We stretch our legs and relax for a few minutes every day, even when under a busy schedule. Our arms, back, and the whole body occasionally relaxes despite all the stress and pressure. However, our eyes are constantly working during our waking hours, which impacts eye health significantly.

The number of people battling eye health issues is increasing over the past few years because of neglect. One common complaint being constant eye pain. So, what are the reasons for it, and what could you do to reduce the discomfort? Read on to find out!

1. Excessive Screen Time

The earlier generations spent their day reading, connecting with friends in the real world, and talking to their loved ones in person. It was only a few hours every day while at work that their eyes were strained excessively. However, the evolution of technology has made it such that we are constantly glaring at a bright-lit screen. We wake up with our mobile phones in hand and fall asleep staring at the blinding lights.

The rest of the day goes by as we stare at our laptops, iPads, and other gadgets. While technological evolution has made it possible for us to connect with the world and simplify our lives in more than one way, it has increased the strain on our eyes. However, you could reduce the eye pain by getting a pair of blue blocker glasses. While it might not reverse the years of damage to your eyesight, it would help you reduce it and prevent further strain.

2. Stress

This is the major cause of eye pain in most people. Yes, stress can impact our eyes, just the way it impacts the rest of our body and mind. When we strain our eyes excessively, it increases the pressure on the eyes and causes pain. The constant dilation and the clenching of the muscles around the eyes could be a result of the soreness.

While a doctor would prescribe medications to help you deal with this, you need to start by focusing on ways to reduce your stress. You could listen to some calming music, close your eyes for a few minutes, and look at calming nature images for a few minutes every day. This would not just reduce your stress, but also calm the nerves around your eyes. You could also build a routine of using eye packs, gels, and creams that would calm the muscles around your eyes if you are excessively stressed.

3. Dry Eyes

While the condition of dry eyes worsens with age, it could also be a result of lifestyle, other medication, Vitamin A deficiency, or other illnesses. It could also result from excessive rubbing of eyes, chlorinated swimming pool, extensive screen time, etc. Besides causing redness and irritation, dry eyes could also cause massive discomfort and pain in the eyes. The common remedy for this is to use lubricating eye drops and making lifestyle changes that reduce the strain on your eyes. You could also get a prescription for tear duct plugs, glasses, and a warm compress.

4. Infections

The pain and redness in your eyes could be because of numerous reasons. While it could be a mere allergic reaction in some cases, it could result from a viral or bacterial infection. Both bacterial and viral infections to the eyes are very common, and they could cause discomfort, pain, and redness.

As it is hard to determine the cause of the pain and redness just by looking at it, it is essential for you to have a doctor examine the infection. That way, you would treat it the right way and avoid infecting your loved ones. In most cases, if it is a bacterial infection, all you need are antibiotic eye drops. The recent findings by WHO state that your eye infection could also be a symptom of COVID-19. So, make sure you have your eyes examined by a doctor to rule out the possibility of coronavirus.

Besides these, there could be numerous other reasons why your eye hurts all the time. Some of them are an increase in your eyesight, abrasion from a contact lens or other injury to the cornea, a foreign body in the eyes, exposure to chemical burns, etc. If you are new to using contact lenses or have been using the same pair of lenses for an excessive amount of time, it could be the reason too.

Remember, contact lenses need to be removed, cleaned, and maintained properly. Otherwise, they could cause numerous issues to your eyes, including blindness in rare conditions. It is normal for all of us to experience pain in the eyes occasionally. However, if this persists, it is important to get medical attention.