Burning or stinging eyes: where the burning comes from and how to relieve it

Burning or stinging eyes most often mean that the surface of the eye is drying out or becoming irritated. Dry eye, inflammation of the edge of the eyelids, screens, dry air, smoke, chlorine or a cosmetic are the usual causes, and they are relieved with preservative-free artificial tears, eyelid care and a few changes of habit. A burning sensation that follows a splash of a product means rinsing the eye immediately. Real pain, a drop in vision or discomfort in light mean seeing an ophthalmologist the same day or, failing that, going to the eye emergency department.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

Burning, stinging, itching: what the sensation points to

Patients use different words for different kinds of discomfort, and those words already point somewhere. A burning or stinging sensation suggests a surface that is drying out or irritated. An itch, the urge to rub, suggests an allergy first (see our article on itchy eyes). A gritty, sandy feeling suggests dry eye, viral conjunctivitis or a speck of dust left under the eyelid. These sensations often overlap: an allergy can burn, and dry eye can itch.

Dry eye, the leading cause

The surface of the eye is covered by a tear film, renewed with every blink. The international TFOS DEWS II report (Craig, 2017) defines dry eye as a disease of this film, whose balance is disrupted: it becomes unstable and too concentrated, which irritates and inflames the surface of the eye. It is common. According to the epidemiology report of the same group (Stapleton, 2017), it affects 5 to 50% of the population depending on the studies and the definitions used, more with age and in women.

Its signs are typical: a burning or gritty, sandy feeling in both eyes, vision that blurs and then becomes clear again after a blink, discomfort that increases at the end of the day, in front of a screen, in the wind or in air conditioning. Paradoxically, a dry eye can water: an irritated surface triggers reflex tearing, made of tears that do not protect it any better (see our page on dry eye).

The edge of the eyelids: when the glands become clogged

The edge of the eyelids carries small glands, the meibomian glands, which make the oily layer of the tear film. When their secretion thickens, this layer is lacking and the tears evaporate too quickly. This dysfunction is considered one of the most frequent causes of dry eye (TFOS DEWS II report, Craig, 2017); the burning is then often stronger on waking. It is often associated with blepharitis and with rosacea of the face. A 2025 review (Mohamed-Noriega) describes ocular rosacea as a chronic inflammation of the surface of the eye, treated in stages, starting with eyelid hygiene.

Screens, dry air, smoke, chlorine: everyday irritants

In front of a screen, the burning increases over the hours. The TFOS report on the digital environment (Wolffsohn, 2023) attributes it mainly to less frequent and less complete blinking, to an optical correction that does not suit the working distance and to the effort of concentration. A New York study (Chu, 2014) qualifies the first point: with identical text, people did not blink less often in front of a screen than on paper, but incomplete blinks were more numerous there, 7.02% versus 4.33%. The TFOS report by Wolffsohn concludes that lenses filtering blue light do not appear to be effective; regular breaks, a well-adjusted workstation and a correction suited to the screen distance can, on the other hand, help (see dry eye and remote working).

Dry air from air conditioning, heating or aeroplanes, and a draught directed at the face, speed up the evaporation of tears. Chlorine in swimming pools stings the eyes on leaving the water: watertight swimming goggles limit it.

Tobacco smoke irritates the eyes, in the smoker as in the people around them (see tobacco and vision). Its link with lasting dry eye is less clear: a meta-analysis of 22 studies and 160,217 people (Tariq, 2022) found no significant association between smoking and dry eye.

Cosmetics are an often overlooked cause. The TFOS report on cosmetics (Sullivan, 2023) describes how eye make-up products and application habits can aggravate or promote a disease of the surface of the eye. An eye pencil applied right at the lash line, on the inner rim of the eyelid, should be left off for as long as the eyes burn.

Certain medicines taken by mouth dry out the surface of the eye. The most widely known is isotretinoin, prescribed for acne: in 24 patients followed (Zakrzewska, 2023), the glands at the edge of the eyelids deteriorated during treatment, then partly improved after it was stopped. You should not stop a treatment on your own: the doctor who prescribed it can adjust it.

Ultraviolet light, lastly: an intense burning sensation in both eyes, a few hours after a day’s skiing without protective eyewear or after looking at a welding arc without protection, suggests a burn of the cornea (see snow blindness). It comes with tears and marked discomfort in light, and warrants seeing an ophthalmologist the same day or, failing that, going to the eye emergency department.

A splash of a product: rinse first

A burning sensation that comes on just after a splash of a household product, building lime, cement or solvent is an emergency. The first step is to rinse the eye generously with clean water, eyelids held wide open, for fifteen to thirty minutes, without waiting and before going anywhere. A 2019 review (Bizrah) stresses that two simple and effective measures, immediate rinsing and wearing protective glasses, are still too rarely applied, and that inadequate initial management complicates everything that follows. After rinsing, you should contact the practice as a priority or, outside its opening hours, go to the eye emergency department, taking the product label with you (see chemical burn of the eye).

