The eye is a very sensitive and important organ. While you may feel some pain in the eyes when you blink for reasons that shouldn’t concern you, this is not a symptom to ignore. In some cases, the pain may be a sign of a serious underlying eye condition.

Below we will explore everything there is to know from what you can ignore to what you should be careful about. Let’s get started.

Common Causes of Pain When You Blink

According to research, some of the most common causes include pink eye, dry eyes, and a stye (1).

1. Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)

Pink eye is a common viral eye infection. The condition can also be caused by a bacterial infection or allergic reaction affecting the conjunctiva (membrane lining the eyeball and eyelid). As the name suggests, the condition causes the white part of the eye (iris) to appear pink or reddish (2).

Main Pink Eye Symptons 

• Pain when blinking
• Red eyes (on the iris)
• Eye Irritation (on one/both eyes)
• Gritty feeling (as if you have something in your eye/s)
• Tearing
• Light sensitivity

While pink eye is uncomfortable, it doesn’t affect vision in most cases. However, you may need treatment depending on the underlying cause.

Pink Eye Treatment

You should see a doctor immediately if you experience pink eye symptoms since the condition is contagious. If your eye doctor finds the cause to be a virus, the infection will go away on its own without treatment. If the underlying cause is bacteria, you should get antibiotic medication i.e., eye drops/ointment.

2. Dry Eyes

You could also be feeling pain when you blink because of dry eye disease – a condition that occurs when you don’t produce enough tears to effectively lubricate your eyes or when your tears evaporate faster than normal. 

The main causes are linked to the disruption of the eye’s tear film which has a mucus layer, aqueous fluid layer, and fatty oily layer. 

These layers may stop working effectively to lubricate the eyes because of hormonal changes, eye allergies, inflammation of eyelid oil glands, autoimmune conditions, aging, some medications, deficiencies (Vitamin A), etc (3). 

Main Dry Eye Disease Symptoms

• Pain when you blink
• Burning, scratchy, or stinging sensation
• Sensitivity to light
• Stringy mucus around/in your eyes
• Eye redness
• Gritty feeling (as if you have something in your eye/s)
• Eye fatigue and/or blurry vision

Given the variety of underlying causes and seriousness of some symptoms, it’s advisable to seek medical attention if you feel pain when you blink and experience many other symptoms above.

Dry Eyes Treatment

Your eye doctor may prescribe dry eye treatment based on severity. You may get special contact lenses that trap moisture and prevent/slow down drying. Procedures may be recommended i.e., vision therapy to ease symptoms (4).

3. A Stye

Your pain could also be due to a stye (hordeolum) – an infection of the eyelid gland. The main cause of the eyelid infection is bacteria (staph) (5). 

Main Symptoms of a Stye

• Pain when you blink
• Redness
• Swelling of the eyelid/s
• Tear production
• Gritty feeling (foreign body sensation)

Stye Treatment

Styes are contagious and come with many uncomfortable symptoms. As you take important actions like washing your hands and face regularly, you still need to seek proper treatment. In many cases, eye doctors prescribe antibiotic ointments or creams. In severe cases, you may need to see an eye specialist for further treatment.

4. Other Causes

Other not-so-serious but common causes of eye pain when you blink include eye debris and eye injury i.e. when you scratch your eye accidentally.

Serious Causes of Pain When You Blink

Pink eye, dry eyes, a stye, debris in the eye, or an accidental scratch shouldn’t be a strong cause for concern. If the symptoms persist, it’s advisable to see an eye doctor. However, you should be more concerned about the causes below.

1. Optic Neuritis

If you experience some serious pain, you could be suffering from optic neuritis which is a severe inflammation of the optic nerve (nerve connecting the brain to the eyes).

Most common symptoms of Optic Neuritis

• Severe eye pain (during eye movement including blinking)
• Temporary loss of vision 
• Loss of colour perception
• Flashing lights

Optic Neuritis Treatment

If you have a single episode of symptoms, such as temporary vision loss, you can recover without treatment. However, since there’s a possibility of optic neuritis leading to permanent vision loss if the condition isn’t treated, you should see a doctor immediately.

2. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that can cause blindness if left untreated. It occurs when the optic nerve is damaged. The damage happens over time and is linked to several causes/risk factors, among them being genetic causes, eye injury, some medication, and some underlying conditions i.e. diabetes, sickle cell anaemia, and high blood pressure.

Main Symptoms of Glaucoma

• Severe pain
• Severe headaches
• Blurred vision
• Eye redness
• Halos around light (coloured rings around lighting)
• Increased blinking (common among infants)
• Gradual side vision loss (6) 

Glaucoma Treatment

If you suspect your eye pain, among other symptoms, could be linked to glaucoma, you need to visit your eye doctor immediately to get an accurate diagnosis. Glaucoma is best diagnosed through a dilated eye exam (7). After the diagnosis, glaucoma management is recommended to manage the disease.

Final Thoughts

Clearly, there are many reasons for feeling pain when you blink. These reasons range from common (not so serious) causes that can be contained with a cool compress, to very serious reasons that require immediate medical attention.

Generally, you should be worried about pain that is accompanied by new, worsening, and/or unusual symptoms as such pain can lead to permanent damage or vision loss. If you are unsure of why your eye might be hurting, we recommend you seek medical attention immediately!

Luckily, if you reside in Toronto, you can visit Fairlawn Eye Care, a renowned eye clinic with 40+ years of experience (since 1982) caring for Toronto’s vision needs.

Get a comprehensive eye exam to establish the underlying cause of your eye pain. Fairlawn Eye Care also handles ocular emergencies just in case your eye pain is linked to any type of injury or related eye emergencies.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT. Email: info@fairlawneyecare.com or CALL: (416)-482-5352 to ask questions about eye pain. Google maps.

 References

Did you know that the cornea can be reshaped by a corneal reshaping lens much like the way braces straighten teeth?

Refractive errors responsible for eye conditions like myopia (near-sightedness) and astigmatism can be dealt with temporarily using eyeglasses and contact lenses. A patient can also get laser vision correction surgery if they want a permanent solution that offers freedom from glasses or contacts.

However, laser eye surgery may not be an option for everyone, especially children. Children may also struggle with eyeglasses and contacts because they must be worn continuously over a long time.

Therein lies a better solution – corneal reshaping lens. As you will lear from this blog, these types of contact lenses are only worn at night ( making them overnight contact lenses) but allow good clear daytime vision throughout the day. They also have a host of other benefits. Let’s start by defining these corneal reshaping lenses.

Definition: Corneal Reshaping Lens (Ortho-K Lens)

The cornea of people with refractive errors like myopia or astigmatism doesn’t refract light properly, resulting in blurred vision or double vision.

Corneal reshaping or Ortho-K lenses are contact lenses that work by reshaping the cornea – the transparent dome-shaped part of the eye that refracts light. The lenses reshape the cornea temporarily like the way dental braces work.

Ortho K lenses are used at night. They reshape the cornea as the wearer sleeps resulting in improved vision that is reversible as long as the lenses are worn as directed (1). Ortho-K contacts are specially designed gas-permeable contact lenses commonly used to reduce/eliminate near-sightedness (myopia).

Who Is Ortho-k for? Suitable Candidates for Corneal Reshaping Lens

As mentioned, the contacts are mainly used for correcting myopia for patients who may not find typical solutions (like eyeglasses and traditional contact lenses) or laser eye surgery (LASIK or PRK) to be ideal.

This makes Ortho-K highly recommendable for correcting children’s vision. Since refractive surgery is not recommended to children because their vision is continuously changing and eyeglasses and regular contacts need to be worn all the time, Ortho-K contact lenses are the next best alternative (2).

