Painful Burning Eyes, What is Behind It?
Burning eyes causes diagnosis Therapy
Burning eyes can burden everyday life. At the same time
there are often other eye complaints. The causes of burning eyes can be
harmless. Some, however, are in need of treatment.
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| Eye Burning |
Contents
- Overview
- Causes
- Diagnosis
- Therapy
What is Eye Burning?
Eye burning is an unpleasant, burning sensation in the eyes.
Possible side effects of eye burning include symptoms such
as:
- dry eyes
- Pressure in the eye
- Foreign body sensation in the eye
- red eyes or eyelids
- itchy eyes
- glued eyes when waking up
- watery eyes
- watery, slimy or purulent discharge in the eyes
- Dandruff on the eyelids or on the lash line
If your burning eyes
are not only on short notice, you should have the complaints cleared up by a
doctor.
Painful Burning eyes, Possible causes
Burning eyes can have different causes. Some of the common
causes include:
- conjunctivitis (conjunctivitis) by infections with bacteria, viruses or fungi
- the so-called dry eye (sicca syndrome)
- an inflammation of the tissue between dermis and conjunctiva (episcleritis)
- inflammation of the eyelid margin ( blepharitis )
- Injuries of the ocular surface
Burning eyes rarely have the following causes:
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| Painful Burning eyes causes |
- inflammation of the dermis of the eye (scleritis)
- a so-called wing-pelt (pterygium), ie a proliferation of vascular tissue of the conjunctiva on the cornea
- a corneal inflammation (keratitis)
Especially in the elderly burning eyes can often age-related
conjunctivitis change the Lidspaltenfleck (pinguecula) caused. The eyelid spot
on the side of the iris, in the white area of the eye, forms a yellowish,
mostly flat, less prominent spot. It is a harmless change on the eye.
In case of Painful Burning Eyes, the following causes are
also possible:
- Allergies (eg hay fever , house dust allergy )
- Excessive eye strain, eg after a long work on a computer screen or with altered eyesight
- Irritation of the eyes, eg by dust, smoke, air conditioning or drafts
- Toxins like chlorine, formaldehyde or amalgam
Painful Burning eyes : diagnosis
To determine the cause of the eye burn, the doctor first
needs more information from the person concerned - for example, if he suspects
a particular trigger. Therefore, the doctor may ask various questions, such as:
- Since when do your eyes burn?
- Is only one eye or are both eyes affected?
- Does the burning of the eyes only occur in certain situations?
- Do you often work on the computer?
- Do you come into contact with dusts, gases or toxic substances during your work?
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| Burning eyes diagnosis |
The doctor then examines the eyes, paying attention to abnormalities such as signs of inflammation, such as swelling or redness of the eyes and eyelids. In most cases, he also performs an eye test in order to exclude any possible eyestrain from undetected low vision.
Depending on the suspected cause of the burning eyes, the doctor initiates further examinations, such as:
- an examination of the tear fluid,
- an allergy test or
- a microscopic examination of a smear from the eye, in which possible pathogens can be detected.
Painful Burning Eyes : Therapy
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| Painful burning eye diagnosed |
In eyestrain the therapy depends on the particular cause . If the reason for the burning eyes is an overexertion due to poor eyesight, this can be corrected with a visual aid . If you work on the computer for a long time, you should take regular breaks to relieve the strain on the eyes. Cold compresses and tear replacement fluid can calm burning eyes in the short term.
Painful Burning Eyes as a result of a bacterial eye infection, the
doctor usually prescribed antibiotics in the form of eye drops. Eye inflammation
caused by viruses can usually not be treated causally. The treatment is usually
limited to relieving the symptoms until the inflammation heals on its own. An
exception are eye infections with herpes viruses (ocular herpes): agents such as acyclovir (eg in the form of eye drops)
inhibit the proliferation of herpes viruses. In other cases, decongestant eye
drops with cortisone relieve the symptoms in eye burns . A fungal infection of the eye can be
controlled by anti fungal (Antiphonals).
Has the person affected by a Allergy (eg hay fever ) burning
eyes, is the first step of the therapy, as far as possible to avoid the
allergy-causing substance. To relieve the symptoms, the doctor may prescribe
eye drops with so-called mast cell
stabilizers and / or antihistamines . A causal treatment of the allergy can be
done by means of ahyposensitization.
If burning eyes appear as an acute emergency, because
(usually liquid) toxins have entered the eye, it is important to rinse the eye
immediately with water and to see a doctor as soon as possible.
If Eye Burning is an accompanying symptom of another
underlying disease, it should be treated.
