes present, which are a reflection of other pathologies. The case when the eyeball hurts can be associated with many reasons. Let's consider them with the study of the characteristics of each disease in this article.
Overview of possible causes of eye diseases
As with many aspects of fibromyalgia, the relationship of this disease to eye problems has not been determined, but there are some provisions that could answer the question:
- Most people with fibromyalgia have eye problems due to Sjögren's syndrome, which also causes dry mouth and can be explained by the presence of specific antibodies in the blood and other tests.
- The use of tricyclic antidepressants may play an important role in the development of dryness symptoms.
- Disorders of the postural muscles involved in the movement of the eyeball can cause spasms and then distorted vision.
- Fibromyalgia affects the nervous system and therefore affects vision. This can cause the eyes to become sensitive to light and touch, and can also cause dry eyes and blurred vision.
- Lack of quality sleep can lead to dry eyeballs because when the eyes don't get enough rest, they tend to dry out much faster than usual.
One eye problem
Regardless of the type of pathology, discomfort is not always present in both eyes. Sometimes it appears in only one, usually the left one. This is a common situation when the patient is interested in the question, why does his eyeball hurt? We will try to answer this question.
Pain in the left eye is sometimes explained by causes that have nothing to do with the eye directly, although this is hard to believe. The truth is that this area, due to its position, is connected to many others in the head:
- Migraine or headache. This is one of the main reasons. They usually differ from pain in a different intensity. In general, this is due to the optic nerves, which can be pressed or pinched by the musculature or by a blow. Sometimes headaches are caused by hormonal changes, especially in women, or some changes in the blood vessels in the brain. In any case, this type of pain is usually felt from within the eye, although there may be some external reflex.
- Teeth on the left side of your mouth: When your jaw hurts or you have a toothache, it usuallybecomes radiated throughout the face, even into the eyes through the nervous system located in this area. Then the eyeball hurts.
- Some infections: Pain from infections such as sinusitis also presents with sharp pains behind the eye among other characteristic symptoms.
- Scleritis: This is another possible reason why your left eye hurts. This disease consists in inflammation of the eye, which manifests itself through pain, as well as redness of the eyes. Scleritis is usually associated with rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
- The eyeball hurts when it is caused by diseases or discomfort in the eyes themselves. One of the most common diseases is the so-called "dry eye". The problem occurs in people who spend a lot of time on a computer or mobile devices. It causes pain, even a headache. Why is the pain concentrated on the left side? This is most likely due to the position of the screen, or because with the eye you have to put in more effort to see well.
- The eyeball also hurts when pressed due to the so-called orbital inflammatory syndrome, accompanied by inflammation of the muscles around the eyes. A pathology that by itself is usually not very common.
Other eye conditions that cause pain
When the eyeballs hurt, the reasons can be different. Pain that is felt inside and behind the eye can also be caused by other eye conditions that are very important and should be treated. Actually socalled "orbital pain" is associated with many of them:
- Acute glaucoma: This disease causes an attack of pain due to an increase in intraocular pressure, which occurs due to greater blockage of the exit of fluid. The latter is responsible for keeping the eyes on the inside.
- Optical neuritis: also causes sharp pain in the eyeball, which is accompanied by blurred vision and can lead to poor color discrimination. Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve, whose first signs appear depending on the muscles of the eyes. Its appearance is associated with various pathologies caused by viral or bacterial infections, as well as with multiple sclerosis.
- Parallel cranial palsy: This is another pathology that causes throbbing pain in the eyeball. It occurs when the blood that flows to the nerves of the muscles does not flow properly. This causes paralysis of the nerves of the skull, resulting in pain. In addition, if you have this disease, you may also notice other symptoms, such as double vision.
- Iritis: Another manifestation that is inflammation of the iris, that is, the part of the eye that is colored and surrounded by the pupil.
- Scratches in the cornea caused by some trauma: this is another reason that explains the pain in the eye.
