Does the retina or ciliary muscle have nerve of pain ?

I had a RD surgery for 7 months and experience eye pain all the time. I just discussed with my friend who is NOT a eye doctor (he is actually a chiropractor). He told me that the retina, the len and  ciliary muscle should not have the nerve of pain and should not cause that much pain. He thinks that my pain most likely comes from the outer structure of the eye (like the cornea or the conjunctiva).

I experience pain even with moderate level of light. However, my tolerance level of light doesn't change too much in regular situation or my pupil is fully dilated (after several eye tests done recently). Does it also indicate the the cause of the pain is in the outer structure.

Thanks

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

your friend is right. These structures do not have sensory nerves like the skin. The outer layer and cornea are different. Also pain can come from in the eye dues to pressure.

There are several people that have posted on the eye forums complaining of pain after RD sometimes many months to years.

JCH MD

[taurus1203]

Dr Hagan:
If I specifically look at the pain when there is a moderate level of light (like looking at a monitor without tinted lens, how likely the pain comes from the outer layer (before entering the iris). How much is the possibility that the light cause the inside structure of the eye to increase the pressure inside the eye ? In the 3 months, I had more than 10 appointments with different eye doctors and the eye exam always indicated my eye pressure is normal. But not sure is it because the light is bright when I did the pressure test.

Finally, my left eye feels tired after reading the monitor for 10 minutes, my friend also thinks that this feeling also comes from the corneal but not the cilary muscle. He told me that the corneal needs to change its curvature for reading something small. This changing of curvature can cause the feeling of tiredness.
Dr Hagan: Do you agree ?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You are trying to make "pain" a layer specific indicator in the eye and it's not possible to do that. Given what you said it's not likely that IOP is a problem.  Change of curvature on the cornea creates astigmatism which causes blurred vision. It is normally correctable with glasses or contact lens.

Be sure that at least some of these eye doctors you see make sure your glasses are the best possible.

JCH MD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Also JodieJ a common poster here had pain after RD surgery and a very small exposed suture was the cause be sure that is not a problem. Have them flip your upper eyelid and look under it for abnormalities.

JCH MD

[taurus1203]

Dr Hagan:
I know that it is difficult to have the pain clearly related to a specific layer. But the eye doctors and the retinal specialists cannot find anything wrong with my retina. I can only try to find out if my pain from light is due to cornea (e.g. like dry eye, cornea abrasion, ...)

BTW, when I mentioned curvature of the cornea, I meant the curvature of the cornea can be 'adjusted' to tune the focus. I am not sure if this adjustment will cause the eye to feel tiredness of feel pain. If yes, I think I need to focus on my cornea than find another retina specialist.

[taurus1203]

Dr Hagan:
You are right, it seems none of those eye doctors flipped my eye-lid in the last 10 visits.


I booked an appointment with a family doctor in my company to have inspect it tomorrow morning.

Thanks