Red Eyes

There are quite a few conditions which can cause the eyes to look red. Whenever the eye is irritated, it will become red due to the enlargement, or dilation of the blood vessels on the surface of the eye.

Common conditions which cause redness are infection, allergy, inflammation, and blood under the surface of the eye. If redness of the eye is accompanied by pain and/or reduction in vision, it is important to have the eyes checked.

Conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, is an infection of the surface of the eye which is common in both children and adults. It's like a cold in the eye, so it can be passed from one person to another just as a cold can. Treatment is often aimed at making the eyes comfortable and helping to prevent spreading it to others. Sometimes, antibiotic eye drops can be helpful.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage is a common condition, especially as we get older, in which there is a small amount of bleeding on the surface of the eye. Because a small amount of blood under the clear tissue which covers the eye looks very red, many people are quite frightened by this. However, it's harmless, and you know that this is the problem when the eye looks blood red and doesn't feel or see any differently than usual. These generally get better on their own within one to two weeks. They can come from coughing, straining, or sneezing. If due to an injury, a thorough eye examination must to be done to be sure there is no other injury to the eye.

Allergies can affect only the eyes, or can be accompanied by runny nose, sneezing, etc. Allergic eyes are generally itchy and stay red and itchy over an extended period of time (more than 2 weeks). If you have an allergy affecting your eyes, there are good medications available to treat the symptoms to reduce itching and redness.

Iritis is inflammation inside the eye which can make the eye red, sore and sensitive to light. This requires treatment, so it is best to see an ophthalmologist if your red eye is accompanied by pain or light sensitivity, or lasts more than a few days.

Some infections and inflammation of the eye can be dangerous if left untreated. So if you have a red eye that lasts more than a few days, or if your vision is also blurred or your eye is painful, see your eye specialist as soon as you can.