Brief overview
- Causes: e.g. dry eyes, conjunctivitis, eyelid inflammation, hailstone, stye, leathery dermatitis, corneal inflammation or injury, allergy, rash on the eye, Sjögren’s syndrome
- When to see a doctor? In case of persistent eye itching without improvement, in case of occurrence of accompanying symptoms such as fever, eye pain, secretion discharge from the eye, severe redness or visual disturbances, in case of foreign bodies in the eye (dust, chemicals, etc.)
- Treatment: Depending on the cause, e.g. moisturizing eye drops, anti-allergic medication (antihistamines), antibiotics, suitable visual aids, removal of foreign bodies.
- What you can do yourself: relaxation exercises for the eyes, first aid for foreign body in the eye, home remedies (cold compresses, tea compresses)
Causes of itchy eyes
Itchy eyes are an annoying symptom that can be caused by various reasons. In some cases, the cause is harmless: it is often dry eyes that begin to itch. One of the tasks of the tear fluid is to moisten the cornea and conjunctiva. However, if you work at a computer screen for a long time, for example, this moistening no longer works well – dry, itchy eyes are the result.
- Overexertion of the eyes (for example due to long screen work, incorrectly adjusted visual aid)
- (prolonged) wearing of contact lenses
- Irritation of the eye by drafts, air conditioning, UV radiation, chemicals (e.g. chlorine, formaldehyde), cosmetic products
- Foreign objects in the eye (e.g., dust, smoke, loose eyelashes or eyelashes that are still attached but misaligned)
- eye injuries (e.g. corneal abrasion)
- age-related conjunctival changes
- conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva)
- Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids)
- inflammation of the sclera (scleritis)
- corneal inflammation (keratitis)
- Stye
- Hailstone
- Sicca syndrome (Sjögren’s syndrome)
- Rash on the eye
- Tumor diseases
- Allergy (e.g. hay fever)
- certain medications
Allergy: eyes often affected
Probably the most common cause of itchy eyes is allergy. The conjunctiva lines the eyelids and covers the white of the eye. It contains numerous immune cells that can react sensitively to a variety of actually harmless substances such as pollen, mold spores or the droppings of house dust mites. The immune cells then release chemical substances that trigger an inflammation of the eyes – allergic conjunctivitis is the result.
Around 20 percent of all people occasionally suffer from allergic conjunctivitis.
If, on the other hand, the eyes itch more or less all year round, this is more indicative of atopic conjunctivitis. This form of allergic conjunctivitis is triggered by theroretically constantly present allergens such as animal dander (in case of cat allergy, dog allergy), house dust mites (in case of house dust allergy) or mold spores.
Male children and adolescents in particular who suffer from eczema, asthma or a seasonal allergy can also develop keratoconjunctivitis vernalis. This is a simultaneous inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea, which occurs preferentially in spring and is most likely of allergic origin.
a common form and chronic allergic conjunctivitis are the most common types of allergic reaction of the eyes. For people with, for example, hay fever, dust mite allergy or animal hair allergy (such as cat allergy), itchy eyes are therefore not uncommon.
Only rarely are signs of allergy in the eye due to specific foods as triggers.
Rash on the eye
Another reason for the annoying itch can be a rash on the eye: The sensitive skin around the eyes can be affected by an inflammatory skin reaction (dermatitis) just like any other part of the body. The causes of a rash on the eye are in most cases eye drops, creams, lotions or other cosmetic products – it is then a so-called contact dermatitis.
Dermatitis can manifest with itching and a red rash under or around the eyes. The eyelids may swell, and the skin may become scaly.
Itchy eyes: accompanying symptoms
Itchy eyes often do not occur alone. There are patients in whom the eyes burn and itch at the same time. It may also be that one (single) eye is red and itchy. Some of the most common accompanying symptoms of itchy eyes include:
- Watering eyes
- Burning eyes
- Dry eyes
- Red eyes
- Swollen eyes
- Feeling of pressure on the eyeball
- Foreign body sensation in the eye
- Secretion discharge from the eye (pus, blood)
- Clogged eyes (especially in the morning)
Itchy eyes: When to see a doctor?
- Eye pain
- strongly reddened eyes
- visual disturbances
- secretion from the eye (purulent, watery, mucous)
- Fever
Also, be sure to see an ophthalmologist if the eye itching is caused by a foreign object or pollutants in the eye. The same is true if you have one itchy eye or two itchy eyes after using eye drops or ointments.
