“How do you know if eye pain is serious?”
I am a 38 year old male and I have eye pain. How do you know if eye pain is serious?
9 Answers
Eye pain, if accompanied with redness and/or a decrease in vision, could be serious.
If your eye is red and painful, you should seek immediate care to determine the cause of the pain. A red and painful eye can be caused by a corneal ulcer (especially if you are a contact lens wearer), iritis or uveitis, episcleritis, scleritis, and other potentially serious eye conditions. A eye that has mild irritation and no redness may be due to dryness, but if not relieved with artificial tears, should still be seen to determine the cause of the pain.
I would always recommend seeing an ophthalmologist when a person experiences any eye pain. Better to get it checked out in case it is anything serious.
Eyes in general should not hurt. The most common reason eyes hurt is dryness. You can use artificial tears. If they don’t improve or pain gets worse, see an eye care professional.
There are many types of pain related to the eye. Obviously, pain related to known trauma or surgery could be serious. Spontaneous pain with no other issues sometimes is not serious unless persistent - day after day. Pain associated with swelling, loss of vision, or redness and discharge is likely serious and needs an ophthalmologist to examine the eye(s).
The short answer is you do not know if eye pain is serious without having an exam by an eye care professional. Please call your local eye doctor to get an exam.
Depends on the diagnosis. A complete ophthalmologic exam should be performed.
After a thorough eye evaluation
If you can't see from the eye.
