Eye pain and other signs: tearing, redness, swelling, itching, sore throat, runny nose

Vision is one of the five main senses that we use most often, its organs are sensitive and open to all external influences eyes, characterized by a quick reaction to both exogenous irritants and health. Lacrimal fluid serves as protection for the eyes from various irritants, so lacrimation from the eyes occurs quite often and, in general, its causes are quite harmless. We usually do not worry about tears flowing from the eyes in the morning, after waking up from sleep, when we yawn, eyes water from crying or from laughter. In the open air, they react by secreting lacrimal fluid to frosty, sunny or windy weather. Tears may be accompanied by pain, redness, especially if a grain of sand gets into the eye. The overwhelming majority of people do not pay attention to minor discomfort in the eye, sometimes for quite a long time, until the symptoms become a serious hindrance, the pain becomes noticeable, and lacrimation is constant. Unfortunately, such a careless attitude towards the problem can lead to the development and worsening of eye diseases.

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Why do my eyes hurt and water?

Pathological causes directly related to the organs of vision, causing symptoms of lacrimation and moderate or severe pain in the eye:

• inflammatory diseases of any genesis - bacterial, viral, allergic - conjunctivitis (mucous membrane of the eye), blepharitis (edges of the eyelids), keratitis (cornea), barley (hair sac or sebaceous gland), dacryoadenitis (lacrimal gland), dacryocystitis (lacrimal sac), episcleritis (tissue between the sclera and conjunctiva), scleritis, uveitis (choroid);
• Glaucoma is a fairly common disease in which, as a result of intraocular hypertension, atrophy of the retina and optic nerve occurs;
• asthenopia or visual fatigue;
• xerophthalmia;
• trachoma - chlamydial infection of the eye;
• other eye diseases, in particular, refractive errors, in which this symptom may indicate the presence of pathology, being part of a symptom complex;
• eye injuries (blow, injection, burn, foreign body, consequences of surgery).
• aplasia and hypoplasia of the frontal sinuses.

Pathological risk factors for the appearance of discomfort in the eyes in the form of pain and lacrimation are inflammatory processes in the nose, ear, oral cavity, acute respiratory viral infections and flu; ocular form of shingles; arterial hypertension; severe headache; deficiency of vitamin A and/or B2, hypokalemia; development of age-related pathological changes; diseases of the central nervous system, as well as severe nervous shocks.

Often the causes of pain and tearing from the eyes can be:

• unsuitable glasses or contact lenses, improper arrangement of the workplace;
• changes in hormonal levels, most often pregnancy, menopause;
• performing actions that involve eye strain – reading small or illegible text, complex drawings with many small details; prolonged communication with a computer and other devices equipped with monitors;
• weather conditions.

The pathogenesis of lacrimation combined with eye pain depends on the cause of this symptom, in particular, in the early stages of glaucoma, the balance of the inflow and outflow of lacrimal fluid is disrupted, which leads to the development of intraocular hypertension and, accordingly, eye pain. One of the first clinical signs of the disease is often lacrimation as a result of increased tear production.

In the mechanism of development of inflammatory diseases of the anatomical elements of the eye, various infectious agents can act as pathogens, the pathogenesis of the lesion is associated with destructive changes occurring in the zone of pathogen introduction, spasms of blood vessels and muscles, pinched nerves, causing pain. Lacrimation occurs as a reaction to it. The same applies to traumatic eye lesions.

Lacrimation appears as a protective reaction - the lacrimal fluid washes the eye, moisturizing it, washing away foreign substances. Injuries and inflammations can cause destructive processes in the lacrimal gland itself and the lacrimal sac - strictures, adhesions. Often, as in xerophthalmia, lacrimation is compensatory in nature. With age-related changes, weakness of the lacrimal canals occurs, their atony can also occur as a reaction to injury or inflammation.

Statistics of diseases whose symptoms include pain and lacrimation indicate that the most common eye disease is conjunctivitis (a term that unites inflammations of the conjunctiva of various origins) - they make up slightly less than a third of all eye pathologies, which is explained by the accessibility of the mucous membrane of the eye to the influence of all sorts of unfavorable factors.

Blepharitis is not inferior to it in prevalence, but often inflammation of the edge of the eyelid is combined with inflammation of the conjunctiva or is its complication.

Barley can compete with these diseases, but people usually do not go to an ophthalmologist for this reason, but treat it at home. It is believed that barley periodically appears in 80% of the population.

Minor traumatic eye injuries - foreign bodies (speck, eyelash, splashes of detergent), minor blows and scratches remain outside the attention of doctors and occur quite often. Among eye injuries that lead to an ophthalmologist, burns are the most common, of which 2/3 are received at work, the rest - at home.

Glaucoma, according to WHO, is the main disease that leads to irreversible loss of vision if timely measures are not taken to slow down the development of the disease. There are more than 5 million blind people in the world who have lost their sight as a result of this disease, that is, 13.5% of all blind people.

