The function of eyelashes and eyelids are there to act as protective barriers. They need to keep any foreign bodies away from your eyes, as well as ensure they won’t dry out. Therefore, if your eyelash and eyelid develop problems it will be best to deal swiftly with it, and avoid potential eye damage.

Although there are different conditions with symptoms of eyelash pain, like growth problems, blocked oil glands, or infection of the eyelid, your most common condition will be blepharitis.

It’s a condition that is chronic and affects your eyelids, which can occur secondarily to some other conditions, and diseases. It can also develop into further disorders, complications, and other diseases if you don’t receive immediate attention from your doctor. You need to contact your eye specialist if you experience any of the following symptoms and/or causes.

Symptoms

Except for eyelash pain, if you develop blepharitis it can have symptoms such as:

Swollen and watery eyes

Itchy and red eyes

Grittiness

Burning

Discomfort or sensitivity of the eye

Flaky skin surrounding the eyes

Oily or greasy eyelashes

Crust on the eyes while sleeping

Eyelashes can fall out or grow abnormal

Causes of eyelash pain

When you grow older you can encounter eyelash or eyelid problems, but the symptoms can be treated easily if you seek medical attention immediately.

Ectropion

Eyelids that turn outward

When you grow older, your eyelids may become occasionally unstable. Most of the time your lower eyelid might turn outwards, that will give your eye a red-rimmed appearance. Except for your appearance that will change, you can experience discomfort, irritation, dry or watery eyes. It can occur if your muscles which have to hold your eyelids tight against your eyes become weak due to your age. Although, it might develop because of damage to the nerves, or scarring that surrounds your eyelid.

Entropion

Eyelids that turn inward

This also occurs when you get older, which usually will affect your lower eyelid to turn inwards. It can cause harsh discomfort because your eyelashes will rub against your eyes. Except being irritating and painful, it might cause potential harm to the cornea's if it’s not promptly dealt with. This can cause muscles that surround your eyes to weaken and cause nerve or scarring damage.

Trichiasis

Ingrown eyelashes

With this condition, eyelash grows to the inside and rub constantly on your eyes, which will cause immense discomfort. Most of the time, it will feel as if something is in your eye, accompanied with irritation, itchiness, redness, as well as a gritty or sandy feeling inside your eye. At times these ingrown eyelashes might be normal in color and size, although, it can also be colorless and very fine, which will only be visible under a magnifying glass. It can be caused by an eye inflammation or infection of your eyelid, old age, or if there is some scarring to your eyelid.

Blepharitis

Conditions that can cause blepharitis may include malfunctions of oil-gland, mites, allergies, rosacea, bacterial infections, and seborrheic dermatitis. Conditions of rosacea can be identified through redness of your face especially the cheeks, and seborrheic dermatitis through skin inflammation that causes irritation of your skin and dandruff.

If blepharitis is not treated it may lead to conditions like eyelash shedding or misdirection. It can also grow inwards and irritate your cornea. Different conditions that it will cause is excessive dryness or tearing, pink eyes, swelling of your eyelid, as well as infection of your eyelid’s edge that is known as a sty.

Treatments for eyelash pain and eyelid problems

Most of these conditions your eye specialist can treat with a relatively simple and fast eyelid surgery, and also with antibiotics, eye drops or other medications. Eyelashes that grow in may be removed, but if they grow back continuously, a tiny surgical procedure can be performed to remove them.