Shruti is an accountant at a firm and commutes daily to her office by riding her vehicle. She works for long hours and has a very hectic schedule. It is common for her to stay up late while dealing with international clients. Due to her schedule, she has started experiencing headaches, itchiness in her eyes, tenderness in her eye, and constant tiredness. Shruti visits her doctor friend, Raghav, to get some advice and learn more about her discomfort. And after learning in detail about her problem, she was shocked.
Preserving her shock for later, we should know certain things for general awareness of our body and its boundaries.
We have all experienced that irritation in our eyes and the urge to rub our eyes until the irritating sensation doesn’t calm, even if you lose every lash of yours in the process. It is a well-known fact that our eyes are susceptible and are vulnerable to getting irritated and catching infections.
If you have experienced itchiness, dryness, grittiness, or pain in your eye, there are high chances that it was an eye irritation. To be honest, several factors could cause your eye irritation, including injuries, dry eye, and pinkeye. Depending on the environmental condition your eyes are exposed to, there could be more. We usually protect our bodies by covering them with the ones we wear but similarly, protecting our eyes is impossible. So, eye care becomes very crucial for long-term good eye health.
Another problem that has become a prevalent reason for people to visit an ophthalmologist is Sore eyes. So, when you work for long hours in front of a screen or overuse your eyes, it is likely for your eyes to get sore. So, If your eyes have felt tired, tender, gritty, or dusty. And sometimes, this sensation is accompanied by a swelling and burning sensation in one or both eyes. The symptoms may differ for everyone depending on the cause and their lifestyle.
Returning to the reasons for Shruti’s awe, Raghav told her about her problem and its causes in detail. As Raghav, we would also like to enlighten you by listing down the most common reasons for your eye discomfort:
We can keep counting the cause of this discomfort in our eyes, but these vary from person to person depending on their various lifestyle choices, and pinpointing just one could be difficult.
Blepharitis
It is a medical condition in which one can notice unusual inflammation on the eyelid. This causes redness in the eye, which is accompanied by a burning sensation. This majorly affects the lining of the eyelid. The eyelids get oily and flaky. It affects both the eyes and is not contagious.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis (Pink eyes) is a condition that causes inflammation, swelling, and redness of the conjunctiva. Conjunctiva is a transparent tissue that covers the white part of the eye and the inner lining of the eyelids. This can be triggered by various things; it could be a simple common cold, bacteria, or fungi, it could be due to any irritant like shampoo or an allergy triggered by any pollutant or dust particles. This is highly contagious and spreads in kids very easily.
Foreign Object
It is very common for a foreign object to enter the eye, causing it to sting, water, and turn red. These foreign objects are dust particles, pollutants in the air, or even your eyelashes. It is very common when you ride without a helmet or work in the manufacturing sector. But the discomfort will stop immediately after you remove the object.
Stye
It can be thought of as a pimple that affects the eye’s eyelid and water line. It is a painful boil that causes the eyes to swell and water. It usually happens when an oil gland in the root of an eyelash hair follicle gets infected and blocked and then swells up. It is not contagious and doesn’t spread but the bacteria that are causing it may spread.
Glaucoma
It is an eye disorder that happens due to optic nerve damage. This happens due to a common fluid build-up in the front eye that puts pressure on the optic nerve. Hence it leads to a gradual loss of vision.
There are more causes for eye irritation, like digital eye strain, blocked tear duct, and blue light, but the above have been the most prevalent causes.
Shruti asked Raghav if she could treat the condition at home or if she needed to get some medical assistance. He advised that since her symptoms weren’t severe and the problem for her was just starting, she could treat it at home.
These steps can be taken to treat your eye at home:
Try to use OTC eye drops that are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial
Use anti-inflammatory eye drops to reduce pain and swelling
Give sufficient rest to your eyes
Wash your eyes with cold water
Get enough sleep
Avoid directly exposing your eyes to light or fast wind
Use a cold and hot compress
These steps can be helpful, but if your symptoms worsen and the pain doesn’t improve, you should see a doctor.