Symptoms

Tearing along with pain in the eye is a common occurrence and usually goes away on its own when the irritant is removed.

However, if the eye hurts and waters for several days, these may be the first signs of ophthalmological and systemic diseases.

If after prolonged work on the computer, with drawings or other activities requiring significant visual strain, your head hurts and your eyes water, this indicates fatigue, or computer vision syndrome. This condition is aggravated by stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, especially in combination with smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, and taking medications. Overfatigue with such symptoms can be caused by an unusually heavy one-time physical load. Headaches caused by fatigue are often localized in the forehead, pressure is felt on the eyes, which begin to water. Concentration weakens, visual acuity decreases. After rest, this condition passes.

If there are additional symptoms, such as respiratory symptoms, fever, general weakness, one may assume the onset of flu or a viral infection.

The pain in the head is felt in the eyes, which water from this pain - this condition is typical for migraine. At the same time, flies, spots, flashes of light, spreading from the center of vision to the sides - aura - may flicker before the eyes. Migraine attacks are characterized by intolerance to sounds, especially sharp ones, sometimes - light, nausea and even vomiting may begin. The first attacks usually manifest after the age of 20. Migraine is characterized by intense temporal pain, which is often localized on one side, while it intensifies when turning and tilting the head.

A headache radiating to the eyes may be a sign of arterial hypertension, which is also usually accompanied by nausea, dizziness, weakness, darkening of the eyes, and ringing in the ears. The pain squeezes the head like a hoop, and the eyes begin to water from the severe pain.

Such symptoms may indicate the presence of cervical osteochondrosis, which is also often complicated by arterial hypertension. With osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, pressing pain often radiates to the eyes and temporal regions, vision and sensitivity of the upper limbs are impaired.

The sclera of a healthy eye is white, so if the eye is red, sore and watery, you need to pay attention to other signs and, if the condition does not go away, consult an ophthalmologist, since this symptom can have many causes: weather conditions, dry air-conditioned or smoke-filled air in the room, a speck of dirt in the eye, allergies, trauma, lack of sleep, visual strain.

In such cases, the cause-and-effect relationship is obvious and everything quickly passes when the irritant is eliminated. When the eye hurts and waters, and is red, and the cause of this phenomenon is not obvious, and the condition worsens, a specialist consultation is required. The most common inflammatory disease is conjunctivitis - inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye (conjunctiva). Most often, one eye is affected, but both eyes can suffer. In addition to the symptoms already described, swelling of the conjunctiva is usually observed, the eyelids may swell slightly.

The causative agents of inflammation can be different:

1. Viral inflammation is usually caused by herpes, picorna or adenovirus, common symptoms are intense lacrimation, hyperemia, burning, itching or pain, first one eye is affected, then the process can spread to both. Catarrhal form - usually the symptoms of inflammation are minor; follicular - characterized by vesicular rashes on the conjunctiva and eyelids; the most severe is vesicular-ulcerative herpetic conjunctivitis and membranous adenovirus - with high temperature, edema, photophobia, sometimes scars from ulcers can remain on the eyelids.
2. Bacterial conjunctivitis - characterized by the same general symptoms, differs by the absence of bubbles and the presence of purulent discharge from the eye. It is caused by many bacteria, most often staphylococcus and streptococcus, often goes away on its own, although it can be severe, then its treatment requires the use of not only local, but also systemic antibiotics.
3. Allergic inflammation of the conjunctiva is always accompanied by itching of varying intensity, lacrimation, sometimes swelling, the pain is usually not very pronounced. It may be accompanied by a rash and/or allergic rhinitis. Depending on the type of allergen, there are medicinal, pollinosis (seasonal), coinciding with the flowering time of plants, and off-season conjunctivitis (house dust, animal hair, cosmetics, household chemicals).
4. There are combined forms, the diagnosis of which is difficult when a secondary bacterial infection joins a viral or allergic one.

Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye can spread to the edges of the eyelids and be complicated by blepharitis, when the ciliary edge of the eyelid becomes inflamed. Inflammations of this localization often occur as an independent disease caused by various pathogens and allergens. Lacrimation and cutting pain in the eye are the most characteristic symptoms of acute allergic blepharitis. In this case, the eyelids become red and swollen, and photophobia develops.

Corneal inflammation (keratitis) can also have different etiologies. This disease causes severe eye pain and watering, hypersensitivity to light, and vision deterioration. The main symptom of keratitis is clouding of the cornea due to swelling and accumulation of particles in its tissue that are not typical for a healthy state. The epithelial surface of the cornea loses its shine and looks uneven and rough. As a result of epithelial exfoliation, erosions are formed.

Eyes hurt, water and turn red due to inflammation of the outer surface of the sclera - the episclera. The pain can be from minor (with minor inflammation) to quite significant (with widespread inflammation), hyperemia is caused by the expansion of blood vessels in the eye, increased secretion of tear fluid is caused by pain and irritation of nerve receptors.

