There are many potential causes for your eyes to hurt. Typically, eye irritation is more of an annoying, temporary concern. But sometimes eye discomfort is a sign of a bigger issue. Never ignore your symptoms if your eyes hurt. Below, we explore some of the potential causes of these problems.

Remember that a blog cannot diagnose your eye health concern. If your eyes hurt, consider calling your eye doctor for an exam. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist can check your eyes, review your symptoms and properly diagnose your condition. They can then provide treatment, such as eye drops or prescription medication.
 

Allergies

Allergies are among the most common problems causing eye irritation. In fact, your eyes can provide one of the earliest signals that allergy season is on its way. But even an eye doctor must review your symptoms and perform an exam to know if allergies are the cause or you have a different eye health concern. For this reason, do not write off repeated eye irritation as an allergy problem. Many other conditions share these symptoms.

You need to call your eye doctor for an exam if your eyes hurt with the following symptoms:

• Itching

• Swelling

• Redness

• Watering

• Burning
   

Allergic conjunctivitis is the official name for allergic eye irritation. As part of this condition, the membrane covering the whites of your eyes becomes inflamed. For some people, this only happens seasonally. For others, it is triggered by pets or other allergies.

Changes in your lifestyle and home life can help your allergic conjunctivitis. To reduce the issues that make your eyes hurt, make these changes:

• Wearing protective eyewear outside

• Washing your hands more often, particularly after touching animals

• Keeping your windows closed

• Using filtered air conditioning

• Buying bedding that reduces dust mite exposure

• Using a dehumidifier to reduce risk of mold
   

Dirty or Old Contact Lenses

Another common reason why eyes hurt is contact lenses. Also, if you have old lenses or do not clean your current ones as you should, they can irritate your eyes. You can experience similar problems if your lenses do not fit properly or you wear them too long.

Some types of contact lens irritation that make your eyes hurt include contact allergic conjunctivitis and giant papillary conjunctivitis. Additionally, symptoms of these conditions include:

• Discomfort

• Itching

• Tearing

• Redness

• Mucus discharge

• Foreign body sensation

• Puffiness

• Irritation upon wearing contact lenses
   

Eye Infection

An eye infection, such as a bacterial virus, can make your eyes hurt. These infections typically begin in one of your eyes and then spread to your other eye. These conditions are also frequently contagious to other people. Some eye infections include:

• Pink eye

• Keratitis

• Stye

• Fungal eye infection

• Uveitis

Some of the most common causes of these types of eye infections are wearing old makeup and wearing extended-wear contact lenses. Furthermore, these conditions make your eyes hurt and cause other symptoms like light sensitivity, redness, blurriness and itching.
 

Other Health Conditions

Other physical conditions beyond your eyes can also make eyes hurt. Medications can cause the same effects, as well. Some of these conditions are Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, sinus infections and blepharitis.

Eye symptoms of these conditions include:

• Feeling something is in your eye

• Crusty eyelashes and eyelids

• Lash flakes

• Improperly growing lashes

• Redness

• Itching

Glaucoma is an eye disease that can seriously damage your eyes and make your eyes hurt. Lastly, this is why your eye doctor suggests a glaucoma screening with each of your routine eye exams.