What’s the origin of this feeling like a grain of sand has slipped under our eyelid? When to consult? What are the right actions and reflexes to take when faced with this? Dr Stéphanie Zwillinger answers Esther Buitekant’s questions in this article from French weekly magazine Femme Actuelle which you can fully access at the bottom of our page!
The causes of the gritty eye sensation
The most common cause of gritty eye sensation is the presence of a foreign body under the eyelid, or even the encrustation of a foreign body in the cornea. Here, the risk of infection is increased, so it is necessary to consult your ophthalmologist in order to remove it as quickly as possible.
It is also possible to have a lesion in the eye, with a growth in the area of:
- conjunctivitis (pinguecula, pterygium…) ;
- eyelids ;
- meibomian glands (chalazion, stye, etc.)
This concerns only direct organic damage which causes this gritty eye sensation. We invite you to click below to discover non-organic damage.
Gritty eye sensation: when to consult?
Dr Stéphanie Zwillinger reminds you that, for any unpleasant ophthalmological symptoms that you may observe, it is necessary to make an appointment with your ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
If you experience eye pain and discomfort due to light (photophobia) and you have a red eye, in addition to the gritty eye sensation, it is important to report these symptoms to your ophthalmologist.
Many examinations can be performed to find the cause of your discomfort: do not wait before consulting in order to avoid any ocular worsening!
We therefore invite you to read this Femme Actuelle article (in French) in full, in order to find out more about the possible solutions.