When to seek care immediately
Sudden, severe eye pain — especially combined with nausea, halos around lights, vision loss, or a cloudy cornea — can indicate acute angle-closure glaucoma. This is a medical emergency. Call us immediately or go to an emergency eye clinic.
Emergency Eye CareNot all eye pain is the same — and location matters
Eye pain broadly falls into two categories: surface pain and deep ocular pain. Surface pain — a gritty, burning, stinging, or scratching sensation — typically originates in the cornea, conjunctiva, or eyelids. It is most commonly caused by dry eye disease, a corneal abrasion, a foreign body, or infection. Deep or aching pain felt inside or behind the eye suggests internal pathology — inflammation (uveitis), elevated eye pressure (glaucoma), optic neuritis, or referred pain from migraines or sinus conditions. Eye strain produces a dull frontal ache or pressure that typically worsens throughout the day and resolves with rest. Knowing which type of pain you have — and when it started — guides the appropriate level of urgency.
Eye pain affects a wide range of patients
Certain patterns of eye pain are more common in particular groups — and some warrant faster action than others.
Screen & contact lens users
Eye strain from prolonged near work and screen use is one of the most common causes of eye discomfort — producing achiness, pressure behind the eyes, and fatigue that worsens through the day. Contact lens overwear can cause corneal hypoxia and surface pain.
Those with eye injuries or foreign bodies
A foreign object — dust, metal, wood, or other debris — on the cornea causes sharp, intense pain that worsens with blinking. Even a particle that feels small can cause a significant corneal abrasion. These require same-day evaluation to remove the object and prevent infection.
Those with pressure, inflammation, or underlying conditions
Deep eye pain with redness, light sensitivity, or blurred vision may indicate uveitis, optic neuritis, or acute glaucoma — all requiring prompt evaluation. Glaucoma is often silent but in its acute form causes intense pain.
Fast, thorough evaluation — because eye pain deserves an answer
When you come in with eye pain, we work systematically to find the cause and determine whether treatment can be started the same day.
Symptom History & Urgency Assessment
We start with a careful history — pain character, onset, severity, associated symptoms, and your medical and ocular history. This helps determine whether your pain pattern suggests something that needs same-day versus routine care.
Slit-Lamp & Pressure Evaluation
A complete slit-lamp exam assesses the corneal surface, anterior chamber, and lens. We also measure intraocular pressure (IOP) — elevated pressure is a key indicator of acute glaucoma and cannot be identified without testing.
Treatment or Specialist Referral
Surface conditions — corneal abrasions, foreign bodies, dry eye flares — are often treated the same day. Conditions requiring specialist care, such as uveitis or acute glaucoma, are referred urgently with coordination on our end.
Common questions about eye pain
Have a question not answered here? Feel free to call or text our team.
Pain that increases with blinking typically points to a surface issue — a corneal abrasion, foreign body, or inflamed eyelid margin (blepharitis). Dry eye can also produce a scratchy, painful sensation with each blink, particularly in windy or low-humidity environments. These are usually not emergencies, but they deserve an evaluation.
Yes. Prolonged near work, screen use, or uncorrected refractive error forces the eye's focusing muscles to work overtime, producing a dull ache, pressure behind the eyes, and frontal headaches. This type of pain is typically worse in the afternoon and improves with rest — and it is very common in desk-based workers.
Pain combined with vision change warrants same-day evaluation. This combination can indicate a serious condition — acute glaucoma, corneal infection (keratitis), uveitis, or a retinal event. Do not wait to see if it resolves on its own.
Yes, and the distinction matters diagnostically. Surface pain — stinging, burning, gritty — is more likely to involve the cornea, conjunctiva, or eyelids. Pain behind the eye, described as pressure, aching, or throbbing, more often suggests internal pathology or referred pain. Both warrant evaluation, but deep pain with visual change requires urgency.
Seek immediate care for sudden severe pain, pain combined with vision loss, pain with nausea and halos around lights (possible acute glaucoma), or pain following a chemical exposure or eye injury. When in doubt, call us — we would always rather help you determine urgency than have you wait on something serious.
Eye pain is a message your eyes are sending — listen to it
Same-day appointments available. Call or book online and we will evaluate you promptly.