Relieving minor eye pain at home

Our eyes are wonderful things. They give us the power of sight and let us witness the best moments of our lives. They can also be incredibly high maintenance. From random bouts of intense itching to unexpected sinus pain, our eyes often demand attention for relief. 

If you’ve found yourself needing a remedy for suddenly irritated eyes that won’t quit, we’ve got you covered.  

Relief for itchy, uncomfortable eyes  

Whether it’s allergies or just exhausted eyes, sometimes eyes need an itching. While we’ve detailed the consequences of rubbing your eyes, sometimes that’s all it takes to provide a moment of relief. Some cases call for a little more work to scratch that itch though. 

A cold compress may work wonders at relieving eye discomfort. Run cold water over a washcloth and then ring it out until the washcloth is just damp. While laying down, lay the damp washcloth over your eyes and lightly apply pressure. Repeat as needed until discomfort subsides.  

Dealing with sinus pain and other minor eye pain 

Sinus headaches and general eye pain are not pleasant experiences. The throbbing from an inflamed sinus behind your eye can drive you mad after a while. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to treat minor eye pain from home.  

First, this one’s obvious, but give your eyes a break. Eye pain is often caused by strain and so your eyes might just be telling you they need to rest. Take five minutes to just rest your eyes and see if that helps, then try these remedies:  

• Acetaminophen – May help reduce swelling and general discomfort. 
• Cold or warm compress – Use whichever temperature feels better, just don’t make it too hot.  
• Use a humidifier – Adding moisture into the air around you may help lubricate your eyes and provide relief. No humidifier? Try sitting in your bathroom, with a hot shower running, for a few minutes.  

Pink eye, scratches, and when to see your doctor 

Pain from pink eye can vary widely on intensity. Sometimes pink eye pain can be treated at home with a combination of painkillers (like ibuprofen) and a warm compress. You will also want to stop wearing any contacts and avoid touching your eyes as much as possible.  

If your minor eye pain lasts longer than a few days, is accompanied by vision loss, blurriness, fever, headache, nausea, worsening pain, or a feeling of an object lodged in your eye then we always recommend consulting a medical professional.  

Sometimes at home remedies are all you need to start feeling better and other times it’s best to play it safe with a visit to an eye doctor. And, we assume if you’re reading this your eyes probably hurt. Hope they feel better soon!