Can astigmatism cause an eye pain?

[Markz999]

Hi,

I did PRK in jan 2016.
My left eye is 20/20 with cylinder of -0.50, sphere +0.25, its very good.
My right eye is 20/25 with cylinder of -1.00, sphere of +1.50. I have an eye pain in the right eye for couple of months now, even with prescribed glasses, no redness, no itchiness, just pure pain with burning sometimes.. no doctors could figure out what is the reason for the pain? could it be the astigmatism of -1.00 in the right eye?

[JohnHaganMD]

Astigmatism just means your cornea is not spherical. It does not cause pain.  There are so many causes of burning and pain that no helpful list of diagnosis can be made. The most common causes would be dry eyes following PRK or neurotrophic corneal pain from refractive surgery.

[Markz999]

Thank you doctor Hagan.
does dry eye always associated with itchiness? or some people experience dry eye with no irritation.

[Markz999]

and what is the treatment for Neurotrophic corneal pain?

Thanks.

[Markz999]

Note: also my doctor said that you have scarring in the two eyes, but only my right eye hurts. does a scar means the first stage of neurotrophic?

[JohnHaganMD]

Dry eye usually does not cause itchiness, that is more typical of allergy. Dry eye causes burn, sandy, light sensitive, blurred vision that gets better with blinking, watering, redness.

I have no experience with treating neurotrophic cornea pain. I refer them to our cornea surgeons.  A scar does not mean neurotrophic pain nor do many scars cause pain.

[Markz999]

Thank you dr. Hagan.

Kindly, one last question. Whenever I had headaches in my left side, the chronic pain in my right eye is gone, how would you explain that?

Best,

[JohnHaganMD]

I suspect the acute pain on the left was so much stronger and different that your brain's pain center's stopped paying attention to the lesser chronic pain.

[Markz999]

Very reasonable,

Thank you so much.

[JohnHaganMD]

You are welcome.