Eyelash Pain

While uncomfortable and disorienting, eyelash pain is just a symptom of another condition that may or may not be dangerous to your eyesight. Eyelashes, after all, are like hairs on your head. They don’t have nerves running through them and thus can’t register pain or feelings. But the root and surrounding tissue of each eyelash can cause pain due to a variety of issues that can include:

• Blocked oil glands because of built up dirt or makeup that wasn’t completely removed
• Sleeping with your face down so that your eye on one side is crushed into the pillow, bending your lashes into an uncomfortable position
• A condition called blepharitis that can cause your eyelashes to fall out — eyelash pain actually may be one of the first symptoms you get that you have blepharitis
• Madarosis, which refers to your eyelashes falling out for a wide range of reasons that could include blepharitis, trauma to your eyes, an impulsive disorder called trichotillomania or an autoimmune disease such as alopecia
• A common abnormality on your eyelids called trichiasis that refers to ingrown eyelashes — the misdirected eyelash growth can be very irritating and cause a great deal of eyelash pain
• A stye, an infection in your eyelash follicles that causes a swollen and red condition on your eyelids and glands that surround your eyelashes
• Lice, tiny crabs that bore into and infect the roots of your eyelashes creating significant discomfort from the infections they breed
• A condition referred to as distichiasis, which can either be congenital or acquired — an aberrant growth of eyelashes that often appear as a second row
• Distichiasis, which can be caused by conjunctivitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome or chemical burns
• Another bug commonly found in eyelash follicles called the demodex — close to 98 percent of humans have demodex clinging to their eyelashes to some degree, and they can lead to extremely uncomfortable conditions in humans

If you are having any abnormal symptoms, you should always be evaluated with a thorough consultation and examination by a physician for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan as it may be a symptom or sign of a serious illness or condition.

Prevention First

Once you develop a condition that’s causing you eyelash pain, it can take time to treat the cause. Without proper treatment, your condition can lead to irreversible damage. While some eye conditions are unavoidable, most of the popular and best ways to prevent many forms of eyelash pain are common sense approaches to sanitary practices. They include:

• Visiting your ophthalmologist at the first indication of problems. After 24 hours with irritating symptoms, it’s wise to get checked out to begin treatment as soon as possible
• Washing your face and hands thoroughly with soap or lotion designed for sensitive skin, which the skin around your eyes certainly is
• Avoiding infections by only touching your face with clean hands
• Removing your makeup completely every night before bed — use a hydrating makeup remover designed specifically for removing eye makeup; rub softly to take off stubborn mascara and eyeliner, repeating if necessary, rather than continuing to rub
• Not rubbing your eyes if they become itchy — rely on eye drops or cool cloths to soothe itchy eyes
• Controlling dandruff, one of the most common eye-irritants — talk to your eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) about getting a prescription dandruff shampoo if over-the-counter brands fail to eliminate the white flakes

Symptoms on Your Radar

In addition to the pain at the root of your eyelashes, you may notice symptoms of the underlying eye issues that are causing your pain and discomfort. Your eyes play such a dominant role in everyday life. The most common symptoms affecting your eyes that require optometrist or ophthalmologist’s visit can include:

• Grittiness
• Itching
• Burning
• Swelling
• Redness
• Unusual watering
• Dry eyes
• Flaky skin around and on top of your eyelashes

Keep track of your symptoms, when they occur, how severe your pain is and how long it lasts to help you eye doctors and specialists come to an accurate diagnosis. Other symptoms you might experience include:

• The appearance of an oily film over your eyes
• Crusty buildup on your eyelashes and the corners of your eyes
• Sudden sensitivity to light

If you are having any of these symptoms you should always be evaluated with a thorough consultation and examination by a physician for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan as it may be a symptom or sign of a serious illness or condition.

Causes of Eyelash Pain

While some of the causes of your eyelash discomfort are obvious, such as rubbing your eyes with dirty hands or sharing makeup with someone who has an eye infection, other causes are more obscure. Underlying health issues often precede eyelash pain. Conditions that could lead to eye problems can include:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Obesity
• Hormonal or gland abnormalities

Treatment Options Vary

If you’re caught in the grips of a debilitating condition such as trichotillomania, your eye doctor may recommend support groups, psychotherapy and anti-depressants to help control your obsessive, compulsive behavior that’s causing the eyelash pain. For other physical symptoms, your ophthalmologist first takes a thorough history of your eye pain as well as a family history, paying particular attention to any genetic history of eye disease in your family.

Tools your optometrist or ophthalmologist may employ to discover the source of your pain may include special magnifying glasses as well as tissue samples. Infections are treated with antibiotics. Other potential treatments may include:

• Warm compresses
• Quick procedures performed in the office such as puncturing bumps or draining a stye
• Antibiotic eye drops
• Surgery
• Anti-inflammatory steroid injections

Don’t Hesitate to Get Help

When it comes to any uncomfortable or disorienting issues regarding your eyes, don’t hesitate to get checked out. Your vision may be at stake. Your eyes are not something to fool around with. Any of the conditions mentioned that cause or result from eyelash pain can lead to blindness.

Other complications that could occur if you fail to receive sufficient treatment include:

• Difficulty wearing contact lenses
• Loss of eyelashes that could be permanent
• Swelling on the inside of your eyelid called chalazion
• Poliosis, which is loss of color in your eyelashes so that they become nearly transparent
• Corneal ulceration
• Chronic pink eye

If you are having any abnormal symptoms, you should always be evaluated with a thorough consultation and examination by a physician for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan as it may be a symptom or sign of a serious illness or condition.

Important Reminder: This information is only intended to provide guidance, not a definitive medical advice. Please consult eye doctor about your specific condition. Only a trained, experienced board certified eye doctor can determine an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.

Do you have any questions about eyelash pain treatment? Would like to schedule an appointment with ophthalmologists Richard F. Spaide, MD or Michael J. Cooney, MD, MBA, of Manhattan Eye Specialists? Please contact our office for consultation with the leading eye doctors in NYC.