The white portion of the eye (sclera) can appear red when the vessels on the surface become enlarged. This may result from mechanical irritation, environmental irritants (such as extremely dry air, excess sun exposure), allergic reactions, infection, and other medical conditions.
Seasonal or environmental allergies, such as those to pollen, pet dander, and cigarette smoke, can cause red and swollen eyes. You may also experience itching, burning, and increased tearing, as well as non-eye symptoms.
Yes, stress can contribute to red eyes, although it typically does so indirectly. Your body often produces adrenaline in response to stress, which in turn can lead to tension and dry eyes. As discussed, both tension and dry eyes can contribute to your red eyes.
But the good news is that most episodes of red eyes are from common, less serious causes like allergies, viral infections, or dry eyes. Sometimes, though, red eyes can be a sign of something more serious. Keep reading to find out when you should seek medical attention for red or bloodshot eyes.
Tired eyes tend to be bloodshot eyes. That's because a lack of sleep can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches your eyes, which in turn causes blood vessels on them to dilate and appear red.
Much like the brain and the body, your eyes heal themselves as you sleep. Not getting enough sleep can lead to having dry, itchy, or bloodshot eyes. The eyes may produce less tears after a night of insufficient sleep.
Allergies, pink eye, blepharitis, and dry eye syndrome are also common causes of bloodshot eyes. While they are not cause for concern, you may need OTC or prescription medication to ease your symptoms. COVID can cause you to have red eyes, too, but the symptom should resolve as you recover from COVID.
High blood pressure and red eyes often occur simultaneously. The eyes are full of blood vessels, and they typically stiffen and join each other in instances of high blood pressure. Severe cases can lead to blood leakage and busted blood vessels, which can have many dangerous effects on the vision.
Hot or Cold Compress
Rest for 10 minutes with the towel over your closed eyes. The warmth can help stimulate tear production to keep your red eyes hydrated. For a cold compress, try the same, but with cold water. You could even try cucumber slices if you're feeling fancy (store them in the fridge for extra chill).
RED EYES THAT ARE SWOLLEN
You can use a cold washcloth or ice pack as needed but for no longer than 10 minutes at a time. Redness relieving eye drops, usually made from decongestants, may temporarily get rid of redness, but ophthalmologists recommend they only be used occasionally and for a short time.
If you develop red eyes due to an injury or after physical trauma, seek immediate medical attention. Eye injuries and ocular trauma can result from blunt objects hitting your eyes, contact with chemicals, cuts and scratches, and any abrupt or severe compression of your eyeballs.
Seek emergency medical care if: There appears to be a scratch, cut, or something has gone into (penetrated) the eyeball. Any chemical gets into the eye. The eye is painful and red.
Dehydration occurs when a person's body loses more water than they replace. It can cause dryness of the skin, lips, and certain parts of the eyes. Dry eyes due to severe dehydration may lead to further symptoms, including irritation, redness, and blurred vision.
Red eyes are common, and are caused when the blood vessels in the sclera – or white portion of the eye – swell or bleed. In many cases, this is painless, although there are also cases where your eye may hurt, itch, or release a discharge.
Red-eye is often caused by a virus called an adenovirus (a very small germ) and is highly contagious (easily spread from one person to another). How does someone get red eye? Red eye is spread by contact with: The infected tears, pus or any kind of fluids from the eyes of an infected person.
Diabetes can cause eye problems. Pain or pressure in one or both of your eyes could be a sign of damage to your retinas. Blurry or double vision, dark spots or blank areas and trouble seeing out of the corners of your eyes are other symptoms to watch for.
A comprehensive eye exam is more than just about vision; it can also provide information about a person's overall health. A thorough examination of the lens, retina, and optic nerve can reveal several systemic disorders, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, sometimes before other symptoms appear.
Persistent, untreated high blood pressure can cause damage to the retina, the tissues at the back of the eye responsible for receiving the images we need to see. The condition can lead to symptoms including double or dim vision, loss of vision and headaches.
Drinking More Water
When your eyes are dry, they can get irritated, feel gritty, or appear red. Adding more moisture allows your eyes to produce more tears to lubricate and nourish your eyes. Hydration is crucial for our health, as our bodies are more than 50% water.
A red eye is usually nothing to worry about and often gets better on its own. But sometimes it can be serious and you'll need to get medical help.
Answer: Our eyes stop making tears—not “crying” type of tears, but lubricating type of tears—during sleep, so someone with dry eye syndrome (low tear levels) or blepharitis (clogged oil glands in the eyelids) may have dryness when awakening. One of the signs of dry eyes is redness.
On examination, signs for concern include decreased visual acuity, pupil irregularity, sluggish pupillary reaction to light, corneal opacification, hyphema or hypopyon, and elevated intraocular pressure. Be especially alert when a patient has unilateral redness.
Why isn't the sclera of my eye white? Several things can cause the entire sclera to change color or spots of color to appear: Blue sclera: If the sclera is thinner than normal, blood vessels may show through, giving your eyeballs a blue or gray hue. This may occur in people with certain health conditions.