Sore eyes aren’t uncommon. Typical irritants that often cause mild soreness in the eyes include:
- overexposure to electronic screens
- exposure to sun
- exposure to airborne irritants
- excessive rubbing
- contact lenses
- swimming in chlorinated water
- cigarette smoke
Severely sore eyes
If your eyes severely sore or painful, it might be a sign of a more serious condition, such as:
- dry eyes
- allergies
- dehydration
- conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- blepharitis
- iritis
- scleritis
- keratitis
- uveitis
- optic neuritis
- blocked tear duct
- chalazion
- corneal abrasion
- foreign object in eye
- glaucoma
Don’t take chances with your eyes and ignore symptoms. Visit your eye doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment started.
Home remedies for sore eyes
There are a number of simple home remedies for sore eyes. Here are a few of them:
Cold compress
Place a cold washcloth over your closed eyes two to three times a day for five minutes at a time to manage pain and swelling.
Why This Works
The coldness of the ice pack will soothe the irritated and sore eye and reduce the burning sensation. Apart from using an ice pack, there are many alternate ways to apply a cold compress on the sore eye.
- Use a frozen food item wrapped in a clean, soft cloth and place this over the sore eye.
- Dip a washcloth in cold water and place it on the eye.
- Place a metal spoon in the freezer for a couple of minutes and place this cold spoon on the affected eye.
- Place a used tea bag in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes. Place the cold tea bag on the sore eye. You can use a green tea bag, black tea bag, chamomile tea bag, or even rooibos tea bag for sore eyes. An added benefit of using a tea bag is that the antioxidants present in it can accelerate the healing process. They also have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the swelling often seen in sore eyes.
Cucumber For Sore Eyes
You Will Need
- 2 cucumber slices
- Coldwater
What You Have To Do
- Soak the slices in cold water for 2-3 minutes.
- Place this on the eyes for 10 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Repeat this as and when required to provide relief from the soreness.
Why This Works
It is a known fact that cucumber has a cooling effect on our body. It has the same effect on our eyes as well. It soothes the eyes and heals any soreness or irritation. If you have dark circles or puffy eyes, the cucumber slices will help to get rid of those issues as well
Castor oil
Eye drops containing castor oil may help reduce eye irritation. Place one drop in each eye before going to bed, and then do it again in the morning. Try Refresh Optive Advanced eye drops.
Or you could use:
- Organic and pure castor oil
- A dropper
What You Have To Do
- Using a clean dropper, administer a drop of castor oil to each eye.
- Leave this overnight.
Why This Works
If you have ever read the ingredient list on your eye drops bottle, you must have noticed that castor oil is a common ingredient that is found in maximum brands. It has a soothing effect on your eyes and can help reduce eye irritation with its anti-inflammatory properties. Its antimicrobial activity will get rid of the infection-causing agent in your eye. Castor oil also helps to treat dry eyes, which is another common cause of sore eyes.
Aloe vera
Because of aloe vera’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, some natural healers recommend using it to alleviate sore eyes.
Mix 1 teaspoon of fresh aloe vera gel into 2 tablespoons of cold water, and then soak cotton rounds in the mixture. Place the soaked cotton rounds on your closed eyes for 10 minutes. Do this twice a day:
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
- 1-2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 cotton rounds
What You Have To Do
- Take fresh aloe gel and dilute it with cold water.
- Soak the cotton rounds in this and place them on the eyelids for 10 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this twice a day.
Why This Works
Aloe vera has been known to have healing properties. It has an extremely relaxing effect on your eyes because of its soothing properties. It also contains antimicrobial compounds and antioxidants that can treat the causes of the soreness in your eyes.
Caution
Use only fresh or organic aloe vera gel. Other varieties may contain additives that can irritate your eyes.
When to see your doctor
When experiencing eye pain, make an appointment with your doctor if:
- You’ve recently had eye surgery.
- You’ve recently had an eye injection.
- You’ve had eye surgery in the past.
- You wear contact lenses.
- You have a weakened immune system.
- You’ve been taking eye medication for two or three days and the pain hasn’t improved.
Some symptoms need immediate medical attention. Seek emergency medical help if:
- Your pain was caused by a foreign object hitting or been lodged in your eye.
- Your pain was caused by a chemical being splashed in your eye.
- Your eye pain is accompanied by fever, headache, or unusual light sensitivity.
- You have a sudden vision change.
- You start seeing halos around lights.
- Your eye is swelling, or there’s swelling around your eye.
- You’re unable to keep your eye open.
- You’re having trouble moving your eye.
- You have blood or pus coming from your eye(s).
Self-care for your eyes
To avoid certain types of eye soreness, there are a number of actions you can take. Here are some you can start today:
- Try not to touch or rub your eyes.
- Wear sunglasses when outside.
- Drink enough water to stay hydrated.
- Get sufficient sleep to rest your body and eyes.
- Every 20 minutes, take your eyes off your computer screen or TV to focus for 20 seconds on an object in the distance.
Takeaway
The eye is a delicate and complex organ. If your eyes are sore and you’re concerned, see your eye doctor for a diagnosis. They can help you find relief from sore eyes and help you prevent it from happening again.
By Scott Frothingham | Source