Feels Like Something in My Eye? Causes, Relief, and When to See a Doctor

It’s a universal and instantly distracting feeling: the sensation that a grain of sand, an eyelash, or some unseen speck has taken up residence in your eye. This common complaint, medically known as foreign body sensation (FBS), can range from a minor annoyance that resolves with a few blinks to a symptom of a more serious underlying condition.

Whether there's actually something in your eye or not, that gritty, rubbing feeling is your body's alarm system. This comprehensive guide will help you understand the potential causes, provide safe steps for immediate relief, and clarify when it's crucial to see an eye doctor.

Part 1: First Aid for When Something Is Actually in Your Eye

Often, the cause is exactly what you suspect: a tiny foreign object. Common culprits include:

• Dust or dirt particles
• Sand
• An eyelash
• Makeup debris
• A stray insect

What to Do: Safe Removal Steps

Your first instinct might be to rub your eye, but this is the most important thing to avoid. Rubbing can press the object against your cornea, causing a painful scratch known as a corneal abrasion.

Instead, follow these steps recommended by eye care professionals:

1. Wash Your Hands: Before touching your eyes or face, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Try Blinking: Your natural tears are the first line of defense. Blink several times to see if your tears can wash the particle out.
3. Flush Your Eye: Use a sterile saline solution or artificial tears to flush your eye. If you don't have those, you can use clean, lukewarm tap water. Tilt your head to the side, hold your eye open, and gently pour the water from the inner corner (near your nose) outwards.
4. Use a Wet Swab (With Caution): If you can see the particle on the white part of your eye, you may be able to gently touch it with a clean, damp cotton swab to lift it out. Never touch your cornea (the clear dome over your iris and pupil) with a swab.
5. Pull Your Upper Lid Over Your Lower Lid: Gently grasp the lashes of your upper eyelid and pull it down over your lower eyelid. The lashes of the lower lid may be able to sweep the object away.

What NOT to Do

• Do not rub your eye. This can cause a corneal abrasion.
• Do not use tweezers, toothpicks, or any other hard objects to try and remove something from your eye.
• Do not try to remove an object that is embedded in your eye or that you cannot easily see.

Part 2: When Nothing Is There: The Hidden Causes of Eye Irritation

If you've flushed your eye and are certain nothing is there, but the sensation persists, it's likely due to an issue with the surface of your eye. The nerves in the cornea are incredibly sensitive and can be triggered by inflammation or dryness, mimicking the feeling of a physical object.

Ocular Surface and Eyelid Conditions

• Dry Eye Syndrome: A very common cause. When your eyes don't produce enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly, the surface isn't properly lubricated. This causes friction when you blink, leading to a gritty, sandy, or scratchy feeling.
• Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Inflammation of the conjunctiva (the thin membrane covering the white of your eye). Whether caused by a virus, bacteria, or allergies, conjunctivitis often produces a gritty sensation along with redness, itching, and discharge.
• Blepharitis: Inflammation of the eyelids, often caused by clogged oil glands at the base of the eyelashes. This can lead to red, swollen eyelids, crusting, and a persistent feeling that something is in your eye.
• Chalazion or Stye: A blocked oil gland (chalazion) or an infected eyelash follicle (stye) can create a lump on the eyelid that rubs against the eye's surface with every blink.

!An illustration showing a corneal abrasion on the surface of the eye.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/gritty-sensation-in-eyes-3421997-5bb7be8fc9e77c0058b432dd.png "A diagram illustrating the cornea of an eye. Source: Verywell Health") A corneal abrasion, or a scratch on the eye's surface, is a common cause of foreign body sensation.

Corneal Conditions

The cornea is the transparent outer layer at the very front of the eye. Any disruption to its smooth surface can cause significant discomfort.

• Corneal Abrasion: A scratch on the cornea. Even after the object that caused the scratch is gone, the abrasion itself can make it feel like something is still there. This is often accompanied by pain, light sensitivity, and excessive tearing.
• Corneal Ulcer: An open sore on the cornea, usually caused by an infection. This is a serious condition that can cause severe pain, redness, discharge, and blurred vision, alongside the foreign body sensation.
• Keratitis: Inflammation of the cornea, which can be caused by infections (bacterial, viral, or fungal) or injury. Fungal keratitis, for instance, can develop after an eye injury involving a plant or stick.
• Ocular Herpes: An infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) can affect the cornea, leading to irritation, pain, and redness.

