Eye pain? Eye infection, or something else? Please help!?!
Question: Last week, one of my eyes began to itch and water. I left it alone, thinking it could be an eye infection and that I would go in to the doctor if it got worse. The itching and watering lasted for about two days, and then stopped. My eye never turned red and bloodshot, and my symptoms weren't very bad.
About two or three days later, my eye started to hurt. It hurts behind my eyeball, towards the bridge of my nose, but I am having no sinus symptoms. I woke up with a headache because of the pain. When I close my eyelid it hurts, and when my eye rolls up as I'm falling asleep it hurts even more. Looking around with my eyes closed hurts more than with them open, but there is still some soreness with them open, too.
I can't figure out what this could be. Could it be an eye infection, even though I don't have eye redness, discharge, change in vision, crusting, or itching? It almost feels like something is wrong with the muscle of my eye. Could it be a scratch? I do wear contacts
Answers: Last week, one of my eyes began to itch and water. I left it alone, thinking it could be an eye infection and that I would go in to the doctor if it got worse. The itching and watering lasted for about two days, and then stopped. My eye never turned red and bloodshot, and my symptoms weren't very bad.
About two or three days later, my eye started to hurt. It hurts behind my eyeball, towards the bridge of my nose, but I am having no sinus symptoms. I woke up with a headache because of the pain. When I close my eyelid it hurts, and when my eye rolls up as I'm falling asleep it hurts even more. Looking around with my eyes closed hurts more than with them open, but there is still some soreness with them open, too.
I can't figure out what this could be. Could it be an eye infection, even though I don't have eye redness, discharge, change in vision, crusting, or itching? It almost feels like something is wrong with the muscle of my eye. Could it be a scratch? I do wear contacts
The symptoms you describe are those similar to scleritis. Scleritis is an inflammation of the white part of the eye. It's usually associated with other systemic problems such as different types of arthritis, or collagen vascular diseases, or inflammatory diseases of some sort such as bowel disease, or urinary tract disease. Problems such as vasculitis or inflammation of vessels can also cause this problem.
To diagnose it assuming the front of your eye is normal, is to take a look at the back of the eye, the retina, the optic nerve... and see if there are any signs of inflammation. The optic nerve will appear swollen or the retina may have a localized exudative detachment or there may be areas of thickening, a cellular reaction in the vitreous, etc.
A B-scan ultrasound would demonstrate thickening of the sclera and is fairly easy to see.
The treatment is usually oral or injected steroids. If this is a scleritis, the workup should be done before starting the steroids. Some people respond really well to other non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs NSAIDS such as advil or motrin. Take 200 mg, 4 of them three times a day. You should note a decrease in pain within a day.
And the suggestion to see an ophthalmologist, good. I wouldn't see one that specializes in cataracts as their focus isn't really on posterior segment disease. A retina specialist would be who I'd see just because that's the area they work in daily.
My eye felt scratchy before (I wear contacts too) and I went to the doc and I had some little bumps on the inside of my eyelid (can't remember what they were called) it was some kind of allergy thing.
because u keep mentioning something's going on behind the eye, i'd go see a doctor soon. there's a lot of possibilities that could manifest as eye symptoms so the doctor can do the best assessment. if it's a strictly eye complication, u need to go to doctor in case it'll affect your vision
You need to see a doctor right away! This sounds serious to me. You could have a blood clot behind your eye, and you could lose your eyesight. Please go to the doctor as soon as possible.
I understand the "Wait and See" approach, believe me. In your case, though, I wouldn't. When it comes to eyes, please don't mess around. If the pain is waking you, you've waited too long already.
Get thee to thy ophthalmologist without delay!