Contents
Eye redness symptoms
Redness of the eyes is the expansion of small blood vessels located on the surface of the eyeball. It is due to external stimuli or diseases, since in the normal state the capillaries are almost invisible. Enlarged vessels make the eye red, and blood spots can be found in the sclera.
External symptoms suggest the presence of other signs that indicate the need to contact an ophthalmologist:
Decreased visual acuity;
Uncharacteristic discharge from the eyes;
Photophobia;
Pain.
Often these phenomena are caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. You can make up for their lack by taking special complexes containing lutein.
Itching and redness of the eyes
The redness is often accompanied by itching. The patient has a strong desire to scratch the eye to get rid of the discomfort. However, friction, on the contrary, increases discomfort. When itching, you should not touch your eyes with your hands or comb them, so as not to infect the infection or the smallest particles on the mucous membrane. This will only make the situation worse.
If itching occurs, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist, since such a symptom, together with redness, is a sign of many serious diseases: glaucoma, cataracts, corneal lesions, dendritic keratitis. If it is impossible to get expert advice immediately, you can try to cope with discomfort for a while on your own. To do this, make herbal compresses from chamomile or green tea, fresh cucumbers, raw potatoes or milk. Even if, after using such remedies, itching is felt less or completely disappears, you still need to visit a specialist. Lack of treatment in the case of many diseases leads to rapid loss of vision.
The ingress of a foreign body also causes itching and redness of the eyes. In this case, they should be rinsed with running water, and then, with a gentle movement, try to move the particle that caused irritation to the corner of the eye and try to remove it from there. If you can’t cope with the problem on your own, you need to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible.
Causes of redness of the eyes
There are 23 causes of eye redness:
external stimuli. Redness of the eyes can cause low temperatures, direct sunlight, strong winds. Ultraviolet radiation leaves burns on proteins. Bright sunlight is also dangerous because it makes you constantly squint, and this leads to the formation of wrinkles around the eyes. Therefore, it is necessary to use glasses. The wind contributes to the occurrence of irritation and the ingress of small litter, grains of sand into the eyes.
chemicals. Irritation of the mucosa can cause cleaning products, soaps, shampoos. Often chlorinated pool water in the eyes leads to redness. For this reason, you should wear goggles.
Dust, foreign bodies. When they hit, there is an acute desire to rub your eyes, but you can’t do this. Since if you strongly compress the eyelids, you can damage the cornea.
Air conditioning. If you constantly stay in the room where the split system works, you may encounter redness of the eyes. This is due to the drying of the mucosa. Normally, it should always be hydrated. This phenomenon is known as “dry eye syndrome”. They often affect office workers. Constant itching and burning, discomfort in the eyes in bright light – all these are symptoms of this syndrome. There is also lacrimation, but it is not enough to moisten the mucosa.
Allergy. It can be caused by the presence of pollen, dust, mold, fluff and pet hair around. Allergies are usually accompanied by cough, runny nose and redness of both eyes, which are often watery, irritated by sunlight. It is important to find out what leads to such a reaction. During periods of attacks of allergic conjunctivitis, it is recommended to do more cleaning, avoid contact with animals and flowering plants.
A visit to the baths and saunas. Temperature changes, water vapor lead to dryness of the mucous membrane, which in turn causes redness and irritation. Therefore, when visiting a steam room in a bath, you need to blink more often and cover your eyes a little, and then rinse them with cold water.
Incorrect food. Lack of vitamins and certain elements also manifests itself in the form of redness of the eyes. This is another reason proving that the diet should be balanced. Periodically, it is necessary to drink special pharmacy complexes to avoid vitamin deficiency. Especially the body needs such help in winter, when there are too few fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet.
The most important for the eyes are vitamins B, C, E and vitamin A, which has a positive effect on the retina and helps prevent many diseases. These elements are found in various products. B vitamins are found in milk, eggs, meat, cereals. To make up for their lack in the body, it is recommended to eat oatmeal or buckwheat porridge for breakfast every day. Sources of vitamin A are various vegetables and fruits, and especially a lot of it in red palm oil. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, rose hips, sweet peppers, and vegetable oils are rich in vitamin E: olive, corn, soybean. The most useful foods for eye health are blueberries, beef liver, carrots and fish.
Lenses. For patients who are just starting to wear lenses, redness of the eyes is a normal reaction to a foreign body. Gradually, the body gets used to it, and irritation no longer appears. However, if the lenses have been used for a long time, and suddenly discomfort and redness appear, this indicates that it is necessary to change them. After all, in the process of wearing contact lenses lose their elasticity. In addition, microscopic particles accumulate on their surface, which cause irritation by rubbing the cornea. It is possible that the redness of the eyes is an allergic reaction to the contact lens solution. It needs to be replaced with a better one.
To avoid irritation, you should consult an ophthalmologist before wearing lenses. There are a number of contraindications, for example, “dry eye syndrome”, various diseases of the cornea. Lenses recommended by a specialist and made of quality materials should not lead to redness. If such a side effect occurs, it is necessary to stop using them and identify the cause of irritation. It is also important to follow the rules for wearing lenses: at night and leave them in a special solution, change them after the expiration date, periodically remove them during the day, giving your eyes a rest.
Smoking. Tobacco smoke is a common cause of allergies and eye redness. This is due to the fact that it causes vasoconstriction. As a result, blood circulation in the eye area is disturbed, their conjunctiva is irritated, lacrimation begins, and redness appears. Some components of tobacco smoke lead to the development of serious diseases, such as cataracts, macular degeneration. In this case, the retina suffers greatly, which affects the quality and visual acuity. Left untreated, it can lead to blindness. When irritation appears, it is necessary to abandon the bad habit. But redness of the eyes affects not only active, but also passive smokers. They should avoid places where exposure to tobacco smoke is possible.
