Eye socket pain

Hey there. Quick question...
For five days now, I’ve had this constant pain in the corner of my eye—right in the orbital socket near the bridge of my nose, where the eyebrow starts. It hurts whenever I move my eyes, whether I'm looking side to side, up and down, or just scanning around. No fever, nothing visible on the eyeball itself. My nose isn't running and there’s no discharge, but at night, my nose gets completely blocked up with nothing to blow out.
Any idea what this could be? Could it be my sinuses? I deal with chronic sinus issues, though they usually just result in heavy snoring. Or am I looking at some kind of tumor...😢
Thanks.

Whenever I catch a cold and my nose gets all stuffed up, I get that same feeling where it hurts just to move my eyes... I guess the only real cure is just waiting it out and trying to clear my sinuses. For me, it usually drags on for a few days before things finally settle down. It’s kind of like that—when a cold hits, it hits, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.
I suspect it might be a sinus issue, but honestly, maybe I should probably head to the doctor just to be safe; I really don't want to mess anything up.

It’s that classic glaucoma pain—eye pressure, basically. You really need to get checked out by a specialist specifically for those tests. I deal with it myself, so I know how much it sucks... it's a real nightmare. Just make sure you rule it out; if it isn't that, then I don't even know what else to tell you.

Oops, Ronald Rodriguez10, you got glaucoma? How old are you anyway? My doctor told me it was just sinus issues since I deal with them chronically—she didn't even bring up glaucoma once. Apparently, she thinks that's strictly an old person's disease.

stormycanyon18 said:Oops, Ronald Rodriguez10, you got glaucoma? How old are you anyway? My doctor told me it was just sinus issues since I deal with them chronically—she didn't even bring up glaucoma once. Apparently, she thinks that's strictly an old person's disease.

Not necessarily. People with diabetes deal with glaucoma issues all the time; it’s actually pretty common.
With all due respect to your family doctor, I think a specialist ophthalmologist is a much more competent authority when it comes to actual eye pain. If I were in your shoes, I'd be asking for a referral to an eye specialist immediately just to rule out any serious ocular diseases.

I mean, maybe it’s just aging, but I’ve been dealing with this since my elementary school days, so it's definitely in my DNA. Still, you should probably go see a doctor just to be safe. It might just be sinus pressure—hopefully it is—but if it's actually your eyes, don't let them brush you off. Demand answers. Especially if the pain comes and goes; your vision could feel totally fine while your blood pressure is actually going haywire elsewhere.

Fine, I’m heading to the eye doctor. The kicker? My wife happens to be a top-tier ophthalmologist, and she just casually mentioned, "you should probably get checked out"—so here we go. Turns out, you can't even trust your own inner circle.

Ronald Rodriguez10

Could you please tell me how old you are? I'm wondering how often you deal with eye pain. Also, what exactly was your eye pressure reading? Did they happen to measure it multiple times in a single day? I was reading some things online, and it seems like intraocular pressure can fluctuate quite a bit throughout the day... so maybe a normal reading in the afternoon doesn't necessarily mean everything is okay if it was fine in the morning. Last year, my right eye was at 18 and my left was at 20 mm Hg, using that non-contact method—you know, the one where they puff air into your eye. But this year, I was at 16 in the right and 18 in the left, also measured in the morning, though they used a contact tonometry this time, which I guess is more reliable and precise. I’ve been having similar pains in my left eye, just like the issues I had last year when I dealt with a retinal tear that required laser photocoagulation. I'm 32. These pains hit me a few times a month—not every single day, really—and sometimes I get a headache right above my left eye too. Once last month, the pain actually made me feel nauseous. Has that ever happened to you? Last year, I didn't have any pain at all, not even in that left eye immediately after the laser surgery. I managed to book a private appointment for a checkup, so I'm heading in next week, since my scheduled follow-up at the hospital isn't until mid-next year. I also see quite a few floaters and some lines in both eyes, but that's been going on for a while now; I know it's just vitreous opacities, which I suppose most people with nearsightedness deal with. My prescription is -2.50 Dsph. Do you have a prescription, and if so, what is it? I'm feeling a little nervous about the exam next week, but I suppose once it's over, I'll finally know for sure. Maybe I should have gone sooner, but it was summer, and I wasn't in pain all the time. Please, if you could answer me... you can always send a private message if that's easier.

Pain when you move your eyes can sometimes be a sign of optic nerve inflammation. And trust me, that’s nothing to take lightly.
It could end up being nothing at all, but it could also be something serious.

My advice? Don't sit around waiting for an appointment or a referral, because your eyes are way too sensitive for that. Just head straight to the emergency eye clinic at Mayo Clinic after 4 PM.
They’re incredibly thorough and professional, and you don't need a doctor's note to get seen.

Thanks for getting back to me. Honestly, though, the pain doesn't really trigger when I move my eyes; it just sort of happens on its own. I actually have a follow-up appointment scheduled for early next week with my doctor—the same one who handles my laser treatments—so I should finally get some real answers then. I don't think I'll head to the ER right now, since it doesn't feel strictly necessary. It’s not even hurting much at this exact moment, but... I know I can't just ignore this. I really wanted to hear from others, especially people around my age, to see what they've dealt with.

Hey, for me, that kind of pain usually signals a migraine is coming on. Are you having a headache right now?

I’ve experienced this exact same thing before. It usually starts as this pain right behind my left eye and then eventually migrates up into my head. If I’m just sitting still and staying quiet, the pain isn't nearly as bad. I've started noticing a pattern where it seems to flare up whenever I'm really straining my eyes, which makes me wonder if there's a direct connection there. A few years back, I actually had my eye pressure checked at an appointment. The doctor just used one of those handheld devices to take a quick look—it took maybe two seconds tops—and she told me everything looked perfectly fine.

Ugh, I’m dealing with the exact same thing—this constant pain in the corner of my eye paired with headaches that sometimes spiral into full-on migraines, so I'm basically living on Advil at this point. I went to see an ophthalmologist and they told me it's just eye strain, especially since my left eye is super nearsighted with a high prescription, though apparently my eye pressure is totally fine. They gave me some new glasses to help ease the strain, but honestly, it's almost impossible to actually rest your eyes when you're stuck staring at a computer screen all day long, so I'm feeling pretty stuck here unless someone has a better idea...

I’m dealing with my own eye issues... Back in May, I caught conjunctivitis, and it kept coming back three separate times. I was fighting it for nearly a month and a half, and since then, my eyes have been constantly red and incredibly painful. I used to wear contact lenses, so I figured they might be the culprit. After seeing an ophthalmologist, she told me the infection left some scarring on my cornea... apparently, it can take up to two years to fully heal. She prescribed some eye drops to use morning and night, which do help reduce the pain, but there's a catch. I can only use them for two weeks at a time before needing a month-long break. If I miss even a single day, the pain returns... it starts in my eyes and then migrates into a headache. My job involves staring at a computer for 12 hours a day, and working night shifts just makes everything worse. I’ve completely stopped wearing contacts because I can't stand the sensation anymore; the pain is just too intense. I'm at a loss as to what to do next...

Man, I just got hit right in the face with this. I’m sitting here running a fever and dealing with a nasty case of strep throat.
It’s either my sinuses acting up or my blood pressure spiking. One of those two, most likely.