I have always been in pretty good health, so I was surprised one day when my doctor told me my blood pressure was a bit high. She told me to begin watching my salt intake, start exercising, and to try to relax. Well, I intended to follow her advice when I left her office, but the next day I was back to my same habits. I kept using the salt shaker and didn't begin an exercise routine like I had planned. When I went for my next check-up, she told me that my blood pressure was even higher and approaching a dangerous level. I had to begin a blood pressure medication to manage it. I wanted to create a blog to share my story and remind people to listen to their doctors' advice. If a few lifestyle changes can improve your health, then you should make them.
Most people experience itchy or dry eyes at least on occasion. But what if your eyes actually hurt and are painful? That's a different matter entirely, and it can be pretty serious. You really need to look into why your eyes hurt, and the best way to do that is to see an ophthalmologist, who is a medical doctor who specializes in treating eye conditions. Here are a few of the possible causes they'll consider and discuss with you.
1. Corneal Abrasion
Is the pain sharp, and does it get a lot worse when you open your eye and when light shines in your eye? You could have a corneal abrasion, which is basically a brush burn on the surface of your eye. The surface of your cornea basically gets abraded away, which is very painful. Most corneal abrasions heal with no lasting effects as long as you get the right care — which an antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection, plus steroid eye drops to promote healing. Your ophthalmologist will be able to tell if you have a corneal abrasion just by looking at your eye, perhaps through a special microscope.
2. Iritis
Iritis is a condition in which your iris, which is the pigmented portion of your eye, swells up and becomes painful. Iritis usually causes your eye to look red, too, and it may cause blurry vision and headaches. It is often due to a trauma, such as getting hit in the eye, but it can also occur seemingly spontaneously in response to a viral infection. Your ophthalmologist can diagnose iritis with visual acuity tests and tests to measure the pressure in your eye. If you are diagnosed, you may be prescribed steroid eye drops to reduce inflammation along with pain relievers to keep you comfortable while your eye heals.
3. Optic Neuritis
If your vision is blurry and you start to feel like you can't see colors clearly, then you may have a condition called optic neuritis. This tends to cause a sort of sharp, throbbing pain behind the eye. Optic neuritis can be a symptom of a condition like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. Your doctor can detect it by dilating your eyes and looking at your optic nerve through a special instrument. If you are diagnosed, your doctor will send you for additional testing to pinpoint the cause of the pain. In the meantime, they may prescribe steroid eye drops to help with the inflammation and pain.
Never ignore eye pain. Make an appointment at an ophthalmology clinic to learn more.
Share26 August 2020
