Eye pain can occur on the surface of your eye or within your eye’s deeper structures. Severe eye pain — especially accompanied by any vision loss — may be a signal that you have a serious medical condition. Seek immediate medical attention.

Eye pain that’s on the surface of your eye might be described as itching, burning or shooting pain. Surface eye pain is often related to a foreign object in your eye, an eye infection, or anything that irritates or inflames the membrane covering the surface of your eye.

You might describe eye pain that is deeper within your eye as throbbing or aching.

Causes

Allergies
Blepharitis (which is eyelid inflammation)
Chalazion or stye, which comes from inflammation in the glands of your eyelid
Cluster headache
Complication of eye surgery
Contact lens problem
Corneal abrasion (scratch): First aid
Corneal herpetic infection or herpes
Dry eyes (caused by decreased production of tears)
Ectropion (a condition in which the eyelid turns outward)
Entropion (a condition in which the eyelid turns inward)
Eyelid infection
Foreign object in the eye: First aid
Glaucoma (which is a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve)
Injury, such as from a blunt trauma or a burn
Iritis (which is inflammation of the colored part of the eye)
Keratitis (which is inflammation of the cornea)
Optic neuritis (which is inflammation of the optic nerve)
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
Scleritis (which is inflammation of the white part of the eye)
Stye (sty) (a red, painful lump near the edge of your eyelid)
Uveitis (which is inflammation of the middle layer of the eye)

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