Scleritis is much more dangerous and has more pronounced similar symptoms. When all layers of the sclera are inflamed, pale yellow spots may appear on it, which are a consequence of tissue necrosis. It happens that spots are the only symptom of the disease, such a course of scleritis is extremely severe.

Uveitis is a group of inflammatory lesions of the eye vessels. In this disease, the vascular membrane visually resembles a bunch of grapes (hence the name). The severity of symptoms depends on the location of the lesion, the patient's immunity, and the degree of aggressiveness of the infectious agent. Anterior uveitis is manifested by more noticeable symptoms: the eyes turn red, there is aching pain in the eye, which increases and becomes acute as it develops, they are accompanied by surges in eye pressure, there is lacrimation, an acute reaction to bright light, and a veil before the eyes. With posterior uveitis, the clinical picture is not so bright, there is no pain or hyperemia, vision deteriorates gradually, which is manifested by an obstacle in the form of blurred vision or scotoma (foggy spot).

If the eye is swollen, watery, sore and red, then the most likely cause is a stye, that is, the hair follicle or sebaceous gland at the eyelash bulb has become inflamed. After some time (from two to four days), a yellowish head (accumulation of pus) appears at the top of the swelling. Later, it opens itself and the pus comes out. There may be several stye. Sometimes, when the meibomian gland is infected, there is an internal stye (meibomitis), its clinical manifestations are similar, but somewhat less pronounced. When opened, pus comes out into the conjunctival cavity.

Swelling and redness of the eye, or more precisely the upper eyelid, accompanied by pain in the outer corner of the eye, may be symptoms of dacryoadenitis - inflammation of the lacrimal gland. It usually occurs as a complication of infectious mumps, and may occur after flu or tonsillitis. Swelling and hyperemia quickly increase, pain intensifies, causing lacrimation. The patient's health worsens, headache and hyperthermia appear, the swollen upper eyelid can completely cover the eye. The enlarged lacrimal gland presses on the eyeball, pushing it inward and displacing it downwards. Swelling may spread to the temple area, and enlarged lymph nodes are observed behind the ear.

Redness, swelling of the inner corner of the eye, severe pain syndrome may be signs of dacryocystitis - inflammation of the lacrimal sac. Such pathologies are usually one-sided, for example, if the right eye persistently hurts and waters with increasing symptoms, and also - the swelling in the corner of the eye increases and it is impossible to touch this corner. The swelling is often quite strong, because of it there is a narrowing of the eye slit. Pus may be observed in the lacrimal fluid, especially if you gently press on the location of the lacrimal sac. The patient has a severe headache and watery eyes, body temperature rises, symptoms of general malaise appear.

In general, most of the inflammatory processes described above begin with one eye, sometimes it may be limited to it, in some cases the inflammation may spread to the other eye. Almost always there is a deterioration in vision - double vision, lack of sharpness, scotomas.

Moderate but persistent pain, often on one side only, can be a sign of a currently incurable disease that leads to complete blindness - glaucoma. By the way, people who have had inflammatory eye diseases are in a group with a high probability of developing it. For example, a person notices that his left eye hurts and waters quite persistently, while his vision loses its acuity, "flies" or "nets" appear before his eyes, and his field of vision narrows. There is a feeling of heaviness in the eye, a headache on the affected side, more often - in the temporal zone. If such symptoms appear, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist, because the earlier the diagnosis is made, the easier it is, if not to cure, then to significantly slow down the development of the disease. In most cases (up to 90%), open-angle glaucoma develops. The onset of the disease proceeds with practically unnoticeable symptoms, the field of vision narrows very slowly, sometimes years pass, discomfort is weakly expressed (slight asthenopia, rainbow when looking at a light source). The closed-angle form develops more sharply with noticeable symptoms. Sometimes the process affects both eyes at once.

Sore throat and watery eyes with flu and flu-like infections, in particular adenovirus, with an increase in temperature (usually up to 37.5℃), fever, weakness, muscle and joint pain, runny nose. Accompanied by pain in the eyes, symptoms of conjunctivitis, diarrhea and pain in the epigastrium are possible.

Eyes hurt and water with a cold, as rhinovirus infection is often called, since the pathogen is activated and shows itself after hypothermia. And this connection is usually beyond doubt. The throat begins to itch, the eyes hurt and water, the nose runs - the patient sneezes, his nose gets stuffy. Later, the head begins to hurt, a cough appears and the body temperature rises.

Eyes hurt, water and itch, mainly due to inflammation of allergic genesis. Both eyes usually come into contact with the allergen, be it pollen, house dust or cat hair, so the symptoms appear synchronously in both eyes. At the same time, the vessels usually dilate and the whites of the eyes turn red, especially since it is difficult to resist rubbing them.

