Irritated eyes can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'very serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose irritated eyes, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia | 91% | Confirm |
Dry Eye | 17% | Unlikely |
Rosacea | 16% | Unlikely |
Dehydration | 4% | Ruled out |
Conjunctivitis | 3% | Ruled out |
Hyperthyroidism | 2% | Ruled out |
Psoriasis | 2% | Ruled out |
Are your eyes often irritated? This irritation may present itself as a 'sandy-gritty' feeling, the sensation of a foreign object in the eye, or watery eyes (excess tears).
Possible responses:
→ No / don't know→ Occasional mild irritation → Frequent mild / some significant irritation → Frequent significant / some severe irritation → Frequent or constant severe irritation |
The first symptom of conjunctivitis is discomfort in the eye, followed by redness and inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue covering the eye and inner surface of the eyelids. There is some pain associated with conjunctivitis, but the sufferer will probably complain mostly of discomfort that is not relieved by rubbing or the sensation of something that feels like sand in the eye.
Dehydration causes the body to conserve fluids, leading to dry eyes which can become red, swollen, and irritated.
Dry eye frequently makes it feel as though there is something in your eye, like a tiny grain of sand.
Eye burning, itching & discharge are possible indicators of psoriasis.
Red, sore or 'gritty' eyelids are sometimes caused by rosacea. Ocular manifestations may include many different eye problems and may precede skin involvement, thus delaying the diagnosis of rosacea.