Eyes
Eye pain
Pain in or around the eye — often from a surface irritation, infection or dryness, but sometimes a sign of raised pressure inside the eye or inflammation that can threaten sight and needs same-day attention.
Education and reference only. This explains the common causes of eye pain and the warning signs that need urgent help, in plain language — it is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a clinician. If you feel very unwell or are worried, seek medical help.
Quick answer
What is eye pain?
Eye pain covers everything from a gritty, surface soreness to a deep, aching pain felt within or behind the eye, and the distinction matters. Surface or gritty pain — as if something is in the eye — usually comes from the front of the eye: a foreign body, dryness, an infection of the surface or eyelids, or a scratch.
- Get urgent help: Seek same-day emergency eye assessment for severe eye pain with reduced vision, haloes around lights and a red eye — this can be acute glaucoma, which threatens sight. Seek urgent help for eye pain with marked sensitivity to light, a red eye and blurred vision, which can mean inflammation inside the eye.
- Self-care: For a mild, gritty, surface soreness with no change in vision, simple measures often help while you arrange advice.
About eye pain
Eye pain covers everything from a gritty, surface soreness to a deep, aching pain felt within or behind the eye, and the distinction matters. Surface or gritty pain — as if something is in the eye — usually comes from the front of the eye: a foreign body, dryness, an infection of the surface or eyelids, or a scratch. Deep, boring pain within the eye, especially with blurred vision, light sensitivity, haloes around lights or a red eye, is more concerning and can signal inflammation inside the eye or a dangerous rise in pressure. The combination of a painful red eye, reduced vision, haloes around lights, a fixed mid-sized pupil, nausea and a headache is the classic picture of acute glaucoma, a same-day emergency that can permanently damage sight. Because the eye is both delicate and irreplaceable, any eye pain with reduced vision, marked light sensitivity or a very red eye should be assessed urgently rather than waited out.
When to get help
Call 999 or go to A&E if eye pain comes with any of these warning signs:
- Seek same-day emergency eye assessment for severe eye pain with reduced vision, haloes around lights and a red eye — this can be acute glaucoma, which threatens sight.
- Seek urgent help for eye pain with marked sensitivity to light, a red eye and blurred vision, which can mean inflammation inside the eye.
- Seek urgent help for eye pain after an injury, a chemical splash, or with something stuck in the eye that you cannot remove.
- Seek urgent help for eye pain with a blistering rash on the forehead, eyelid or tip of the nose, which can mean shingles affecting the eye.
- Seek urgent help for sudden loss of vision, or eye pain with a severe headache, nausea and vomiting.
When to see a doctor
Seek same-day or emergency eye care for any eye pain that comes with reduced or lost vision, marked light sensitivity, haloes around lights, a very red eye, or severe pain with nausea and headache, as these can signal sight-threatening problems such as acute glaucoma or inflammation inside the eye. An eye injury, a chemical splash or a foreign body that will not come out also needs urgent attention. Milder, gritty surface soreness with normal vision can often be managed with advice from a pharmacist or optician, but get help promptly if it does not settle, worsens, or your vision changes.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
What can cause it
Common causes of eye pain
Eye pain has many possible causes. Each links to a full, plain-language guide to that condition — what it is, how it's treated and when to seek help.
What helps
Self-care and what you can do
For a mild, gritty, surface soreness with no change in vision, simple measures often help while you arrange advice. Rest your eyes from screens, blink fully and frequently, and use the warmth of a clean flannel against the closed lid to soothe styes or crusted eyelid margins. Gently bathe sticky or crusty lids with cooled boiled water on a clean piece of cotton wool, and avoid rubbing the eye or wearing contact lenses until the soreness has settled. Protect your eyes from wind, dust and bright sun. None of this is suitable for a painful eye with reduced vision, light sensitivity, haloes around lights or a very red eye, all of which need urgent assessment rather than home care.
Answers
Eye pain: frequently asked questions
When is eye pain an emergency?
Seek same-day emergency care for eye pain with reduced vision, haloes around lights, a very red eye, severe pain with nausea, an injury or chemical splash, or a blistering rash around the eye. These can threaten sight and must not be waited out.
What is acute glaucoma?
It is a sudden rise in pressure inside the eye causing severe pain, a red eye, blurred vision, haloes around lights and often nausea and headache. It is a same-day emergency because it can permanently damage sight if not treated quickly.
Why does my eye feel gritty and sore?
A gritty, surface soreness is often from dry eye, eyelid inflammation or a surface infection. These are usually not dangerous, but get assessed if your vision changes, the eye becomes very red or painful, or simple measures do not help.
Can I treat a sore eye with contact lenses in?
No — remove contact lenses if your eye is sore and do not wear them until it has settled, as lenses can worsen surface problems and infection. Seek assessment if there is pain with reduced vision or a very red eye.
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Red eye.
- Royal College of Ophthalmologists: acute glaucoma.
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