Itchy eyes, or more precisely, the edges of the eyelids, with demodectic blepharitis - damage by small mites. In this case, itching will be the prevailing symptom and simply unbearable, especially after sleep, and pain, hyperemia and lacrimation are the result of irritation by the waste products of parasites. Externally, the eyelids look "unkempt", thickened, with dried, difficult to separate scales at the base of the eyelashes.

Eyes itch quite a lot with herpetic conjunctivitis, the symptoms of which are described above.

An ear hurts and an eye starts to water – this is how acute otitis media usually begins, and the pain is felt in the eye on the corresponding side and in the temple. The ear is blocked, hyperthermia, and the general condition worsens. After some time, pus and mucus start to flow out of the ear, the condition improves, the pain and watery eyes go away.

The condition when temples hurt and eyes water is familiar to many, after overwork, lack of sleep, nervous tension, and also after excessive alcohol consumption. When such situations are one-time, they are not scary, the body quickly recovers itself. However, periodically recurring pain in the temporal zone in combination with lacrimation, not provoked by violations of the work and rest regime, may indicate health problems. Most often, this symptom is caused by spasms of the cerebral vessels. They are provoked by various circumstances - congenital disorders of the tone of cerebral vessels (manifested from childhood), acquired vascular pathologies, weather dependence, unstable arterial and intracranial pressure.

Arterial hypertension is one of the diseases of the century, becoming younger and affecting ever wider sections of the population. The characteristic localization of pain is in the occipital area of the skull, diverging to both temples. During attacks, the head hurts badly and the eyes water, the patient's face turns pale, nausea and vomiting may be observed, a pressing sensation behind the eyes. During severe attacks, it is impossible to stand up straight and move independently, it darkens in the eyes up to fainting.

Migraine can be the reason for temple pain and watery eyes. Often, such headache is localized on one side: in the temple - a sensation of a hot sharp object, while the eye hurts inside and waters.

Intoxication of various origins - alcohol, medications, poor quality food, chemicals, as a result of infectious diseases can be the cause of headaches in the temples and the resulting lacrimation.

There can be many reasons why your eyes hurt and water. These include hormonal fluctuations (pregnancy, menopause, adolescence), inflammatory diseases of the brain, neuropsychiatric pathologies, and neoplasms. If this symptom bothers you periodically, you should get examined and find out the cause of the discomfort.

If even a tiny speck of dust gets into the eye, it hurts when blinking and waters, and visual strain also manifests itself as a feeling of "sand" in the eyes. However, this symptom can also manifest the beginning of an inflammatory process in the eye, other eye or, for example, neurological diseases. Therefore, if the sensation stubbornly does not leave you even after rest, it makes sense to consult an ophthalmologist with this problem.

The most common eye injury is considered to be its burns, which occur as a result of thermal, chemical or radiation exposure, as a result of which the cells of damaged tissues die, blood circulation in the vascular membrane and metabolic processes are disrupted, and intoxication occurs. Depending on the severity of the injury, symptoms can manifest themselves in the form of swelling, redness of the eyelids, mucous membrane and eyeball, pain syndrome of varying intensity, inflammatory manifestations, blepharospasm, lacrimation, corneal opacity, increased photosensitivity, ocular hyper- or hypotension, and deterioration of vision. Neglecting safety rules at work and at home can result in serious injuries and damage to vision. When eyes hurt and water after welding, these are symptoms of a burn of the cornea, eyelid and its mucous membrane. Such household injuries can be the result of visiting a solarium, observing a solar eclipse without the appropriate equipment.

A child's eye hurts and waters most often due to conjunctivitis (in this case, the eye turns red, the child often rubs it, and there may be particles of pus in the tear fluid); overwork from watching TV for a long time, playing on the computer (redness, a sensation of a foreign body in the eye, itching, burning); allergies; corneal trauma; inflammation of the sinuses; developmental anomalies of the lacrimal canals. If a child complains of eye pain, often rubs his eyes, they are red and watery, it is necessary to consult a pediatric ophthalmologist about this.

Diagnostics

Modern ophthalmology has a significant arsenal of diagnostic tools for examining the eyes for pathologies. During the examination of the external structures of the eye, the doctor evaluates their condition, measures the intraocular pressure, tests visual acuity, pupil dilation and examines the fundus. The clinical picture allows to suggest a diagnosis, as well as to choose laboratory and instrumental methods of further examination. In case of inflammatory processes, a clinical blood test, specific tests confirming a deficiency of vitamins or microelements, bacterioscopic examination of a smear from the conjunctiva, an allergy test, tear production (Schirmer test), stability of the tear film (Norn test), degenerative changes in the conjunctiva or cornea with Lissamine green (Ophtolik test) and others at the discretion of the doctor depending on the suspected diagnosis can be prescribed.

