Are you worried about your Red Eye?
There are a wide variety of different conditions that may be responsible for red eye. Red eye is accompanied by itching, soreness, or bouts of sneezing with a runny nose and it is likely an irritation caused by pollen and in this case, over the counter antihistamines may help. Conjunctivitis is another condition, often affecting both eyes simultaneously, causing a release of pus that may crust and build up on the eye lashes, this will also usually be accompanied by burning sensations and itching of the affected area. Other possible causes include, a burst blood vessel, dry eyes, blepharitis, in growing eyelash, or problems associated with the eye lid itself, that may present with drooping, twitching or visible lumps. It is important to note that many of these conditions can be easily treated and are not usually considered long term problems.
If you are experiencing reddening of your eye but your vision remains unaffected, and you are not in any pain then there may be steps that you can take at home to alleviate your symptoms without the need for medical intervention.
- Avoid rubbing or touching your eyes as this could exacerbate your symptoms or make your eye sore
- Try not to wear contact lenses and revert to using glasses until the problem has been resolved.
- Try using an eye bath to relieve irritation and rehydrate the eye
- Try over the counter eye drops
- Take regular breaks from looking at computer screens
- Regularly visit the optometrist for eyesight evaluations
Your eyesight is precious and besides regular visits to an optometrist to help monitor or maintain your eyesight it is important that when something is wrong, the source of the problem is evaluated and treated immediately to ensure that it does not result in serious complications such as sight loss. If you are concerned about reddening in or around your eye, or you are experiencing any of the symptoms below then please do not hesitate to seek medical assistance.
Make an appointment with your doctor if:
- You have been suffering from red eye for more than a few days or it is affecting a child under the age of two
- You have experienced oozing of pus or discharge
- The red discolouration is accompanied by itching, sneezing or a runny nose
Seek emergency medical care immediately:
- If it hurts to look into the light, you have a headache or feel nauseous
- If you believe there is a foreign body lodged in your eye that has caused irritation
- If you have suffered an eye injury and require immediate medical evaluation
- If your eyes are very swollen impeding your vision
- If one of your pupils is visibly larger than the other
- If you have noticed any decline in the quality of your vision or are unable to see anything at all
Here at VIDA we have expert clinicians on hand to help diagnose and treat your condition. To find out more about these services, we recommend visiting the following pages:
- Allergies
- Blepharitis
- Complication from a recent eye surgery
- Contact lens complication
- Corneal abrasion
- Corneal ulcer
- Dry eyes
- Ectropion (outwardly turned eyelid)
- Entropion (inwardly turned eyelid)
- Eyedrops side effect or complication
- Foreign object in the eye
- Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
- Iritis (inflammation of the colored part of the eye)
- Keratitis (inflammation of the cornea)
- Orbital cellulitis (severe infection of tissues around the eye)
- Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
- Scleritis (inflammation of the white part of the eye)
- Sty
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage (broken blood vessel in eye)
- Uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of the eye)