In the presence of eye pain it is always advisable to seek medical attention. The evaluation begins with the collection of information related to the onset, quality and severity of ophthalmodony. To address the diagnosis, it is important that the patient reports the associated symptoms, such as photosensitivity, reduced visual acuity, foreign body sensation and pain during eye movement. In fact, some of these findings are useful for defining the cause of eye pain. For example, itching and blinding pain is often caused by eyelid, conjunctiva, foreign body or corneal abrasion pathologies. A deeper pain, dull or lancinating, on the other hand, may indicate the presence of uveitis, scleritis, endophthalmitis or glaucoma. Concomitant extra-ocular manifestations are also indicative, such as, for example, fever and chills (signs of systemic infection), aura (migraine), pain in the movement of the head, rhinorrhea and productive cough (sinusitis).
The history and revision of the systems are followed by a thorough eye examination, during which visual acuity, intraocular pressure (tonometry) and integrity of the eye structures (ophthalmoscopy and slit-lamp examination) are evaluated. At diagnostic imaging (CT or MRI), it is used in cases where optic neuritis is suspected or if the etiology is not yet clear.