Modern, often computerized, instrumental diagnostics will help to comprehensively examine the visual organ for any hidden pathologies. The patient's visual acuity and refraction are determined using an autorefractometer and phoroptor. The volume of absolute and relative accommodation reserve is determined using a proximeter or computer accommodation. If glaucoma is suspected, the fundus and optic nerve are examined in detail using an ophthalmoscope, ultrasound examination of the eyes and computer coherence tomography, which allows for a detailed examination of all eye structures. The field of vision is examined using a computer perimeter. The depth of the anterior chamber of the eyeball, the location and thickness of the lens can be measured, the structure of the inner corner of the eye is studied to assess the function of tear fluid outflow (gonioscopy).

A consultation with a neurologist, a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain may be prescribed.

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Differential diagnostics is carried out on the basis of examination of the patient and analysis of the examination results; a diagnosis is made and treatment is prescribed.

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Treatment

And yet, what to do if the eye is watery and hurts. At first, we all try to cope with the ill health on our own, remove the foreign body from the eye, put in anti-inflammatory eye drops, rest, sleep, make soothing compresses from tea or medicinal herbs.

In most cases, such measures help almost immediately; at least the next morning after a good night's rest, the pain, redness and tearing go away if the cause was minor.

If your eye is watery and sore, you must not:

• rub it;
• heat or cool;
• instilling products that are not intended for use in the eyes;
• wash your eyes for the purpose of disinfection with a solution of salt, soda or hydrogen peroxide and others (only clean water is suitable for washing your eyes).

The improvement that has occurred as a result of the measures taken may be apparent, after some time the pain and lacrimation will bother you again and for no apparent reason. Then it is recommended to go to an ophthalmologist without delay - you will have to solve the problem with joint efforts.

If an inflammatory process is detected in the eye, local eye ointments or drops are prescribed. The antibacterial effect is provided by:

1. Eye drops with the active substance piloxidine hydrochloride (0.05%), which belongs to the biguanide series. These are antiseptic drops (Vitabact, Poliksidin), which have a bactericidal effect on pathogenic microorganisms that cause inflammatory processes in the eye - cocci, shigella, E. coli, chlamydia, certain types of fungi and viruses. It begins to act immediately after instillation, is able to destroy microorganisms sensitive to it. Almost does not enter the systemic bloodstream. Can be used in pediatrics. Does not have a destructive effect on soft contact lenses.
   It is mainly used to treat bacterial infections of the mucous membrane of the eyelid, inflammation of the sclera, cornea, lacrimal sac, after ophthalmological operations. Side effects are minimal, combines well with other antibacterial drugs used to treat inflammation of the eye elements. Instill one or two drops two to six times a day (the doctor prescribes the quantity and duration individually).
2. Floxal drops and ointment - conjunctivitis, blepharitis, keratitis and other infectious lesions of the structural elements of the eye caused by pathogens sensitive to ofloxacin (the active ingredient of the drug). Children can be prescribed from birth. Side effects are very rare, mainly hyperemia, burning, itching. The method and duration of use is prescribed by the doctor, usually it is recommended to instill one drop four times a day for no more than two weeks.
3. Hydrocortisone drops and ointment - glucocorticosteroid, eliminates allergies, swelling, intoxication. It is used in cases of inflammation in the anterior chamber of the eye, in the absence of damage to the cornea. Contraindicated in viral, fungal and bacterial infections, ulcerative-erosive lesions. It has many side effects up to the development of glaucoma, is not intended for long-term use. It is necessary to strictly follow the doctor's instructions.
4. Korneregel is a medicinal product in the form of a gel for the regeneration of eye tissue damaged by erosions, ulcers, injuries, surgeries and infections (as part of complex therapy). The active component of the gel, dexpanthenol, when it gets on the surface of the mucous membrane, breaks down, forming metabolites that promote rapid restoration of damaged tissue. Local side effects (hyperemia, pain, burning, swelling) as a result of using the gel are extremely rare. When used in combination with other ophthalmic drops or ointments, the interval before using another product should exceed five minutes. Instill one drop in each eye three to five times a day. Can be used for a long time.
5. Aktipol - drops based on para-aminobenzoic acid, have antiviral (adeno- and herpesvirus) and immunomodulatory effects. In addition to viral infections, they are prescribed to restore corneal and retinal tissue as a result of injuries and operations, with dystrophic changes in the cells of these tissues. It is characterized by good tolerance, but side effects are not excluded. It is used for no more than a decade, it is necessary to instill from three to eight times a day (the amount is determined by the doctor).

Teratogenic, mutagenic and embryotoxic effects of the above-mentioned drugs have not been identified; eye drops are not detected in the systemic bloodstream or breast milk and can be prescribed to pregnant women and nursing mothers, however, according to strict indications and after medical consultation.

If topical therapy is ineffective, the patient may be prescribed oral or parenteral antibacterial, anti-inflammatory or antiviral drugs.

