Every one of us has most likely suffered from eye pain at some point in our life. Sharp pain or dull ache behind the eye makes carrying out daily activities extremely difficult. An intense episode of this type of headache is accompanied with fever, teary eyes, redness, pressure behind the eye, vision distortion, etc.
Usually, pain, either dull or sharp behind the eye, is not a medical emergency. However, there are a few conditions in which you might want immediate medical intervention. Therefore we encourage you not to sit laid back in such a condition; always schedule a checkup and know what’s causing the problem. Stay with us till the end if you want to know what causes sharp pain behind the eye.
10 Major Reasons For Development Of Sharp Pain Behind The Eye
Dry Eyes
If sharp stabbing pain behind your eye starts at random, it could be due to dryness, and this issue is named dry eye syndrome. It is a fairly common condition in which the eyes do not produce an adequate amount of moisteners or tears.
Dryness results in light sensitivity and frequent headaches. This can cause sharp pain in one eye, which is affected or behind both eyes.
Vision Defects
If a person has compromised vision, such as in cases of farsightedness or nearsightedness, and astigmatism, eye pain is very common because the brain constantly works for compensating for the impairment. Squinting and forced focus hurts the eye.
Sinus Infection
The infection is also known as sinusitis – inflammation of the sinus tissue lining. The congestion during the infection causes sharp pain behind the eye and temple. The pressure and pain in the eye make routine difficult. Some other symptoms that linger in include:
- Stuffed nose
- Fatigue
- Upper teeth pain
Tension Headache
These are some of the most common reasons why individuals suffer from pain behind the eyes and feel pressure on their heads. It is really an underrated issue that must be highlighted. The episodes occur once or twice every month; it may become chronic if the triggers remain constant.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are an accumulation of short, painful episodes. They are not very common; time duration ranges from 15 minutes to an hour. The pain and pressure it puts on the eye are severe, no less than piercing. One of the distinguishing markers of this type is excessive tear production.
Migraine
Migraine poses extreme pressure and pain behind one eye. They are the worst among headache categories because one event lasts from hours to days. Migraine’s severity is none like any other, and it greatly disrupts the quality of life. Aside from stinging pain behind one eye, other symptoms like dizziness, light sensitivity, nausea, and weakness also occur.
Optic Neuritis
Optic neuritis adversely affects the eye and its vision. The reason for this is optic nerve inflammation. Optic nerves send messages to the brain so that it can interpret the images, and because of inflammation, this function is hampered, making your vision blur and causing pain behind the eye.
Sclera Pain
Inflammation of the sclera causes sharp pain in the eyes, also making them red and light-sensitive.
Aneurysm
If only your left eye is affected and is going through pain zaps, it indicates a brain aneurysm. In this condition, the blood vessel becomes bulgy that may burst.
Intraocular Pressure
When the fluid builds up more than normal levels inside your eye, the pressure increases, causing sharp pain vision loss, making them red, swollen, and itchy.
In case of severe to moderate eye pain, head to Internal Medicine and Diagnostic Center for a quick checkup. We have one of the best doctors in Texas on our team. Visit us or call at 281 252 8600.