What To Do For Red Eyes
What causes eye redness and how do I treat it?
One of the most concerning things that has happened to almost all of us is either looking in the mirror to see one of your eyes has gone red or if someone stops you and asks if your eye is ok because it looks “all red and angry”.
Sometimes the redness might be accompanied by dryness, irritation, discharge and a gritty feel. Other times it looks really bad but doesn’t always feel as bad as it looks.
So how do you know what to do? Read on and we’ll break it down for you.
Eye redness can occur due to multiple reasons. The most frequent usually happen from:
Eye trauma (like getting hit in the eye, or debris falling into your eye)
Allergies
An eye infection (often referred to as pink eye or conjunctivitis)
A broken blood vessel in the eye (subconjunctival hemorrhage)
Dry Eye disease
Eye strain
A stye (chalazion)
Contact lens issues
Redness in the eye can happen when the blood vessels swell in response to a trigger, like those listed above. Sometimes a blood vessel may even break open causing a blotch of redness where the eye is usually white. This is your body’s response to bring more blood flow to your eye to allow for faster healing.
There are a few things you can try at home if this happens to you:
Apply a cool compress - this can reduce swelling and help with pain, especially with eye traumas.
Eye drops - these can be used to temporarily re-hydrate your eyes if you feel like the redness is from staring at screens for too long, or if your eyes feel dry. You can use them to flush out debris if something feels like it is in your eye. We only recommend brand name, preservative free eye drops like Systane. (There have been many recalls this past year on generic eye drops so you want to ensure what you are putting in your eye is sterile and not going to make the issue worse.)
Removing contact lenses - this should always be your first action if you wear contacts. Switch to glasses until your eyes feel better.
Rest - as long as you are not in severe pain, have not endured injury, do not have visual disturbances, and don’t have eye discharge you are ok to just rest and see if your body starts to feel better on its own. If it’s not better in 24 hours then it's time to give us a call to get a check. We can assess your situation over the phone and bring you into the office if needed.
Remove all eye makeup/creams - often what we put near our eyes contain eye irritants. Removing it can allow your body to heal and feel better.
When to seek help?
If you are having pain, eye discharge, visual disturbances (like blurred or double vision), or have sustained an eye injury you should immediately contact your eye doctor. This indicates that you need further assessment and likely treatment.
If your eye redness is not something that you feel needs immediate attention, and it's been 24-48hrs without improvement then a call to your eye doctor for further examination is the right choice. If you aren’t sure you can always call - we always have knowledgeable staff on-site to answer your questions and guide you through. Our Eyes On You Downtown Seattle office number is available to text or call 206-467-1006.
What if you don’t seek help for eye redness?
In many cases eye redness goes away on its own and is not dangerous. However there are a few situations that cause eye redness that are very serious.
If you choose to ignore symptoms and things get worse and it can become more complicated to treat. In worst case scenarios this can lead to vision loss.
How can you prevent eye redness?
Avoiding irritants and ensuring that you take breaks while on screens can make a big difference.
Don’t touch or rub your eyes. The very common pink eye (conjunctivitis) is spread through touch and is very contagious. Washing your hands frequently can also help to limit what gets close to your eyes.
Wear eye protection like safety goggles when doing activities that put you at risk for eye debris, or injury. This includes a variety of sports (skiing, swimming, pickleball, etc), woodworking, or other activities that produce debris.
Ensure you are following your contact lens regime protocol as prescribed. Don’t wear them longer than intended and ensure to keep them clean.
If you are ever unsure about what to do we are here for you. Give us a call or text and we’d be happy to help.
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