Conservative treatment of primary glaucoma is aimed at normalizing the pressure inside the eye, restoring normal blood supply and metabolic processes. The doctor selects the therapy method individually, taking into account the patient's condition, taking into account many factors. Medicines used in the treatment of this disease are divided into two groups: enhancing the outflow of tear fluid and inhibiting its production. Treatment of glaucoma is carried out only under the supervision of an ophthalmologist.

Vitamins are essential for treating eye pain accompanied by lacrimation. Of great importance is a balanced diet of the patient, including foods containing vitamins A and C, riboflavin, as well as selenium and zinc. They are contained in fresh peas and beans, carrots, cabbage, buckwheat and oatmeal, bread, dairy products, fish, eggs, liver, meat. In addition, the doctor may prescribe a course of vitamin and mineral preparations.

Physiotherapeutic treatment is widely used for ophthalmological diseases. Almost all methods are used – electric current (pulse, induction, galvanic and others), medicinal electrophoresis, magnetic fields, microwave radiation, thermal procedures. The choice of method depends on the type of disease. For example, ultrasound therapy is used for purulent conjunctivitis, keratitis and their consequences, degenerative processes in the retina, glaucoma, consequences of injuries and operations.

Microwave therapy is used for acute and subacute inflammations and circulatory disorders in the eyes.

Medicinal electrophoresis for blepharitis and conjunctivitis, keratitis and scleritis, open-angle glaucoma and many other diseases helps to continuously and long-term administer the drug to any affected area of the eye without violating its integrity, creating a storage of ions of the medicinal substance, and also to remove it from the eye tissues when changing the polarity of the current. The drug is administered evenly and in small doses, which reduces the likelihood of side effects, it accumulates in the ionized state in the eye tissues, thus the effectiveness of the drug increases several times.

Physiotherapeutic procedures also have contraindications, they are considered individually and depend on many factors. General contraindications to the use of physiotherapy devices are acute injuries, severe swelling, hyperthermia and temperature sensitivity disorders.

Folk remedies

After removing a speck from your eye, walking in sunny weather without glasses, or sitting at the computer until midnight, you can easily use folk medicine recipes to soothe irritation and prevent inflammation of the eye structures.

In case of more serious pathological processes, it is possible, after consulting with a doctor, to use herbal treatment as part of a complex of therapeutic measures.

For inflammations of bacterial origin, it is recommended to make eye compresses from Kalanchoe juice: squeeze the juice from the leaves of the plant and mix with the same amount of warm boiled water, make ten-minute compresses with a cotton pad soaked in the solution.

If in the morning the eyes are stuck together from pus, they are washed with a decoction of rose hips: take two tablespoons of dried fruits per 200 ml of water, boil and leave to infuse for about 60 minutes. Strain, wash the eyes with it and then make a compress with the remaining infusion for a quarter of an hour. To wash each eye, pour the infusion into a separate container, in which only a new and clean cotton swab is moistened.

In case of an inflammatory process caused by a viral infection, it is recommended to use chamomile infusion for compresses, doing ten-minute procedures four to six times daily: pour a tablespoon of plant flowers with 200 ml of boiling water and leave to infuse for an hour. Strain and do the procedure.

Eyebright infusion is used to wash the eyes upon waking up in the morning and at night. To do this, two tablespoons of dried and crushed grass are brewed with boiling water in a volume of 0.5 liters, after an hour it is filtered and the infusion is ready.

For adenovirus infection, five-minute compresses of freshly squeezed plantain juice are recommended.

Inflammations of allergic etiology are treated with ten-minute lotions of aloe juice, for which one part of freshly squeezed juice from the leaves of the plant is mixed with ten parts of warm boiled water. Such lotions are recommended to be done four times a day.

You can make eye drops from medicinal plants. Mix equal parts of crushed and dried chamomile flowers, snapdragon, marshmallow root and black nightshade leaves. Take a tablespoon of the herbal mixture per 100 ml of water, brew and wait until the infusion has completely cooled. Strain well through several layers of gauze so that no plant particles remain and put two drops in each eye once a day.

In case of inflammation of the cornea of the eye, it is recommended to put one or two drops of sea buckthorn oil into the sore eye: at the beginning of the disease - every 60 minutes, later - every three hours. The effect of such treatment comes very quickly, it helps well even in advanced cases. The same scheme can restore corneal tissue well in case of an eye burn.

In case of complications of purulent keratitis in the form of a developing leukoma, it is recommended to mix one part of celandine juice with three parts of aqueous extract of propolis. Drip this composition once before going to bed. If the drops cause irritation, then you can take a little more extract.

Doctors categorically do not recommend treating glaucoma with folk remedies, however, there are many reviews that the condition improves and vision returns. At least, after consulting with a doctor, you can include some folk remedies in the treatment regimen.

