What causes eye pain?

A feeling of discomfort or pain in the eye can be caused by a problem in the eye itself. It can also be caused by a problem involving any of the structures around the eye. The pain might stem from problems with any of the following: • Cornea -- the clear window in the front of the eye that does most of the focusing of incoming light • Sclera - the white outside wall of the eye • Conjunctiva -- the ultrathin covering of the sclera and the inside lining of the eyelid • Iris -- the colored part of the eye, with the pupil in the middle • Orbit -- the bony cave in which the eye and eye muscles are located • Muscles of the eye (extraocular muscles) -- which rotate the eye • Nerves -- which carry visual information from the eyes to the brain • Eyelids -- which protect and continually spread moisture over the eyes Problems can include: • Corneal abrasions. The cornea is the clear disc covering the colored part of the eye, known as the iris. The cornea is vulnerable to injuries from children' ...  more

A feeling of discomfort or pain in the eye can be caused by a problem in the eye itself. It can also be cause by a problem involving any of the structures around the eye. The pain might stem from problems with any of the following: • Cornea -- the clear outermost disc covering the eye that allows in focused light • Conjunctiva -- the ultrathin covering of the front of the eye and inside of the eyelid • Iris -- the colored part of the eye, with the pupil in the middle • Orbit or globe -- the round eyeball itself • Muscles of the eye (extraocular muscles) -- which perform the eye's precise movements • Nerves -- which carry visual information from the eyes to the brain • Eyelids -- which protect and continually rub against the eyes Problems can include: • Corneal abrasions. The cornea is the clear disc covering the colored part of the eye, known as the iris. The cornea is vulnerable to injuries from children's flying fingers, errant tree branches, or tennis balls. A scratch on the ...  more