Burning Eyes Home Remedy: Baby Shampoo, Humidifier, Compress

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How to Treat Painful, Burning Eyes at Home Naturally

Medically reviewed by Gerhard Whitworth, R.N. — Written by Valencia Higuera — Updated on January 26, 2019

Home remedies
Causes
Diagnosis
Summary

Overview

Burning eyes can cause a stinging, gritty sensation. The white of your eye may appear red or pink, and other symptoms may accompany the burning, such as itching, puffiness, and discharge.

While different products can calm stinging, such as prescription and over-the-counter lubricating eye drops, you might want to try one of these natural home remedies first.

Read on to learn how products in your medicine cabinet or kitchen can stop the burn.

Burning eye remedies

Burning or stinging eyes can make it difficult to read, see, or even open your eyes.

For fast relief consider these natural remedies at home:

Rinse your eyelids with lukewarm water. Rinsing can remove allergens and irritants from your eye, reducing inflammation and dryness.
Soak a cloth in warm water, and then apply the warm compress over closed eyes for a few minutes several times a day.
Mix a small amount of baby shampoo with warm water. Dip a cotton swab into the water, and then use it to clean the base of your eyelashes. This method unclogs oil glands and minimizes inflammation.
Drink more water to increase eye moisture and reduce dryness. Dry eyes can trigger stinging, burning, and irritation.
Step away from the computer and give your eyes a break. Staring at a bright computer screen for hours may contribute to irritation and burning.
Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and wind.
Eat more omega-3 fatty acids to alleviate dry eyes and burning. Good sources of omega-3 include salmon, tuna, anchovies, and sardines. You can also receive omega-3s from flaxseeds if you’re a vegan or vegetarian. Talk to a doctor to see if supplements are right for you.
Run a humidifier to increase air moisture and relieve dry eyes.
Apply cucumber slices over the affected eye to reduce inflammation, swelling, puffiness, and burning.

Burning eye causes

Understanding the underlying cause may prevent future problems. Eye conditions that can cause burning or stinging include:

Blepharitis

Blepharitis causes inflammation of the eyelids. A clogged oil gland at the base of your eyelashes can trigger this condition. Other accompanying symptoms include watery eyes, itchy eyelids, flaking around the eyes, sensitivity to light, and you may lose your eyelashes.

Blepharitis isn’t contagious, but it can become a chronic condition.

Dry eyes

Poor lubrication contributes to dry eyes. This not only causes burning, but also eye redness, sensitivity to light, mucus around the eyes, and eye fatigue. Depending on the severity, dry eyes can make it uncomfortable to wear contact lenses.

Different factors can trigger dry eyes. These include wind and smoke exposure, allergies, and working at a computer. You may also develop dry eyes if you have certain conditions like arthritis, or if you take an antihistamine, a decongestant, or an antidepressant.

Allergies

Eye allergies that can trigger burning eyes include pollen, dander, smoke, and dust. In addition to eye discomfort, you may experience other allergy symptoms. These include sneezing, a runny nose, watery eyes, coughing, and a sore throat.

Snow blindness (photokeratitis)

Overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause a sunburn on your eyes. This can lead to eye burning, redness, sensitivity to light, headaches, blurry vision, and temporary vision loss.

Ocular rosacea

This condition causes inflammation around the eyes, along with eye burning, itching, and redness. A blocked eyelid gland or eyelash mites can bring on this condition. Ocular rosacea can occur in people who have the skin condition rosacea, as well as those who don’t have this condition.

Pterygium (surfer’s eye)

With pterygium, a lump develops on the eyeball. Sometimes, it can invade the cornea and interfere with vision. Although a benign growth, surfer’s eye can cause a variety of symptoms from burning eyes to the sensation of a foreign object in the eyes. A doctor can surgically remove the growth, but it may grow back.

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

This refers to inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin layer of clear tissue covering the white part of the eye. Conjunctivitis is a contagious condition caused by a viral or bacterial infection. You can also get pink eye from an allergic reaction to chemicals, pollen, and smoke.

Eye strain

If your eyes burn after staring at a bright computer screen, you could have eye strain. Other symptoms include double vision, watery eyes, dry eyes, and sensitivity to light. Eye strain can also develop after driving long distances, and after exposure to dry air.

Burning eyes diagnosis

Burning eyes may improve with home remedies and a few simple adjustments. If symptoms worsen or continue, see an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. You should also see a doctor if other symptoms appear with burning eyes. These include:

eye floaters
double vision
blurry vision
eye discharge

Be prepared to answer questions about your medical history and other symptoms. You’ll also undergo a comprehensive eye examination to check for physical symptoms that indicate an eye condition.

A doctor may use a bright light and a magnification tool to examine your eye tissue and the inner structure of your eye.

You may also complete a visual acuity test to check for loss of vision. And if you have discharge or crusting around your eyes, your doctor may take a fluid sample to check for bacteria, fungi, or allergens.

A doctor can also use the Schirmer’s test to evaluate tear production. Low tear volume can cause burning and stinging.

Takeaway

Burning eyes can be uncomfortable, but plenty of natural remedies can provide fast relief and calm the sting. Depending on the severity of burning, however, you may need medicated eye drops or a prescription from a doctor.

Don’t ignore eye symptoms that don’t improve. What you believe to be a minor annoyance could be a more serious eye condition.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Boyd K. (2017). Dry eye treatment.https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/dry-eye-treatment
Boyd K. (2017). What Is a pingueculaand a pterygium (surfer's eye)?https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/pinguecula-pterygium
Conjunctivitis. (n.d.).https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/conjunctivitis
Hunter JP III. (2014). Health benefits from food and spices. https://books.google.com/books?id=TrMWBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=can+dragon+fruit+reduce+inflammation+from+arthritis&source=bl&ots=BjZTEoqQhU&sig=yc9ZyHwnKBj8RZ96B2fXRz1VdB4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjb-dLJ_ILcAhWDPH0KHYmHBhs4FBDoAQhbMAg#v=snippet&q=cucumber&f=false
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015)Eye strain.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eyestrain/symptoms-causes/syc-20372397
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018)Blepharitis.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/blepharitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20370141
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018)Dry eyes. .https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-eyes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20371869
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018).Ocular rosacea.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ocular-rosacea/symptoms-causes/syc-20375798
Porter D. (2017). What is photokeratitis— including snow blindness?https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/photokeratitis-snow-blindness

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Medically reviewed by Gerhard Whitworth, R.N. — Written by Valencia Higuera — Updated on January 26, 2019

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