When you have sore eyes, it means you are experiencing some discomfort in your eyes. This discomfort may be eye pain, burning sensation, tiredness, eyelid heaviness, foreign-body sensation or some other uncomfortable sensation, which may have been caused by several things.
If you worked for long hours on your computer without taking breaks, your sore eyes may be due to digital eye strain. If your job involves being outdoors for prolonged periods, you may have been exposed to too much radiation from the sun or air-borne irritants which can also cause sore eyes. Other possible causes include contact lens wear, dehydration, flakes of eye makeup in the eye, tirelessly rubbing your eyes at work or worse, an eye infection.
Sore eyes can be very frustrating and so the desire to get immediate relief is understandable. Here are some home remedies you can try to relieve the soreness in your eyes:
- Cold compress: Cold compress can soothe sore eyes and relieve symptoms like burning sensation and pain. Wrap a clean small towel around ice cubes and place them over your closed eyelids. Alternatively, you can use ice packs. The cold compress should not be too cold for comfort. If you have an eye injury, do not apply a cold compress.
Over-the-counter eye drops for dry eyes may provide relief if your eyes feel dry. - Drinking water: If you didn’t drink enough water during your busy day, you may be dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to a reduction in tear production which can make the eyes feel sore. Drinking enough water will help moisten your eyes.
- Remove eye makeup: Inappropriate use of eye makeup or using old or non-hypoallergenic makeup can cause eye irritation. If you are wearing eye makeup, removing it completely and washing your face properly can give you some relief.
- Eyelid scrub: If your eyelids are itchy or red or there are crusts on your eyelashes, cleaning your eyelids using over-the-counter eyelid scrub may provide some relief.
- Rest: Rest can relieve sore eyes particularly if your sore eyes are due to eye strain. Try going to bed early so that you can get enough sleep and rest for your eyes.
If you do not get relief after 24-48 hours of trying these home remedies or your eyes become severely sore, see your eye doctor.