Itchy eyes: examinations & diagnosis
In order to be able to treat itchy eyes specifically, the doctor must determine the cause of the itching. To do this, he or she first conducts a detailed doctor-patient consultation to obtain the patient’s medical history (anamnesis). This is then followed by various examinations as required.
Medical history
In the course of the anamnesis, the doctor may ask you the following questions, among others:
- How long have your eyes been itching?
- Is the eye itching unilateral or bilateral?
- Do your eyes itch permanently or only in certain situations?
- Could foreign objects have gotten into the eye, such as dust, chemicals, or other irritating substances?
- Are you using any medications, such as eye drops or eye ointments?
Examinations
Of course, various eye examinations are essential for finding the diagnosis. For example, the doctor checks the size of the pupils, the reaction of the eyes to incident light and eye movements. Other examinations that may reveal the reason for itchy eyes include:
- Vision test (to rule out eye strain).
- Slit-lamp examination (to evaluate different parts of the eye)
- Tear fluid examination
- Allergy test
- Swab from the eye (if an infectious cause of eye itching is suspected)
Itchy eyes: treatment
What helps against itchy eyes? That always depends on the cause of the itching.
For dry eyes, for example, eye drops that keep the eye moist and supple help. They do not combat the cause (e.g. Sjögren’s syndrome) of the dry eye, but the symptom – the itchy eye.
For bacterial conjunctivitis, the doctor prescribes a topical antibiotic preparation in the form of eye ointment or eye drops. Additionally or alternatively, antibiotics in tablet form are sometimes used. This is necessary, for example, if a bacterial infection in other parts of the body has spread to the eyes.
If the eyes itch due to an allergy, the causal treatment is to avoid the allergen if possible. Hyposensitization is also possible for certain types of allergy. To relieve acute allergy symptoms, the doctor prescribes antihistamines in the form of tablets or eye drops. They relieve itching in the eye (and other allergy symptoms) by inhibiting the release of the neurotransmitter histamine. In severe cases, the use of eye drops with cortisone may be necessary.
In the case of a rash on the eye, treatment depends on the cause. Thus, special ointments and compresses may be helpful. In severe cases, it may be necessary to treat the rash under the eyes (or all around) with cortisone.
If the itchy eyes are caused by a medication (eye drops, eye ointment, etc.), the attending physician will prescribe a different medication or adjust the dosage if possible.
Never discontinue medication without consulting your doctor. You should also never change the dosage of a preparation on your own.
If a defective vision is responsible for your eyes itching (and possibly burning), you need a suitable visual aid – glasses and/or contact lenses.
Itchy eyes: What you can do yourself
If wearing contact lenses makes your eyes itch and burn, you should take out the vision aids for a while and wear glasses instead for a few days. Then your eyes can calm down.
If the itchy eyes are caused by cosmetic products, avoid them if possible. It may also help to switch to products without perfume or artificial fragrances.
If your eyes burn and itch because they are irritated from long periods of screen work, relaxation exercises for the eyes can help. Some examples:
- Consciously look closely at things at different distances (focus your eyes each time!).
- Every now and then, cover your eyes with your hands and let them rest for a few minutes.
- Place your thumbs on your temples and massage the upper edge of the eye socket (from the root of the nose outwards) with your index fingers.
- While working at a computer screen, close your eyes often for a few seconds. You can also try typing a few sentences “blind”.
If contact with chemicals is the reason for the eye itching, you should immediately rinse the eyes with clear water (except in case of corrosive lime in the eye – rinsing would worsen the burn!). Then seek medical attention immediately. If necessary, bring him the chemical in question (e.g. cleaning agent) so that he can take special treatment measures if necessary.
Itchy eyes: home remedies
Home remedies often help for itchy, red and burning eyes and itchy eyelids. Put a cold compress on the eye or eyes. Cloths soaked in cold water and wrung out are suitable for this purpose. Instead of water, you can also use cooled tea (such as chamomile, calendula or sage). Or you can use a cold compress from the freezer or a grain pillow (cherry pit pillow) from the freezer to place on the eye.
Never place cold compresses or cold packs directly on the sensitive skin around the eye, but wrap them in a thin cotton cloth first.
Leave the compress (or similar) on the eye as long as you find the cold comfortable. It can often effectively soothe itchy eyes. However, remove the compress immediately if the cold becomes uncomfortable.