It is important to see a doctor
When eyeballs hurt, the reasons must be established by a specialist. You should see a doctor if any of the symptoms occur todetermine the cause of a possible illness and begin treatment as soon as possible. During the diagnosis, the doctor can establish various diagnoses. For example, fibromyalgia is a rheumatic disease characterized by multiple symptoms such as general body pain, fatigue, and trouble sleeping.
Pain in the eyeballs when the eyes are closed is not one of the signs that allow you to immediately make this diagnosis, but this symptom is quite common in people suffering from this disease. There are clinics with more than 20 thousand patients with fibromyalgia. At least 50% of them have eye problems associated with this pathology.
Dry eyes
Many people with fibromyalgia suffer from dry eye, which occurs when the surface of the eye doesn't have enough lubrication to nourish it and allows the eyelid to slide easily over the surface. Dry eyes can cause burning, itching, redness, a feeling of roughness, and moments of blurred vision. This condition makes contact lens use very difficult as it causes pain and discomfort. Given this problem, the doctor often prescribes artificial tears to keep the eyes moist. If these drops don't work, your doctor may recommend some medications (which usually require a prescription) or other treatments to reduce the symptoms of eyeball pain when pressure is applied.
Sensitivity to light
Fibromyalgia can cause photophobia, which is sensitivity to light. This problem makes peoplewear sunglasses when they are outside, even if the day is overcast. It also makes people have difficulty driving at night because oncoming traffic lights are dazzling. There may be sensitivity to bright lights such as TV screen, fluorescent and sunlight as well. This problem does not distort the overall vision, but can cause discomfort in the form of dizziness and even pain.
Eye pain
Fibromyalgia itself is a disease characterized by pain throughout the body, which even reaches the organs of vision, as it can affect the eye muscles. The pain can be intense and sharp. The causes of the condition are fatigue, lack of sleep, anxiety and constant stress.
Double vision, blurring or change in the quality of vision
Many fibromyalgia patients usually complain of visual acuity problems; they have trouble focusing (or changing focus). Vision usually deteriorates when the environment is dry or there is haze around. The ability to see things at a distance may deteriorate, one day a person cannot recognize the shapes of things, they perceive everything as blurry and require lenses to focus better, but the next day they will be able to see at a distance without any difficulty. Blurred vision can be an obstacle for people to focus on things for a long time because their eyes feel too tired and cannot bear the strain.
Touch sensitivity
People who have worn prescription glasses usually feeldiscomfort and irritation in the nose, on the cheek and in the ears when using glasses. The sensitivity can be so strong that wearing glasses becomes intolerable as the frames hurt your face, nose, and even your ears and teeth.
Recommendations for troubleshooting
As soon as you notice pain in the eye and redness of the eyeball, you should tell your doctor. Eyes are an important part of your he alth. Most people trust them to see and make sense of the world around them. However, some eye diseases can lead to loss of vision, so it is important to identify and treat these conditions as soon as possible.
It is important that the body is he althy. To do this, you need to take care of your eyes. To keep them he althy, use drops for pain in the eyeball and other treatments. You will need to check your eyes as often as recommended by the doctor if there are new vision problems.
Pain in the eyeball, the treatment of which should be prescribed by a specialist, makes a person uncomfortable. There are things you can do to help keep your eyes he althy:
- Study your heredity - it is important to find out if there are relatives in the family with similar problems. This can help determine if there is an increased risk of developing certain problems.
- Review other risk factors: As a person gets older, they are at higher risk of developing eye conditions. It is important to know these risk factors,because you can reduce them if you change some habits.
- If you wear contact lenses, take steps to prevent eye infections by washing your hands thoroughly before putting on or taking off contact lenses. Also follow the instructions on how to clean them properly and replace them if needed.
A person must eat right, take care of the daily hygiene of the eyes and face. There are special gymnastic exercises to relieve eye strain during intense work. You can practice applying sliced cucumber eye masks.
Summarize
All people need an eye test to see if they have eye problems. Children usually have an eye examination during a check-up at school. Adults can also have their eyes tested. But in adults, problems occur more often, so more attention and a complete examination of the organs of vision are required. Take care of yourself and be he althy!
