Could periodic, dull, pressure-like, pain inside the eye be caused by dry eye?

[Dimitri001]

I'm 2 months away from 33, male, myopic and have suffered for a few years now from bouts of dull, pressure-like pain in my eye, localized about brow level. The attacks sometimes happen once a week, more recently about once every 2-3 weeks, sometimes one eye is affected, sometimes the other, sometimes both. Going on a run usually relieves the pain.

A number of people have suggested dry eye to me as a cause of the pain, but I'm very skeptical of this, however, I thought I'd check the possibility out just in case.

Years ago, I had dry eye and for many years, so I'm familiar with the sensation, although I've been free of it for years at the time when this pain started appearing. To me it felt like an unpleasant dryness of the surface of the eye. This is why I'm so skeptical of the idea that the bouts of pain I experience now could be due to DE - they feel nothing like what I felt before nor how I imagine DE might manifest.

Seems to me, it dryness of the eyes would cause any pain, the pain would be localized to the surface of the eye, am I wrong about that? My pain is INSIDE my eye and specifically in the upper portion of the eye. How could dryness manifest inside, rather than on the surface where the tear film is and why would it be in the upper part of the eye?

Could the pain I experience be caused by dry eye?

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi there and welcome!

There's a surprisingly wide range of sensations that can all fall into the 'dry eye symptom' bucket - everything from foreign body sensation, to light sensitivity, to watery eyes, to burning, stinging and irritation, to a sensation of heavy eyelids, to "headache in the eye" type symptoms and many more. So yes, it's *possible*, just unusual. I think quite a few people get 'pressure' type discomfort but more often in addition to surface symptoms than on its own. There's also rarer things, for example, dry eye or other eye symptoms can set off the trigeminal nerve. When it happens to me the whole side of my head hurts, and I don't necessarily feel much on the surface of my eye

Bottom line, only an eye doctor can tell you what is actually happening. I'd get it checked out if I were you, considering how long it's gone on.

It's pretty hard to imagine how going on a run would help, if it were a tear film problem.

Things this description makes me curious about: I'm wondering how your vision is, when you last had it checked? When these episodes happen in relation to how you're using your eyes (prolonged near focus? or totally random times?) or even time of day. Any history of binocular vision issues?

[Dimitri001]

Hi there and welcome!

There's a surprisingly wide range of sensations that can all fall into the 'dry eye symptom' bucket - everything from foreign body sensation, to light sensitivity, to watery eyes, to burning, stinging and irritation, to a sensation of heavy eyelids, to "headache in the eye" type symptoms and many more. So yes, it's *possible*, just unusual. I think quite a few people get 'pressure' type discomfort but more often in addition to surface symptoms than on its own. There's also rarer things, for example, dry eye or other eye symptoms can set off the trigeminal nerve. When it happens to me the whole side of my head hurts, and I don't necessarily feel much on the surface of my eye

Bottom line, only an eye doctor can tell you what is actually happening. I'd get it checked out if I were you, considering how long it's gone on.

It's pretty hard to imagine how going on a run would help, if it were a tear film problem.

Things this description makes me curious about: I'm wondering how your vision is, when you last had it checked? When these episodes happen in relation to how you're using your eyes (prolonged near focus? or totally random times?) or even time of day. Any history of binocular vision issues?

Thanks for the info, Rebecca!

To answer your questions, I wear glasses and the prescription is a little bit out of date, however, this has been happening for so long that I already went through one prescription change while this was going on - meaning there was a period, just after I got my current glasses, that the prescription was brand new and completely up to date, but the situation didn't change any.

There's no regularity about when these episodes happen and they've happened on days when I was spending the whole day outside - meaning no near work or focusing hard on the computer. There's also no regularity with regards to time of day - they've happened at all hours.

Not sure what you mean by binocular vision issues.

[RFREITAS]

Rebecca,

I hope you are doing well.

I read you comment and that happens to me. what do you do when it that happen? For how long it stays? Can you take any medicine?
I also don't necessarily feel it in my eyes. Because it come and goes. But when it come it's really hard (it's only my head but also my face).

However... doing exercise helps and eat to maybe is only psicologic... but who cares lolol

Take care,
RFreitas

[Rebecca Petris]

I read you comment and that happens to me. what do you do when it that happen? For how long it stays? Can you take any medicine?
I also don't necessarily feel it in my eyes. Because it come and goes. But when it come it's really hard (it's only my head but also my face).

Hi Rfreitas!

What do I do... well, cold packs, keeping the eye closed (with medical tape if necessary) and sometimes patching are what seem to help me the most, but honestly I've never tried medication.

Actually I've been struggling for two weeks now, not as bad now as the first week but my left eye is still so wonky that I can only wear my scleral a few hours a day. I used to be able to tape at work but I've been finding that uncomfortable so I've been wearing an opaque foam-lined patch at times (pro optics moisture chamber) to be able to use the computer when I can't have my lens in.

I agree about exercise and eating! Exercise = endorphin release... eating = increased tearing... so it's real!

[RFREITAS]

Hello again

Hope you are doing better.

Thank you for the replay. My "problem" is that the pain is more on my face then in my eyes. I am doing better now. Let's see for the next days. Never took any medicine either.

One thing that helps... not sure about it, but it doesn't hurt... when I am having troubles I take magnesium and it seems to help.

By the way, I read someting about a new medication (Tyrvaya) but didn't find anything about it in the forum. Do you have any feedback? I am curious about it, but I am guessing is not coming to Europe since I didn't read about it.

Wishing you all the best and that your eyes be cool soon

Regards,
RF

P.s. sorry about my english

[Rebecca Petris]

Thank you!! (And your English is great.) I have spoken with lots of people who have tried Tyrvaya but not yet really getting a sense of the results - mostly it's been people who tried it for a little while and didn't see it making a difference. But it's very early days and I'm hopeful.