For example, wash your eyes four or five times a day with an aqueous extract of aloe. The course of treatment is two weeks, then take a break until the end of the month. Side effects during treatment are a slight tingling sensation. The extract can be prepared in two ways: dilute one part of fresh aloe juice with ten parts of distilled cold water or boil two leaves of the plant in a glass of water for six minutes, when it cools down a little - wipe everything through a fine mesh.

Intraocular hypertension is eliminated by taking a herbal infusion orally. To do this, make a mixture of crushed dry plant components: three parts each of dried rose hips and red rowan berries, two parts of St. John's wort; one part each of plantain leaves, lingonberry, nettle and birch, horsetail, string, and knotweed. Mix everything well. Brew two tablespoons of the herbal composition in a thermos with 600 ml of boiling water. Leave to infuse overnight. Strain in the morning and drink the entire portion in equal portions throughout the day. Continue treatment until recovery.

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Homeopathy

In classical homeopathy, the following are used to treat eye diseases: Euphrasia (eyebright), Ruta graveolens (fragrant rue), gold (Aurum) and white arsenic (Arsenicum). Homeopathy even helps patients with glaucoma. Basically, Sulfur (Sulphur) and Phosphorus (Phosphorus) are prescribed for this disease. Belladonna, Gelsemium, Ignatia, Conium, Natrium mureaticum give a good effect for inflammatory processes in the cornea and retina. Almost any drug can have a beneficial effect on vision if prescribed by a specialist and corresponds to the type of patient.

In pharmacies, you can find complex homeopathic preparations to eliminate pain, lacrimation, hyperemia associated with inflammation and eye fatigue. In case of eye injuries, inflammatory processes and in glaucoma treatment regimens, the drug Traumeel S has a positive effect, quickly stopping hemorrhagic manifestations, anesthetizing, inhibiting the action of inflammation mediators. The drug also has an anti-edematous effect, increases the immune status of the body and promotes the restoration of damaged tissues.

It is available as an injection solution and tablets. Injections are given daily during the acute period, a single dose for patients aged 12 and above is one ampoule (2.2 ml). Then switch to a maintenance dose - from one ampoule to three during the week or taking tablets. In pediatric practice: infancy - dosed at 0.4 ml; 1-2 full years - 0.6 ml; 3-5 full years - 1 ml; 6-11 years - 1.5 ml. The contents of the ampoules can be used for oral administration.

The tablet form is intended for sublingual administration, dosed: for patients from three years of age - one unit per dose three times a day. For children 0-2 full years old, the tablet is divided in half and taken three times a day, half at a time. Acute attacks are stopped by dissolving a single dose every quarter of an hour, while no more than eight single doses can be taken.

Should be taken with caution by persons sensitized to plants of the Asteraceae family.

Oculoheel is a homeopathic eye drop intended for patients with inflammatory, viral and allergic, as well as degenerative processes of the visual organs, as well as for people whose work is associated with high visual loads that cause pain, irritation, abnormal lacrimation, double vision, and blurred vision. The use of drops helps to normalize vascular trophism and eye muscle tone. The action of the drug is determined by its composition:

Euphrasia (eyebright) - this plant is used in the treatment of ophthalmological pathologies, eliminates the symptoms of asthenopia ("sand in the eyes", lacrimation, dryness, photophobia), stops infection and inflammation.

Cochlearia (horseradish) – irritation, redness, discomfort in the eyes.

Pilocarpus jaborandii – eye strain, resulting in severe fatigue, pain and burning, and visual disturbances.

Echinacea is an immunostimulant and antioxidant, which also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Put two drops into the eyes three times a day.

Okulus EDAS-108 – oral drops intended for the same category of patients as the previous drug. The compositions of these homeopathic remedies overlap with each other:

Ruta odorata – discomfort and burning in the light from an artificial source; veil, spots or rainbow before the eyes; lacrimation, mainly in the open air; accommodation disorders and other symptoms of visual fatigue.

Euphrasia (eyebright) - this plant is used in the treatment of ophthalmological pathologies, eliminates the symptoms of asthenopia (sand in the eyes, lacrimation, dryness, photophobia), stops infection and inflammation.

Echinacea is an immunostimulant and antioxidant, which also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Place five drops in a teaspoon of water or on a piece of sugar and take orally three times a day at equal intervals, regardless of food intake.

DreamTeam MagicEye™ is a new revolutionary invention of Russian pharmaceuticals, the drug is positioned as homeopathic, although its only active substance is sterile water, with the so-called "matrix of healthy eyes" embedded in its molecules. When entering the eyes, intelligent drops find pathological changes in their cells and correct defects using information read from the matrix, therefore they are suitable for patients with any diseases of the visual organs.

Surgical treatment

In cases where conservative therapy is ineffective, a decision may be made to perform surgery on the eyeball and adnexa in the absence of contraindications. Eye microsurgery operations are performed under the control of a powerful operating microscope, which allows for minimally invasive interventions using micro incisions and punctures. Modern eye surgeries are virtually painless, do not require general anesthesia or suturing. They are mainly performed on an outpatient basis. Recovery does not take long.

