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Burning sensation, dryness, pain in the eyes is a fairly common symptom of a variety of ophthalmic diseases. If such sensations appear regularly or are generally permanent, then you need to urgently seek help from an ophthalmologist.
It is unacceptable to ignore these phenomena, treat them carelessly or practice self-medication.
Causes of burning in the eyes
Burning in the eyes can be caused by several factors and be a manifestation of various diseases:
Infectious diseases. The etiology of infectious eye diseases can be any – bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic. Most often, burning indicates the presence of an infectious conjunctivitis in a patient. Often, a burning sensation appears when a patient falls ill with ARVI or the flu. Parasitic diseases include demodicosis – reproduction of specific ticks on the eyelids. It is very easy to get infected – just hold on to the handrail in the subway or on the bus, which a sick person recently held on to, and then rub your eyes with dirty hands.
Injuries. Mechanical damage to the eyes can be imperceptible – a simple ingress of dust or a small speck into the eye.
Burn. Burn damage can be thermal (from getting steam or boiling water into the eyes) or chemical (getting into the eyes of chemically active substances, such as detergent).
Eye strain. This reason is very common in people whose profession involves constant work on the computer. Despite the fact that modern monitors no longer require such strain of eyesight as before, but for many, such constant staring at the screen turns out to be excessive. Other such professions include constant work with a microscope, manipulation of small details, and many others.
Allergy. The manifestations of an allergic reaction to any substance are numerous and variable. One of the symptoms of allergies can be a burning sensation in the eyes.
Endocrine diseases. Some disorders of the endocrine system may be accompanied by redness of the eyelids, a burning sensation in the eyes, for example, in diseases of the thyroid gland.
Dry eye syndrome. This syndrome is associated with impaired functioning of the lacrimal glands, which are responsible for the constant hydration of the conjunctiva. Manifested by a feeling of getting sand or litter in the eyes, burning.
Wrong refraction. Incorrectly prescribed glasses or contact lenses can lead to a burning sensation, pain in the eyes, redness of the eyelids.
Eye diseases. Among other symptoms of various serious ophthalmic diseases, there may be a burning sensation.
Treatment of burning in the eyes
Since the burning sensation in the eyes is not actually a disease, but only a symptom, a manifestation of other ocular or general pathologies, the main treatment should be aimed at combating the underlying problem, and not so much at its manifestation. In any case, it is impossible to treat this symptom lightly and carelessly. It is necessary to contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible, who will check the eyes for the presence of foreign bodies, make a full diagnosis and prescribe a specific treatment.
In the presence of an infection, specific antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal or antiparasitic therapy is prescribed, both of general action (tablets, injections) and local in the form of eye drops. Glaucoma and cataracts require the treatment of the underlying disease, it will be useless to fight the burning sensation if the disease continues to progress. To relieve inflammation, instillation of chamomile decoction into the eyes helps a lot.
With dry eyes, drops of artificial tears are prescribed. During the day, the eyes should be given occasional rest. To do this, it is enough to just sit with your eyes closed for a few minutes or go to the window and for some time just look into the distance, “beyond the horizon” without fixing your eyes on any particular object.
Incorrect refraction requires re-examination of visual acuity and the appointment of other glasses or contact lenses. Allergies are treated with the appointment of antihistamines and antiallergic drugs.
For burns, emollient drops, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs are prescribed to prevent the development of complications. Diseases of the thyroid gland require specific treatment by an endocrinologist, a general practitioner.
To stop itching, burning in the eyes, hyperemia of the eyelids, you can use eye washing with decoctions of St. John’s wort or oregano, daisy juice. For inflammation of the eyelids, infusions of blueberries or barberries are used.
A proven method that can be used for any eye disease has long been known – tea rinsing. The method is universal, well-proven and completely harmless. You can take already brewed bags and just put them on your eyelids. Tea relieves irritation well, helps relieve inflammation, but is not curative. It simply helps to reduce the manifestations of the disease, but does not fight it.
Prevention for burning in the eyes
Preventive measures consist in timely contacting an ophthalmologist at the slightest suspicion of the development of ophthalmic diseases. It is recommended to undergo a dispensary examination by an ophthalmologist annually, especially for people who already have some kind of visual impairment.
To prevent infectious infection, it is necessary to carefully observe the rules of hygiene, you can not scratch and touch your eyes with unwashed hands.
If a foreign body gets into the eye, you need to ask someone to remove the mote from the eye with a cotton swab or a corner of a folded clean handkerchief. If it is not possible to detect and remove the litter, you should immediately seek emergency ophthalmic care.
Author of the article: Degtyareva Marina Vitalievna, ophthalmologist, ophthalmologist