If you have itchy eyes, you’re not alone. Itchy eyes, also known as ocular pruritus, are a common problem and why many people eventually visit an eye doctor. The best way to treat itchy eyes is to know what is causing them to feel itchy. Here’s a closer look at the causes of itchy eyes and treatments.
Alex Liew / iStock / Getty Images
Causes
Common Causes
Itchy eyes are most likely due to a variety ofcauses of irritation.
Allergies
Allergies don’t just cause symptoms like a runny nose and sneezing. About 40% of Americans experienceeye allergies(also called allergic conjunctivitis) at some point.Eye allergies can be mild, or they can be severe enough to affect your quality of life and productivity.
Itchiness is a prominent symptom of eye allergies. Other symptoms of eye allergies include:
However, it’s possible to have eye allergy symptoms and no respiratory symptoms.
Dry Eye Syndrome
Among those over age 50, 3.2 million women and 1.68 million men are reported to have dry eye.However, you can have dry eye at any age.
Symptoms of dry eye, in addition to itchiness, include:
Constant use of electronics can contribute to dry eye syndrome. Other causes of dry eye include hormonal changes, certain medications, contact lens use, and diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Contact Lenses
Contact lenses can sometimes feel itchy or irritating to the eyes, even when they are supposed to help you see better. A problem with the lens itself could cause itchiness.
For instance, the lens may have torn, and that’s why it feels uncomfortable in your eye. You may also develop an allergy to the lens material or the solution you use to clean the lens.
You may experience itchiness from your contact lenses for other reasons, including an allergy to something in your environment, such as dust or pollen. When you wear your contacts, it’s possible for that itchy feeling to become worse if your allergy trigger adheres to your contact lenses.
Blepharitis
Your eyes may feel itchy, but you also will likely have eyelid symptoms, such as:
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction
Your eyes have oil glands called Meibomian glands along the eyelid margin that release oil. This oil coats your eye surface and helps the water in your tears not evaporate.
Meibomian gland dysfunctionhappens when these glands do not release enough oil or the oil that they release is of poor quality. When untreated, Meibomian gland dysfunction can lead to dry eye or eyelid inflammation.
Symptoms of Meibomian gland dysfunction include:
Eye Strain
When you focus on something for a long time, such as reading on a screen or driving, your eyes may get tired after a while. This is also calledeye strain, eye fatigue, or asthenopia. Symptoms of eye strain include:
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
If an infection causes your pink, itchy eye, it will likely affect only one eye, not both eyes, although it may spread to the other eye.
Irritation From a Foreign Object
It’s possible for objects as small as an eyelash, sand, or specks of dust to get in the eye and cause irritation. In addition to itchiness, other symptoms of irritation from something in the eye include:
Rare Causes
There are a few uncommon causes of itchy eyes.
Broken Blood Vessel
A broken blood vessel in the eye may look scary, but it usually is not serious. A broken vessel in the eye causes blood to pool beneath the clear area covering the white part of your eye. The bleeding is called asubconjunctival hemorrhage.
You can see the blood, and sometimes it will spread around the eye. You may have no other symptoms from a broken blood vessel in the eye aside from the blood that appears and usually clears up within two weeks.Other times, you may experience itchiness or feel like something is bothering your eyelid.
Uveitis
The eye’s middle layer is called the uvea. Diseases that affect the uvea are referred to asuveitis. Uveitis can affect one or both eyes. Without treatment, uveitis can cause vision loss or blindness.
Symptoms of uveitis, in addition to itchiness of the eyes, include:
Dacryocystitis
When tears leave your eyes, they exit through an area called the lacrimal sac, located in the inner corner of your eye close to your nose.Dacryocystitisrefers to an infection in the lacrimal sac.
Symptoms of dacryocystitis, in addition to itchiness, include:
Dacryocystitis can develop quickly, or it can be a chronic problem.
Treatment for Itchy Eyes
Although the treatment for itchy eyes will vary depending on the cause, there are some general recommendations. Here is more information on treatment for itchy eyes.
Avoid Rubbing Your Itchy Eyes
As tempting as it may be, you should avoid rubbing your itchy eyes. Here are a few reasons why:
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
Try some of these solutions:
Over-the-Counter Medications
Artificial tearscan help soothe eyes that feel itchy due to dry eye or contact lens irritation. The tears also may help remove allergens from the eye.
If your eyes are red, you may turn to anti-redness eye drops such as those withtetrahydrozoline, which makes the blood vessels on the eye’s surface smaller so your eyes appear less red. These drops may or may not help your itchiness, but they will help the redness associated with many of the causes of eye itchiness.
If you choose to use anti-redness drops, do so only occasionally. That’s because using them too often can cause you to over-rely on the drops, leaving your eyes redder in the long run.
Prescription Medications
Some prescription medications for itchy eyes include:
When to See a Doctor for Itchy Eyes
Occasional eye itchiness is normal. If you have itchy eyes that are red, painful, or have discharge, see an eye doctor. If you have a bacterial infection, you’ll need to use prescription antibiotic eye drops.
If your itchy eyes are due to dry eye, allergies, or a more chronic problem, an eye doctor can help pinpoint the cause and explain various treatments.
A Word From Verywell
Itchy eyes can be irritating and can have many potential causes. It’s best to figure out what’s causing your itchy eyes so you can soothe them and feel better more quickly.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Optometrists Association.Ocular allergies more than a nuisance—an opportunity.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye?Cleveland Clinic.Are you allergic to your contact lenses or solution?American Optometric Association.Blepharitis.Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian gland disease: the role of gland dysfunction in dry eye disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031Stanford Health Care.Eye strain symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pink eye.American Optometric Association.Subconjunctival hemorrhage.Cleveland Clinic.Uveitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Dacryocystitis.Cleveland Clinic.The dangers of rubbing itchy eyes.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Eye allergy.National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.Cleveland Clinic.Eye drops.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Optometrists Association.Ocular allergies more than a nuisance—an opportunity.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye?Cleveland Clinic.Are you allergic to your contact lenses or solution?American Optometric Association.Blepharitis.Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian gland disease: the role of gland dysfunction in dry eye disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031Stanford Health Care.Eye strain symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pink eye.American Optometric Association.Subconjunctival hemorrhage.Cleveland Clinic.Uveitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Dacryocystitis.Cleveland Clinic.The dangers of rubbing itchy eyes.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Eye allergy.National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.Cleveland Clinic.Eye drops.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Optometrists Association.Ocular allergies more than a nuisance—an opportunity.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye?Cleveland Clinic.Are you allergic to your contact lenses or solution?American Optometric Association.Blepharitis.Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian gland disease: the role of gland dysfunction in dry eye disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031Stanford Health Care.Eye strain symptoms.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pink eye.American Optometric Association.Subconjunctival hemorrhage.Cleveland Clinic.Uveitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Dacryocystitis.Cleveland Clinic.The dangers of rubbing itchy eyes.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Eye allergy.National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.Cleveland Clinic.Eye drops.
American Optometrists Association.Ocular allergies more than a nuisance—an opportunity.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye?
Cleveland Clinic.Are you allergic to your contact lenses or solution?
American Optometric Association.Blepharitis.
Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian gland disease: the role of gland dysfunction in dry eye disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031
Stanford Health Care.Eye strain symptoms.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of pink eye.
American Optometric Association.Subconjunctival hemorrhage.
Cleveland Clinic.Uveitis.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Dacryocystitis.
Cleveland Clinic.The dangers of rubbing itchy eyes.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Eye allergy.
National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.
Cleveland Clinic.Eye drops.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
