In most cases, complaints of itchy eyes are caused by infections, a stye and allergies, as well as dry eyes and overexertion. Our eyes, as important sensory organs, should be treated properly in order to prevent serious consequences on eyesight.
The type, duration and accompanying symptoms of the itchy eyes indicate the cause and thus appropriate treatment. If there is suspicion of a bacterial infection or if there are severe accompanying symptoms, an examination by the ophthalmologist is essential. In many cases, itchy eyes can be relieved or eliminated with home remedies from naturopathy and naturopathy.
contents
- Triggers and effective treatment of itchy eyes
- Itchy eyes: symptoms and symptoms
- Causes of Itchy Eyes
- Itchy eyes from barley grain
- Itchy eyes with allergy
- Dry eyes and irritation
- Overexertion and ametropia
- Home remedies for itchy eyes
Itchy eyes: symptoms and symptoms
Itchy, burning and at the same time reddened eyes indicate a possible conjunctivitis (conjunctivitis), in which complaints of a foreign body feeling in the eye and increased flow of tears are often complained.
Itchy eyes are often associated with an allergy, but can also have other causes. (Image: vladimirfloyd / fotolia.com)
The eye pain can only be felt locally, but can sometimes lead to a general headache . Especially after waking up, the eyes are often clogged with secretions. These secretions can be thin, slimy or purulent. Colorless liquid is more likely to be an infection with viruses, while a yellowish-purulent secretion indicates bacteria.
The germs that cause it can get into the eye through infection by smear infection, for example when sharing towels or kohl pencils, but they can also be brought from the hands to the conjunctiva of the eye by rubbing the eyes. Permanent irritation with poorly fitting contact lenses can favor the settlement of germs.
Causes of Itchy Eyes
In the context of infectious diseases , such as measles, dysentery or typhoid fever, can cause conjunctivitis with the above complaints. For safety reasons, any inflammation in the eye should be examined by a specialist and then treated for its cause.
Only bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, although in less severe cases herbal alternatives to antibiotics can be used. Preparations made from eyebright herb and fennel are also recommended for internal use. Compresses with eyebright, marigolds or arnica can be applied externally for lighter symptoms, or drops and ready-to-use ointments from appropriate medicinal plants from the pharmacy can be used.
Itchy eyes from barley grain
Itchy eyes that are accompanied by swelling beneath the eyelid and redness and pain in the affected area can be caused by a grain of barley.
The barley grain , also called hordoleum, got its name from the typical thickening of the barley grain on the eyelid, which is usually caused by hair follicle ignition. The purulent-nodular inflammation is painful, palpable and sometimes leads to sensitivity to light and tears in the eyes.
A stye may cause itchy eyes. This is an inflammation of the eyelid glands, which is usually caused by bacteria. (Image: eyeQ / fotolia.com)
The cause is the bacterial infection of an eyelid gland with pus-forming staphylococci, which can spread further via smear infection. Under no circumstances should the itching of the eyes be relieved at the initial stage or the pus expressed in the later stage, as this can lead to repeated inflammation and an expansion of the infection to the healthy eye. For this reason, make-up of the eyes, especially with eyelids and mascara, should be avoided until the inflammation subsides.
If the barley grains form remarkably often, this can be an indication of diabetes mellitus, which can be determined by a medical blood sugar test. Inflammation on the eyelid is generally treated by dry heat applications. Conventionally, antibiotics are applied externally, and homeopathically – depending on the symptoms – various remedies are available, of which Staphisagria and Pulsatilla are used in particular for a barley grain.
To prevent inflammation of the eyelid gland, attention should be paid to cleanliness and hygiene, for example by frequent changing of facial towels, make-up utensils and regular hand washing.
Itchy eyes with allergy
Itchy eyes are often to be understood as a sign of an allergic reaction. Other symptoms of an allergy include burning eyes, reddening of the eyes, photophobia and lacrimation. There are also sneezing fits, runny nose and asthma , which most often occur in the context of a pollen allergy .
This allergy of the immediate type, also known as hay fever, causes complaints, especially in the spring weeks of the year. Other triggers that often lead to allergic symptoms of the mucous membranes and the conjunctiva are contact with animal hair or inhalation of house dust.
Even if the symptoms are exhausted in the nose and itchy eyes, allergies are processes that affect the entire body. While conventional measures primarily consist of the administration of antihistamines and cortisone preparations for the short-term suppression of the excessive immune reactions, naturopathic methods are aimed at changing the organism, which should follow a normalization of the reaction situation. Examples of such naturopathic treatments are autologous blood therapy and autologous urine therapy .
Dry eyes and irritation
The reason for the complaints can be a persistent dry eye or irritation of the eye due to foreign bodies and thermal influences. In addition to the itching of the eyes, there is a “grain of sand” feeling, burning eyes and reddening of the eyes.
Poorly fitting contact lenses quickly lead to unpleasant eye irritation. (Image: Knut Wiarda / fotolia.com)
Dry eyes often appear when drinking too little water or after hours of screen work because the blink of the eye is reduced. Sometimes, however, there are inflammations or drainage problems in the area of the tear ducts, which prevent adequate moisturizing of the eyes.
Contact with irritating gases, chemicals, cosmetics or contact lens care products as well as wearing poorly fitting contact lenses can also cause eye irritation. In addition to sufficient hydration and the avoidance of irritating factors, an eye bath with cool, clear water can do just as well as cotton pads soaked in rose water that are placed on the eyes.
Overexertion and ametropia
Itching of the eyes sometimes occurs as part of overexertion, especially in combination with ametropia. Regular long-term stays in front of screens also play a role here. In the past, it was only TV and PC screens that occupied our eyes every day, but nowadays electronic entertainment devices such as MP3 players and smartphones with much smaller displays, pictures and characters are added.
Especially in combination with an unbalanced ametropia, sooner or later the eyes become overwhelmed, which then dry out, itch or burn. In addition, rapid eye fatigue and headache can develop.
Prolonged reading in poor light conditions or concentrated driving in the dark can favor overworked, itchy eyes, especially if no or poorly adapted vision aid is worn.
Regular examinations by an ophthalmologist and optician are the safest measures to prevent the symptoms. In addition, regular eye or reading breaks should be avoided to avoid eye strain.
Home remedies for itchy eyes
Cucumbers are a quick and easy to use first aid measure for itchy eyes. These have an anti-inflammatory effect and can therefore often relieve the symptoms. Cut a few thin slices from a thoroughly washed, unpeeled cucumber and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Then place the cold cucumber slices on the affected eye for at least ten minutes.
A green tea rinse can also be helpful. For this, two bags of tea are boiled in half a liter of distilled water. Let the infusion cool down and use it to rinse your eye several times a day.
