Sore Eyes: Causes

What causes sore eyes?

Many conditions can cause sore eyes, including physical irritation from excessive rubbing, prolonged contact lens wear, smoke or smog, exposure to chemicals, or even too much sun. Inadequate lubrication of the eye surface by tears (frequently called dry eye) is a very common cause of sore eyes.

Other causes of sore eyes include prolonged close work, an incorrect prescription for eyewear, or prolonged contact lens wear.

Inflammation caused by allergies or infections also frequently leads to sore eyes.

Everyday causes of sore eyes

Sore eyes may be caused by everyday activities including:

• Contact lens wear
• Excessive rubbing of the eyes
• Incorrect eyewear (glasses or contact lenses)
• Exposure to environmental irritants, such as smoke, smog or dust
• Prolonged work at a computer screen

Inflammatory causes of sore eyes

Sore eyes can also be caused by inflammation resulting from allergy or infection including:

• Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid margin)
• Common cold (viral respiratory infection)
• Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eye surface)
• Hay fever or an allergic reaction to animal dander, dust, cosmetics, or pollen

Serious or life-threatening causes of sore eyes

In some cases, sore eyes may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. These conditions include:

• Optic neuritis
• Orbital cellulitis (invasive infection of the soft tissues around the eye)
• Uveitis and iritis (inflammation of the structures of the eye)

Questions for diagnosing the cause of sore eyes

To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your sore eyes including:

• When did you first experience sore eyes?
• Where do you feel the soreness? Is it one or both eyes?
• Do you wear contact lenses?
• Do you use prescription eyeglasses?
• Is your eyewear prescription up-to-date?
• Do you feel burning or throbbing in your eye?
• Do you have any other symptoms?

What are the potential complications of sore eyes?

Sore eyes without eye pain is a common complaint that will generally resolve on its own without complications. In some cases, sore eyes that are accompanied by eye pain and other symptoms may indicate a more serious condition that should be evaluated by your health care provider. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications including:

• Corneal scarring
• Spread of infection
• Vision disturbances or loss

References:

Eye problems. FamilyDoctor.org. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/505.html. Accessed April 30, 2011.

Eye pain. MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003032.htm. Accessed April 30, 2011.