All of the various co-morbidities associated with Dry Eye can cause extreme discomfort in the eyes. Sometimes the eyes feel like open wounds.
Underlying conditions such as hyperthyroidism can cause the high concentration of nerves in the eyes to become hyper sensitive, exacerbating any discomfort in the eye, and making the eyes feel like open wounds.
When the tear film is compromised, due to aqueous deficiency or evaporative dry eye, the nerve endings of the eyes are more exposed and any sensations can become unbearable, making the eyes feel like opened wounds.
Conjunctivochalasis, which is often an overlooked co-morbidity, can cause the eyes to feel like open wounds.
This kind of discomfort is very real, is caused by conditions that require treatment, and should be addressed as quickly as possible.
Sometimes this type of pain is incorrectly diagnosed as ocular neuropathy. Although the ocular nerves may be affected, there are very real conditions in the eyes that are causing the nerves to sense pain. These conditions, or co-morbidities, need to be diagnosed and treated. Sometimes there are several co-morbidities causing pain at the same time, each of which need to be diagnosed and treated.