The eyes are a very delicate and sensitive part of the body. In addition to having many specific diseases, sometimes certain symptoms are also seen in the eyesight, which are a reflection of other pathologies. This is the case of eye pain, which can be due to its own causes as well as other diseases.
Regardless of the type of pathology, discomfort is not always in both eyes. Sometimes, they appear in only one, usually the left. It is a common situation in which you have probably wondered why I have pain in my left eye? From we will try to answer your question.
Pain from causes other than the left eye
Pain in the left eye is sometimes explained by causes that have nothing to do with the eye directly, although it is hard to believe. But the truth is that this area, due to its situation, is related to many others in the head.
- Migraines or headache: these are one of the main causes. They are usually reflected with a pain with some intensity in the left eye. In general, it is related to the optic nerves, which can be pressed or pinched by the musculature, either by a blow, contracture, etc. Sometimes, the headache is due to hormonal changes, especially in women, or by some alteration in the blood vessels of the brain. In any case, normally, this type of pain will be noticed by the inner part of the eye, although it can also have some external reflex.
- The molars on the left side of the mouth: when your jaw or a tooth hurts, it is common for the pain to radiate throughout the area, even reaching the eye through the nerve system that is located in that area.
- Some infections: Sinus pain and infections such as sinusitis also manifest with stabbing pains behind the eye, among other symptoms.
- Scleritis: this is another possible cause that explains why your left eye hurts. This disease consists of an inflammation of the eye, which is manifested through pain, as well as by eye redness. Normally, scleritis is linked to rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
Eye diseases that cause the left eye to hurt
Pain in the left eye can be caused by diseases or discomfort in the eyes themselves. One of the most common is the so-called dry eye. Surely, you will have ever had it. Why is it produced? Among other causes, for spending a lot of time looking at computer screens or mobile devices. This causes pain to be generated, even in the head. And why is the pain concentrated on the left side? Most likely, it is because of the position of the screen or because with this eye you have to make a greater effort to see.
Also, the pain in the left eye is part of the symptomatology of the so-called orbital inflammatory syndrome, which is accompanied by an inflammation of the muscles around the eye. A pathology that, in itself, is not usually very frequent.
Other eye diseases that cause pain
The pain of the left eye that is felt inside and behind the eye can also be caused by other eye diseases, which are very important and should be treated. In fact, the so-called orbital pain is related to many of them.
- Acute glaucoma: this disease causes this type of pain due to the increase in intraocular pressure that occurs, which has its origin in a greater blockage of the exit of the fluid that is responsible for bathing the eye in its inner part.
- Optic neuritis: it also produces pain in the left eye, which is accompanied by blurred vision and can cause you not to see colors well. Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve, the first signals of which are perceived by conditions around the muscles of the eyes. Its appearance is related to different pathologies such as multiple sclerosis, apart from being caused by viral or bacterial infections.
- Paralysis of pairs of the skull: this is another of the pathologies that causes pain in the left eye. It makes its appearance when the blood that has to flow to the nerves of the muscles does not arrive properly. This causes paralysis of the nerves of the skull to occur, leading to the appearance of pain. In addition, if you have this disease, you will also notice other symptoms such as double vision.
- Iritis: Left eye pain is another manifestation that you may have iritis, which is an inflammation of the iris, that is, the part of the eye that is colored and surrounds the pupil.
- Scratches on the cornea caused by trauma: they are another because that would explain the pain in the left eye when the object with which we have scratched has been introduced into this eye.
From we hope to have answered your question of why do I have pain in my left eye? Remember that it is always important that you visit the doctor before any symptoms to determine the cause and possible disease in order to start treatment as soon as possible. If you liked this article, do not hesitate to consult this one about Why I feel punctures in the eye.