What makes the corner of your eye itch

The most common cause of itchy eyes is an allergy. Itchy eyes can be triggered by exposure to pollen, animal fur, mould, dust mites, make-up or eye drops. The body reacts to the trigger by releasing histamine, causing the blood vessels in the eye to dilate and irritating the nerve endings so the eyes water.

When the eyes get red because of an allergy, it is known as allergic conjunctivitis also called pink eye or red eye. Allergic conjunctivitis is more common at certain times of the year, although you can still have it all year round. It also causes a runny nose, scratchy throat and sneezing. Other types of allergy can give you itchy eyes. For example, a condition called atopic keratoconjunctivitis produces an inflammation of the surface of the eye because of an allergy to a specific substance.

Another condition, vernal keratoconjunctivitis VKC , produces inflammation in the membrane on the surface of the eye. This usually affects young boys. If you have eczema , a form of dermatitis, around your eyes this too can cause itching. Use our Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

Itching caused by an allergy can be helped with antihistamine or anti-inflammatory eye drops. It can help to use artificial tears eye drops designed to lubricate dry eyes to wash away any allergens on the surface of your eye.

Sometimes you may need to take an oral antihistamine. If you have something in your eye, try to wash it out with warm water or a saline solution. Relieve the itching by placing a clean, cold, damp washcloth or an ice pack over your closed eyes. You can also try bathing your eyes with cold water. Try not to rub your eyes because this will make the itching worse and could damage them.

If you have dry eye, make the air as humid as possible by placing bowls of water around the room. If the itching is caused by an allergy, identify what you are allergic to and remove it. Your doctor can help you and may refer you to a specialist immunologist or allergist if a more complicated assessment is needed. For example, house dust mites and pet fur are common triggers.

You should also talk to your doctor about whether changing your medicines could help prevent itchy eyes. Try to avoid things that can irritate the eyes, such as dry air, wind, pollen, cigarette smoke, dust, chemicals, strong smells, or staring at a screen for a long time.

Make a conscious effort to blink more often to lubricate your eyes. Always use hypoallergenic products near your eyes and use eye protection to prevent pollen, dust or sand from getting into your eyes. Eating a diet with plenty of vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids can also help. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Dry eye includes dry or watery eyes and eye irritation. Dry eye occurs in people who produce fewer or lower quality tears.

Allergic conjunctivitis is uncomfortable, but it is not dangerous. People with allergic conjunctivitis have several treatment options to relieve itching around the eye, including medicated eye drops and antihistamine pills.

Medicated eye drops are available from drugstores and can dilute the allergens that are irritating the eye. The active ingredient is ketotifen, which is an antihistamine. People may also find relief after taking antihistamine pills.

Over-the-counter OTC products such as loratadine Claritin , cetirizine Zyrtec , and fexofenadine Allegra can all provide relief. Viral conjunctivitis is very contagious, meaning that it spreads easily from person to person.

It will usually go away on its own, but there are steps people can take to ease the symptoms. To prevent the spread of the virus, people should wash their hands thoroughly before touching their face and avoid sharing towels with others. Bacterial conjunctivitis is also highly contagious.

The bacteria that cause it can be the same as those that cause strep throat. Children are likely to get bacterial conjunctivitis because they are in close contact with others and may not wash their hands as frequently as adults.

A doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye drops, depending on how severe the symptoms are. To prevent the spread and reduce the chances of contracting bacterial conjunctivitis, the AAO recommend:. Learn more about bacterial and viral infections here. Normally, when a person blinks, the eyelid spreads tears across the front of the eye, or the cornea. This keeps the eye wet and washes away unwanted particles to help prevent infection.

Any tears left over after a blink flow into the back of the nose through the tear ducts, which are the drainage channels in the inner corners of the eye. When someone has dry eye disease, either they do not produce enough tears to wash and lubricate the eye which doctors call keratoconjunctivitis sicca , or they produce tears that do not have the right balance of oil, water, and mucus to wash and lubricate the eye.

When someone has dry eye disease for a long time, it can damage the front of the eye and impair their vision. For some people, it can be a chronic condition, meaning that there is no cure. For people who have chronic dry eye disease, their tear ducts may temporarily be blocked. When the tear ducts are blocked, tears no longer drain away, and the eyes stay lubricated for longer.

Healthcare professionals may use removable silicone or gel plugs to block the tear ducts. In more severe cases, they may suggest a permanent surgical procedure to permanently close the tear ducts.

A tear duct infection, or dacryocystitis , can cause itching in the corner of the eye. When a tear duct becomes blocked and tears cannot drain away, bacteria may collect in the area and cause an infection. Dry eyes become more common as you get older because your glands produce fewer tears. Other dry eye triggers include:. In addition to itchiness, other symptoms that often accompany dry eyes can include redness, soreness, and sensitivity to light.

Allergies trigger an inflammatory response in the body, which can bring on a range of symptoms, such as:. Allergy symptoms can affect not just the corners of the eyes, but the entire eye, including the eyelids.

Allergens that can cause eye irritation can come from:. Meibomian gland dysfunction MGD occurs when the gland that produces the oily layer of tears stops working properly.

The glands are found in the upper and lower eyelids. Along with feeling itchy and dry, your eyes may become swollen and sore. The eyes may also become watery, causing blurry vision. Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelid. When the outer part of the eyelid becomes inflamed anterior blepharitis , staphylococcus or other types of bacteria are usually the cause.

When the inner eyelid is inflamed posterior blepharitis , problems with the meibomian gland or skin problems like rosacea or dandruff are typically the cause. Blepharitis causes eyelid swelling and soreness, along with itchiness and redness. When your tear drainage system becomes infected, the condition is known as dacryocystitis. A blocked drainage system can occur if there is trauma to the nose or if nasal polyps have formed.

Infants, who have very narrow lacrimal ducts, can sometimes experience blockage and infections. But as children grow, such complications are rare. The corner of the eye can feel itchy and painful. You may also have discharge from the corner of your eye or sometimes a fever. Pink eye is the common term for conjunctivitis , which can be a bacterial or viral infection, or an allergic reaction. Along with itchiness around the tear ducts, symptoms of conjunctivitis can include:.

In addition to causing a bright red spot to appear in the white part of your eye sclera , your eye may also feel itchy or as if something was irritating the lid.