How Ortho-K Lenses Work

• Ortho K lenses work by temporarily reshaping the cornea. This is possible since the cornea is composed of flexible tissue.
• Every patient gets custom lenses that are designed to match their unique eye shape.
• When your child wears the overnight lenses, they gently reshape their cornea slowing down the rate of myopia progression and allowing your child to be free of eyeglasses throughout the day.
• Ortho-K lenses work on the mid-section of the cornea. They flatten this section changing how light is bent when entering the eyes.
• The gas-permeable lenses are rigid enough to trigger re-shaping but still allow oxygen through, ensuring the eyes stay healthy.
• What’s more, even after the lenses are removed, the cornea still stays flattened for a period of time, correcting the vision without a need for eyeglasses.
• However, if your child stops wearing Ortho-K lenses at night for a while, their original corneal shape will resume and the refractive error (myopia) will return.
• The importance of wearing the lenses as prescribed can’t, therefore, be overemphasized.

How are Ortho-K Lenses Made?: The Ortho-K Process

To make Ortho-K lenses, a specialty contact lens exam is highly recommended to determine eligibility and overall ocular health. If eligible, the eye doctor will map and measure your child’s cornea using a special instrument i.e., a corneal topographer that creates a corneal map by reflecting light on the eye’s surface.

The corneal topography map shows a patient’s cornea shape and curves. The process is completely non-invasive, comfortable, and painless. The corneal topographer doesn’t touch a patient’s eyes.

Why Choose Orthokeratology? Top Benefits of Ortho-K Lenses

Corneal reshaping lenses are particularly great for kids because:

• Research shows that ortho-k lenses are approved and capable of slowing the progression of myopia in children (3). The lenses have been tested and proven by thousands of patients (as young as 6 years) who have worn them for over 15 years.
• The lenses are sufficiently oxygenated making them safe and comfortable (4).
• They are worn during the night. As a result, they don’t interfere with your child’s play and day-to-day life. The lenses allow kids to be kids without compromising their vision.
• Children who wore ortho-K lenses have reported better performance in athletics and academics compared to their counterparts who wear glasses (5).

Ortho K Lenses Price

Costs generally range from $2,200 to $2,500 all-inclusive fees that include making custom Ortho-K lenses, lens fitting process, training, follow-up visits/follow-up exams and follow-up care. Factors that can increase the cost beyond the above price range include the degree of the underlying refractive error (astigmatism). A higher prescription (higher than -3.00DS) can also translate to higher costs. It’s also worth noting that lenses may attract costs for replacement after 1-1.5 years as your child’s eyes change.

To find out the exact cost of orthokeratology lenses in Toronto, call Fairlawn Eye Care: (416)-482-5352 or email: info@fairlawneyecare.com.

Ortho K Lenses for Astigmatism

While Ortho K lenses are popular for dealing with myopia among kids, they can also be used successfully for other refractive errors like mild astigmatism (6). However, there’s a need for more complex custom lenses and the price is bound to be higher (approximately $2,500 or higher).

Talk to experienced optometrists at Fairlawn Eye Care in North York to understand Ortho-K lens treatment for astigmatism.

Final Thoughts

Corneal reshaping lenses are a safe and great alternative approach to vision correction when compared to glasses and regular contact lenses for kids, given that they eliminate the need for kids to wear vision aids (glasses and contacts) all the time.

They also give kids the freedom to learn and explore without drawbacks linked to contact such as risk of infection or bacterial keratitis due to prolonged use or failure to follow strict hygiene protocols during the day. The lenses are also non-invasive but effective in correcting and maintaining good vision.

Ortho K in North York: Advanced Vision Correction Method for Children

We suggest you start your child’s Ortho-K treatment journey with seasoned optometrists in North York like Fairlawn Eye Care who have been offering a wide range of vision care services for the entire family for over 30 years (since 1982).

Let your child be treated by experts in diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of all manner of eye diseases and conditions including myopia and astigmatism. Contact Fairlawn and make an informed decision.

Fairlawn Eye Care has invested in state-of-the-art corneal topography devices and diagnostics testing equipment that ensures your child gets comprehensive eye exams and highly custom Ortho-K lenses that are a better alternative to laser vision correction, eye glasses, and traditional daily wear contact lenses.

References