What comes with the burning points to the cause

RELIEF

What brings relief

Artificial tears, preservative-free

They are the first treatment for dry eye and can be bought without a prescription. A Cochrane review of 43 trials and 3,497 participants (Pucker, 2016) concludes that they are generally well tolerated, but that the evidence remains of low quality for saying which one is the most effective: in practice, you keep the one that relieves best. Preservative-free forms are preferable for repeated use, because the most common preservative, benzalkonium chloride, itself irritates the surface of the eye when used over the long term (Baudouin, 2010).

Eyelid care

When the burning is worst on waking or the eyelids are crusty, eyelid care is part of the long-term treatment: warm compresses for a few minutes, then a gentle massage of the edge of the eyelids and a gentle cleaning, morning and evening. They take effect gradually and are continued in the long run.

The environment and habits

• In front of a screen, take regular breaks looking into the distance, blink fully, and place the screen a little below your line of sight.
• At home and at the office, avoid a fan or air conditioning blowing towards the face, and air an overheated room.
• Outdoors, wear glasses in strong wind, and swimming goggles in the pool.
• In the evening, remove make-up carefully, without rubbing.

To be avoided: rubbing the eyes, and reusing an old eye drop prescribed for another episode. A corticosteroid eye drop can raise the pressure in the eye without any symptom and make an infection with the herpes virus worse: it should only be used on prescription.

When to seek a consultation, and when not to wait

A mild burning sensation, in both eyes, with no other sign, can be treated for a few days with the measures above. Certain signs, however, mean seeing an ophthalmologist the same day or, failing that, going to the eye emergency department (see our page on eye emergencies):

• real pain in the eye, not just discomfort;
• a drop in vision that does not improve when you blink;
• discomfort in light, or one very red eye;
• intense burning after exposure to ultraviolet light;
• recent eye surgery.

In a contact lens wearer, a red or painful eye means taking the lens out and seeing an ophthalmologist the same day or, failing that, going to the eye emergency department, because a corneal infection has to be ruled out. After a splash of a product, rinsing comes before everything else.

You should also seek a consultation, though not as an emergency, if the burning persists despite these measures or keeps coming back. The slit-lamp examination, with a drop of dye, assesses the stability of the tear film, shows whether the cornea is suffering and looks for involvement of the edge of the eyelids. Dry eye is also treated before an operation, because it distorts the measurements that prepare for cataract surgery or laser refractive surgery (see dry eye before an operation).

Dr Tourabaly sees patients in consultation at the Cachan and Paris 13 practices, and at the Cabinet ophtalmologique Sorbonne Saint-Michel (Paris 5th). Children are seen from the age of 3 at the Cachan practice.

Frequently asked questions

Consultations in Cachan, Paris 13 and at the Sorbonne Saint-Michel practice (Paris 5th) · Tel. +33 1 45 47 08 11

Scientific sources

• Craig JP, et al. TFOS DEWS II Definition and Classification Report. Ocul Surf. 2017. PMID 28736335
• Stapleton F, et al. TFOS DEWS II Epidemiology Report. Ocul Surf. 2017. PMID 28736337
• Mohamed-Noriega K, et al. Ocular rosacea: an updated review. Cornea. 2025. PMID 39808113
• Wolffsohn JS, et al. TFOS Lifestyle: Impact of the digital environment on the ocular surface. Ocul Surf. 2023. PMID 37062428
• Chu CA, et al. Blink patterns: reading from a computer screen versus hard copy. Optom Vis Sci. 2014. PMID 24413278
• Tariq MA, et al. Association of dry eye disease with smoking: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2022. PMID 35647954
• Sullivan DA, et al. TFOS Lifestyle: Impact of cosmetics on the ocular surface. Ocul Surf. 2023. PMID 37061220
• Zakrzewska A, et al. The effect of oral isotretinoin therapy on meibomian gland characteristics in patients with acne vulgaris. Ophthalmol Ther. 2023. PMID 37301783
• Bizrah M, et al. An update on chemical eye burns. Eye (Lond). 2019. PMID 31086244
• Pucker AD, et al. Over the counter (OTC) artificial tear drops for dry eye syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016. PMID 26905373
• Baudouin C, et al. Preservatives in eyedrops: the good, the bad and the ugly. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2010. PMID 20302969

This article is intended for information purposes and does not replace a medical consultation. Indications, expected benefits and risks depend on each individual situation. For any question concerning your vision, consult an ophthalmologist.