Planned surgeries, such as those for glaucoma, are performed to improve the outflow of ocular fluid, usually using laser equipment.

In case of eye trauma or retinal detachment, surgery must be performed urgently, since loss of time can result in the patient becoming blind.

The type of surgery depends on the disease and the patient's condition. Eye surgery techniques are well developed and sometimes only surgical intervention can save the patient's vision.

Consequences and complications

Eye discomfort caused by quite harmless reasons - a small speck of dust, visual fatigue, wind, exposure to the sun - passes quickly. It is enough to remove the speck of dust, wash the eye, get a good night's sleep and in the morning you will forget about the pain in the eye and lacrimation.

However, symptoms that cause discomfort for several days, even if not too strong, but persistent, occurring periodically, should be a cause for concern.

Minor conjunctivitis that is ignored for a long time can be complicated by blepharitis. The spread of the inflammatory process in the opposite direction is also possible. Long-term sluggish inflammation covers an ever larger area and spreads to the cornea, sclera and choroid. A particularly dangerous complication of blepharitis is a situation in which eyelashes begin to grow in the opposite direction. They injure the cornea of the eye, creating favorable conditions for secondary infection. This can lead to the formation of erosive and ulcerative lesions of the cornea, which will complicate the treatment process and cast doubt on the favorable outcome of such a seemingly ordinary and initially harmless disease.

Inflammation of the outer layer of the sclera - episcleritis without treatment progresses and affects all layers. There is a possibility of destructive changes up to complete melting of the episclera and deepening of the inflammatory process, which can lead to significant deterioration of vision as a result of edema and/or retinal detachment.

The consequences of a careless attitude towards the treatment of keratitis or sclerokeratitis can be erosive and ulcerative defects of the cornea, leading to the appearance of scars and a film on the eye.

Barley usually breaks through on its own and does not cause any particular trouble, except for slight discomfort, however, in some cases the inflammation can spread to nearby tissues, causing severe headaches, hyperthermia, lymphadenopathy. Squeezing pus out of barley is strictly not recommended. Such actions are fraught with complications in the form of phlegmon of the orbit, meningoencephalitis, thrombosis of the vein through which blood circulates from the face and brain to the heart (cavernous sinus).

Blepharitis or barley can be complicated by the appearance of a chalazion - a cystic formation of the meibomian gland.

In some patients, especially those with weakened immunity, dacryoadenitis can develop into an abscess or phlegmon of the lacrimal gland. Dacryocystitis and any other inflammation without proper treatment can develop into a chronic, constantly recurring disease.

Although glaucoma is incurable, competent, thorough and timely treatment allows maintaining vision in working condition for a very long time and avoiding acute attacks during which one can go blind.

In general, any pathology of the visual organ can, as it develops, lead to serious visual impairments, and sometimes to complete blindness. Considering the proximity of the eyes to the brain, the consequence of the spread of inflammatory processes to nearby tissues can be fatal.

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Prevention

Measures to prevent eye pain and tearing are not too complicated:

• It is necessary to protect your eyes from bright sunlight by using high-quality sunglasses;
• at work, do not ignore safety precautions and wear masks or glasses that protect the eyes from splashes of harmful substances, flying chips and welding glare;
• arrange the space at the computer according to the rules of ergonomics;
• if necessary, correct your vision using glasses or contact lenses selected with your doctor;
• try to avoid overstraining your eyes if possible, for example, by relaxing in front of the TV or after a working day spent in front of a computer monitor;
• when working at a computer for a long time, take technological breaks and do eye exercises;
• try to avoid stress, nervous and physical strain;
• lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well;
• if you have an allergy, try to avoid contact with substances that cause it, take anti-allergy medications during the flowering period of plants, etc.;
• do not neglect chronic systemic diseases;
• observe the rules of personal hygiene - do not wipe your face with other people's towels, do not rub your eyes with dirty hands, do not use other people's cosmetics and do not share your own; if someone in the family has an eye infection, separate their towel, do not lie down on their pillow;
• seek medical help promptly if you experience pain and tearing from the eyes, without allowing the disease to become complicated or chronic.

Forecast

The appearance of pain in the eye and lacrimation in the vast majority of cases is quite harmless and has a favorable outcome, the most common pathologies (conjunctivitis, blepharitis, barley) pass without a trace. The consequences of corneal inflammation depend on the depth of its lesion, as well as scleritis, however, with timely treatment, residual effects generally do not affect visual acuity. Deep lesions, especially in the central areas of the cornea, often contribute to deterioration of vision due to the formation of adhesions and scars, as well as severe corneal opacity.

The prognosis for eye injury is individual and depends on the severity and location of the lesion.

The prognosis of glaucoma depends entirely on the condition of the visual organ at the time of detection of the pathology and the beginning of treatment.

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