Eye pain: possible causes and what to do

Questions about Eye pain

Each answer below is the short version; the question links to the page that carries it in full, with sources.

• What should I do about sudden severe eye pain?

  Severe eye pain that comes on suddenly needs urgent assessment. It can indicate raised pressure inside the eye, inflammation or injury, and it is not a symptom to manage with rest and observation.

• What should I do about an eye injury?

  A significant injury to the eye, including a blow, a penetrating object or a foreign body, needs emergency assessment. Do not press on the eye or attempt to remove an embedded object.

• What should I do if a chemical gets in my eye?

  Rinse the eye immediately with clean running water or saline for as long as is practical, then seek emergency care. Immediate irrigation matters more than waiting to be seen.

• What should I do about sudden vision loss?

  Sudden loss of vision, in one eye or both, needs emergency assessment immediately rather than an appointment request. Several of the causes are treatable only within a limited window.

• What does a shadow or curtain across my vision mean?

  A shadow or curtain moving across part of the vision, particularly with flashes or a sudden increase in floaters, needs urgent assessment. It can indicate a retinal problem that is more treatable the sooner it is seen.

• Which eye symptoms need urgent care?

  The symptoms that need urgent care are sudden loss of vision, sudden severe eye pain, a sudden increase in floaters with flashes, a curtain or shadow across the vision, chemical exposure, eye injury, and new double vision.