Eye Itching in the Corner (Inner, Outer): Causes & Remedies

Table of Contents Show

Why are my eyes itchy in the outer and inner corners? What are the home remedies and treatment of eye itching in the corner? Today’s topic is all about Eye Itching in the Corner: Introduction, Causes, Symptoms, Home Remedy, and Treatment. So, stay connected.

Introduction

Around the world, about half of the total population suffers from any sort of eye itching problem, every year. Among them, almost 15 percent of the people get severe eye itching in the corners and eyelids.

In general, eye itching in the outer or inner corners of the eye or other parts of the eye, like eyelids, and skin around the eyes has similar causes, ranging from mild eye allergy, infection to blepharitis.

Short Introduction to Eye Corners

There are two corners in each eye: the inner corner towards the nose and the outer corner towards the temporal side of the head.

Eye corners are formed by the meeting of the upper eyelid and lower eyelid at the canthi. The inner eye corner area is known as the inner or medial canthus whereas the outer eye corner is known as the outer or lateral canthus.

Unlike the outer eye corner, the inner corner of the eye has 2 pores or openings of the tear duct, one in each eyelid margin. Both the upper punctum and the lower punctum drain excess tears from the eye surface into the back of the nose.

In addition to two puncta, the inner corner of the eye also possesses the lacrimal caruncle, the small pinkish mass containing the oil-secreting glands. The oils secreted by those glands help to keep the eye surface moist.

Causes and Treatment of the Itchy Eyes in the Corner (Outer & Inner)

There are numerous causes of eye itching, either in the corner or other parts of the eye. As the treatment of the problem entirely depends on the cause, it’s mandatory to determine the exact cause of the itchy sensation.

So, let’s find out the common causes of eye itching in the corner of the eye, and the available treatment options for the individual causes.

1. Eye Allergies

Many different allergens that can cause eye irritation and itchy sensation in the eye come from varieties of outdoor and indoor sources. You might get an allergic reaction to the corner of the eye and other parts of the body due to pollen dust, mold, dust mites, pet dander, cigarettes smoke, petroleum products, and many more things.

In addition to itching in the corner of the eye, inflammatory reactions in the body that are caused by the allergens produce a range of signs and symptoms, like eyelid swelling, conjunctival chemosis, watery discharge, irritation and burning sensation, redness in the white part of the eye, skin of eyelids and periorbital region.

To prevent allergic reactions due to any allergens, you should find out the sources of such allergens. It is important to do so to prevent any eye allergy in the future, as well.

If the eye corner itchy sensation is seasonal in nature, it is most commonly due to seasonal allergy.

Several treatment options are available to mitigate the problem of itchy eye corners due to eye allergies, such as anti-allergy eye drops and over-the-counter antihistamine pills. Always get advice from your eye doctor about any medications before starting the treatment.

2. Dry Eyes

Also known as dysfunctional tear syndrome, dry eye is the condition in which the tear produced by the glands is not enough to keep eyes moist or lubricated.

Dry eye is one of the most common causes of the itchy corner of the eyes, along with other parts of the eyes.

Eyelids movement or blinks help to spread the tear over the cornea and conjunctiva, thus helping to maintain the tear film stability and wetting the anterior surface of the eye. The excess tear will get drained to the back of the nasal cavity via the tear duct.

But in the eyes with dry eye disease, either the glands are unable to produce the right quantity of tears or they produce low-quality tears (without required components of the tear such as oil, water, or mucus).

The common signs and symptoms found in dry eye conditions are itching in the outer or inner corners of the eye and eyelids, gritty sensation, burning sensation, excessive watering, and foreign body sensation.

If a dry eye disease is left untreated for a long time (chronic dry eye disease), it can impair vision due to scarring of the front part of the eye (cornea), along with other signs and symptoms.

The effective home remedy to prevent dry eye is to maintain proper moisture in the workplace and at home. You have to adjust the fan speed and air conditioner setting to maintain optimum airflow in the room.

Try to maintain a proper schedule to work on the screen and use proper lubricating eye drops if you have to work on the computer for a long time.

Over-the-counter artificial tear drops, warm compress, eyelid massage are other effective treatments for dry eye problems.

3. Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD)

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is an eye problem in which the glands found in the eyelids do not produce secretions or oily components of tears properly.

The majority of the time, the opening of the glands are blocked and there is swelling of the upper or lower eyelids, dryness, and itching of the eyelids and eye corners.

MGD also leads to tearing and blurry vision due to improper tear film and degraded quality of the tear.

The most effective home remedy for meibomian gland dysfunction is hot compression. The hot or warm compression helps to open the blocked mouth of the tarsal glands, thereby facilitating the normal outflow of the oily secretion from the glands.

For effective management of the MGD, visit your eye care practitioner. He might start antibiotic ointment or eyedrops along with home remedy methods for effective treatment of the problem.

4. Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

Pink eye or conjunctivitis is another common cause of eye itching in the corner. American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) categorizes inflammation of the conjunctiva based on the causative agents. Three main types of conjunctivitis are bacterial, viral, and allergic.

General signs and symptoms in all types of conjunctivitis include itchy corners and other parts of the eye, grittiness, redness, watering, eyelid swelling, and/or mucus discharge.

Consult your eye doctor to manage the problem of inflamed or irritated conjunctiva effectively, and to minimize the associated signs and symptoms.

5. Blepharitis

Blepharitis is the inflammation of the eyelid, mostly in the margin. Staphylococcus or other bacteria, dandruff, rosacea are common causes of anterior and posterior blepharitis.

The eyelid and the corner of the eye become itchy, swollen, and red with or without pain in blepharitis.

The most effective home remedy for meibomian gland dysfunction is hot compression and eyelid hygiene. You can use warm water to clean the eyelid and to remove dandruff that is blocking the mouth of tear oil-secreting glands at the base of the eyelashes.

For the medical management of blepharitis, your eye doctor might start antibiotic ointment and eye drops, along with home remedy options.

6. Tear Duct Infection (Dacryocystitis)

When there is trauma to the nose or the formation of the nasal polyps, the drainage of the tears from the tear duct is blocked. It increases the risk of infection in the tear duct, known as dacryocystitis.

Many babies also experience the problem of tear duct obstruction and infections. But this problem goes away due to the opening of the tear passage as a child grows.

The tear duct openings are situated at the inner corner of the eye. Infection and any other problems of the tear duct directly affect the eye corner first.

In tear duct infection, the inner corner of the eye is itchy and painful, along with yellow discharge collected at the eye corner.

In addition, you will notice swelling of the lower eyelid at the inner corner. Hight body temperature or fever is also common in tear duct infection.

This eye problem can’t be managed at home. You need to seek medical treatment for the effective management of dacryocystitis. He might start antibiotic treatment to clear the infection.

In some cases, the eye doctor might need to do surgery to widen the tear duct or to place an artificial tear duct for the smooth flow of the tear down to the nasal cavity.

7. Foreign Body in the Eye

Any foreign particles such as sand, dirt, or eyelash make you feel itchy at the corner of the eye and inside the eyelids. You might also feel grittiness, pain, and tearing. If those particles temporarily clog the tear duct puncta, the problem becomes worse.

Removal of the foreign body from the eye and treatment of the associated problems is the only solution to the itching of the eye corner and eyelids with other symptoms.

8. Contact Lenses and Prosthetics

Contact lenses are the best alternatives to eyeglasses, and to enhance the beauty of your eyes and face. Likewise, prosthetics help to improve the appearance of disfigured eyes.

But contact lenses and prosthetics are not free of eye problems if you don’t pay close attention to their cleanliness and handling.

Contact lenses of low-quality materials and poor fitting aggravate the problem of dry eyes and increase the risk of infection and hypoxia (low oxygen).

Similarly, some people find their eyes to be allergic to prosthetics and contact lens materials. In such cases, your eyes will produce similar signs and symptoms to those of allergic reactions.

Proper fitting of the contact lens and prosthetics, and good cleanliness, hygiene, and handling of these devices help to reduce the problem of eye itching in the corner and other parts of the eyes.

Eye Itching in the Corner Home Remedy

When you are constantly scratching your eyes, the treatment options available at home or simple home remedies might help you get rid of the problem of itchy eye corners easily.

The first important thing that you have to follow is to stop rubbing your eyes as it might lead to other eye problems such as redness and swelling of eyelids and periorbital skin.

The problem of eye itching in the corner caused by dryness is easily treated at home by using over-the-counter refreshing eye drops or lubricating artificial teardrops.

For the irritating itchy sensation that is caused by the infection or allergy, you can apply a damp, cold compress across the closed eyes several times per day. An ice bag or normal ice can be used for this purpose. This helps to minimize the itchiness and to reduce the swelling of the lids.

Similarly, you can get rid of the itchy sensation in the corner of the eye caused by blepharitis and meibomian glands dysfunction by applying a warm compress on the closed eyes. You can use warm potato or egg wrapped in clean clothes, tea bag, or clean cloths soaked in warm water to apply to your eyes. Be careful not to use very hot objects or liquids.

Final Words

Itchy corner of the eye is a common eye problem encountered by almost everybody on a regular basis. The mild harmless itchy sensation goes away in a few hours or a few days without any home remedies or treatment.

But sometimes, the itching in the corner of the eye forces you to scratch your eyelids a lot resulting in redness, swelling, and other associated eye problems.

So, to prevent further damage to your eyes and to stop eye itching, you can start simple home remedies.

Within a few days the problem should subside. Otherwise, it’s always a wise idea to visit your eye doctor to pinpoint the exact cause of the outer or inner eye itching problem.

Infection, severe blepharitis, tear duct infection, and some other causes of itchy eye corners require medical intervention for their proper management.

Sources