Feeling of Something in the Eye

Several eye conditions can make it feel like you have something in your eye, even if there isn't. Most of the time, they are not serious, but might need investigating. As with all eye conditions, you should contact your optometrist, GP or NHS 111 immediately for appropriate advice if you experience: eye pain, light sensitivity, disturbed vision, or intense eye redness. 

Find out more about eye conditions

If you feel like something's in your eye, simple home remedies can often help ‑ including blinking or immersing the eye in clean water. But it depends on what's causing the issue ‑ some kinds of eye discomfort need to be seen by an eye doctor, or even a visit to A&E.

Yes, sometimes it is a good idea to seek medical help if your eye is irritated. If it's painful, bleeding, you're getting visual disturbances or feel discomfort after an eye impact or chemical splash, seek out medical help. For less severe cases, you may wish to wait for a day and see if the issue clears up on its own. If you are unsure, contact your optometrist for advice.

Your eye may be sore in the corner for several reasons. You may have eye irritation from using makeup or getting dust in your eye. Rubbing your eye can also make the corner of your eye sore. Sometimes, specific conditions can cause eyes to be sore in the corner, including conjunctivitis,  hay fever, dry eye syndrome, and many more. Your optometrist will be able to diagnose the cause. 

Maybe ‑ some kinds of foreign objects may cause scratches in the eye if they are not treated swiftly, particularly things like metal fragments or glass shards. This is why it's so important to avoid rubbing your eyes if you notice something in them. But not all foreign objects are likely to cause scratches ‑ things like eyelashes or small specs of dust are usually fairly harmless.

Having an insect in your eye can be really unpleasant. Generally speaking, the normal approach works ‑ blink rapidly to move it out of your eye, then use a clean piece of tissue or cloth to move it away from the corner. If this doesn't work, try immersing your eye in clean water. Monitor your eyes for signs of an infection in the days after, and visit an optometrist if you notice your eyes are red or weepy.

Not normally. By blinking rapidly or flushing the object out with clean water, your eye should be able to clear the object away, and an infection won't normally develop. But if any of the eye is physically damaged, it could allow an infection to develop. If you do ever get something in your eye, monitor it in the days after ‑ and contact your optometrist if you notice it gets red or uncomfortable.

Your eyes have some very effective natural defences, meaning many kinds of eye irritation do clear up on their own. But some conditions do require medical attention, so it's always best to be cautious and book an appointment with your optometrist to get it checked.

It's normal to get something in your eyes from time to time. However, if it seems to happen very often, you might want to make some simple lifestyle changes. For example, if it's related to dust in the air at your work, could you wear safety goggles? Or, do you use lots of mascara? Perhaps you could try having a make‑up break every few days, or choose a different brand that might clump less.