Other Potential Causes

• Pinguecula and Pterygium: These are non-cancerous growths on the conjunctiva, often linked to sun, wind, and dust exposure. They can become inflamed and create a feeling of dryness or irritation.
• Sjögren's Syndrome: An autoimmune disorder that attacks moisture-producing glands, leading to severe dry eyes and a persistent sandy or gritty sensation.

Part 3: How Your Modern Lifestyle Affects Your Eyes

That gritty feeling might be more connected to your daily habits than you think. Modern lifestyles often create the perfect storm for eye irritation.

• Digital Eye Strain: Staring at screens for hours on end significantly reduces your blink rate. Blinking is essential for spreading fresh tears over the eye's surface. Less blinking means more tear evaporation and a higher likelihood of dry, irritated eyes.
• Environmental Factors: Air conditioning, central heating, and windy or low-humidity climates can all accelerate tear evaporation, contributing to dry eye symptoms.
• Poor Nutrition: Diets lacking in omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin A have been linked to a higher risk of dry eye syndrome.
• Inadequate Sleep: Lack of sleep can lead to eye fatigue, spasms, and dryness, making your eyes feel tired and scratchy.
• Improper Contact Lens Wear: Over-wearing contacts or sleeping in them can deprive your cornea of oxygen, leading to dryness, irritation, and an increased risk of infection.

A person working on a laptop with a look of mild eye strain.

A simple strategy to combat digital eye strain is the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away.

Part 4: From Acute Problem to Chronic Management

While many cases of FBS are temporary, some individuals experience it as a chronic condition. This requires a shift from a one-time fix to a long-term management strategy focused on treating the root cause.

• Diagnosis is Key: An eye doctor will perform a thorough examination, often using a slit-lamp microscope and a special dye (fluorescein) to check for scratches, ulcers, or signs of severe dryness.
• Chronic Management Strategies:
  • Lid Hygiene: For conditions like blepharitis, daily cleaning of the eyelids with special wipes or gentle cleansers can be effective.
  • Medicated Eye Drops: Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic drops for infections, steroid drops for inflammation, or special prescription drops to increase tear production.
  • Tear Film Optimization: A consistent regimen of over-the-counter artificial tears can help manage chronic dry eye. For more severe cases, punctal plugs (tiny plugs inserted into the tear ducts to keep tears on the eye longer) may be recommended.
  • Patient Education: Learning to avoid triggers is crucial. This includes taking screen breaks, using a humidifier, wearing wraparound sunglasses outdoors, and avoiding rubbing your eyes.

When to See an Eye Doctor Immediately

While home care is often sufficient, some symptoms are red flags that require immediate medical attention to prevent serious damage or vision loss.

Seek immediate help if you experience:

• Severe eye pain
• Vision changes, such as blurriness, blind spots, or double vision
• Inability to remove a foreign object
• A visible object embedded in the eyeball
• Pus, mucus, or blood coming from the eye
• Extreme sensitivity to light
• Headache, fever, or nausea along with eye symptoms
• A chemical splash to the eye (flush with water for 15 minutes and go to the ER)

Even if your symptoms aren't severe, the American Academy of Ophthalmology advises seeing an ophthalmologist if the foreign body sensation continues for more than a day or two, as a seemingly minor issue could be a corneal abrasion or infection that needs treatment.

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References

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). (2025, March 6). Why does it feel like something is rubbing against my eye when I blink? Retrieved from aao.org
• Caporuscio, J., PharmD. (2020, March 26). Feels like something is in the eye: Causes and treatment. Medical News Today. Retrieved from medicalnewstoday.com
• MyHealth.Alberta.ca. (2024, July 31). Feeling of an Object in the Eye: Care Instructions. Retrieved from myhealth.alberta.ca
• Starr, C. E., MD. (2025, September 5). Why Does It Feel Like Something Is in My Eye? Verywell Health. Retrieved from verywellhealth.com