Wrong glasses. Glasses must match the vision correction parameters. If they are chosen incorrectly, after wearing them, redness of the eyes is possible. Irritation causes even the wrong frame. Periodically, it is necessary to do exercises for the eyes and give them a break from glasses, which, for a long time, also cause redness. In any case, if discomfort occurs, you should consult an ophthalmologist. It is impossible to make a decision on the need to wear glasses and choose them on your own, since there is a high risk of worsening vision in this way.
Alcohol. One of the main actions that alcoholic beverages have on the human body is vasodilation. They are especially noticeable if you pay attention to the eyes. You can get rid of such redness by removing all the toxins that appear after drinking alcohol.
Cosmetics. The use of mascara, shadows cause irritation and redness of the eyes. Most often, women face such problems when using low-quality cosmetics. Less often, an allergic reaction is caused by products of specific brands. To prevent redness and itching allows the careful use of cosmetics. It is necessary to avoid getting funds in the eyes, try to apply their minimum amount. As soon as possible, you should remove makeup, do not go to bed with it. You should not save on cosmetics, as high-quality luxury brand products cause an allergic reaction much less often than their cheap counterparts.
Eye strain. While watching TV, working at a computer, using various electronic devices and reading, the eyes experience a serious strain. Therefore, every 45 minutes you need to give them a rest, do gymnastics. Otherwise, redness of the eyes is possible from overexertion. It is recommended to blink more often to moisten the mucous membrane. When it dries, the eyes itch, hurt and redden. To facilitate the load allows the use of special glasses. Some of them are designed for driving a car. Driving requires increased concentration of attention, while the eyes get tired, and glasses will improve vision in bad weather conditions and get rid of sun glare.
Non-compliance with the daily routine. Lack of time, and more often its improper organization leads to lack of sleep. In order to have time to do all the planned things, most people usually sacrifice sleep. As a result, the body does not have time to recover, which affects the eyes. With lack of sleep, they turn red, itch and hurt. After waking up in such cases, there is a desire to rub the eyes. You do not need to do this, so as not to scratch the cornea and aggravate irritation.
Bad light. When doing work that requires concentration, such as reading, using a computer, or watching TV, choose places with good light. In a dark room, the eyes will strain too much, which can lead to redness.
Tears Crying is sometimes useful, because it is an opportunity to give vent to emotions, but as a result, the eyes always swell and redden. This reaction is largely due to the chemical composition of tears, in which salt is present. If you rub your eyes, they redden even more. As a result, rubbish gets into them, eyelashes fall out. Therefore, you should not cry and at the same time scratch your eyes, so as not to cause even more irritation.
Injuries. They are of a different nature, but are accompanied by redness of the eyes. It can be mechanical damage, for example, bruises, thermal, associated with burns or frostbite. Chemical injuries are caused by alkalis or acids getting into the eyes, and radiation injuries are caused by ionizing radiation. If you receive such injuries, you should immediately consult a doctor, as they can lead to loss of vision.
Pregnancy and childbirth. During this period, fluid retention and hormonal changes appear in the form of redness of the eyes. This leads to an increase in blood volume in pregnant women, as a result of which small vessels burst. Hormonal changes provoke “dry eye syndrome”. Its main symptoms are redness, dryness and itching. The eyes experience a lot of stress during childbirth. At this time, capillaries can break in them if a woman is not pushing properly, holding her breath. Because of this, blood pressure rises sharply, so the vessels burst.
Scleritis. This disease is associated with inflammation of the white of the eye. In medicine, it is known as the sclera, which is where the name sclerite comes from. Such inflammation can be caused by another disease: tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus or serve as a symptom of it. Some infections also lead to the development of scleritis. The main symptom of the disease is redness of the eyes, as well as conjunctiva, fear of light, profuse tearing. Women suffer from scleritis more often than men. It usually occurs among older and elderly patients.
Corneal ulcers. Mechanical injuries, burns, fungal infections, viruses – all this leads to corneal ulcers, which are purulent in nature. You can determine their presence by redness of the eyes, lacrimation, fear of light, uncharacteristic discharge. Ulcers affect all layers of the cornea, as a result of which, after recovery, a scar is visible on it, often called a thorn. The diagnosis of this disease is carried out by an ophthalmologist using a special lamp. Ulcers are treated with medical and surgical methods. Surgery is required if the deep layers of the cornea are damaged, so it is necessary to identify the disease in time.
Glaucoma. This eye disease is considered one of the most dangerous, as it can lead to complete loss of vision. It is caused by an increase in intraocular pressure. Glaucoma can be identified by headaches, a feeling of pressure in the temples, blurred vision, and redness of the eyes.
Uveit. In this disease, the uveal tract or choroid becomes inflamed. This disease can develop into glaucoma, causing loss of visual acuity or blindness. Redness of the eyes is a symptom of uveitis along with pain, irritation in response to bright light.
Conjunctivitis. So in medicine they call inflammation of the mucous membrane, which can be caused by an allergic reaction or external stimuli. Conjunctivitis appears in the form of swelling and redness of the eyes.
How to remove redness of the eyes?
First of all, it is necessary to determine the cause that caused the redness of the eyes. To do this, you need to consult a specialist. It is possible to remove redness of the eyes on your own only if it is not associated with serious diseases that can lead to loss of vision.
Often this phenomenon is caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. You can make up for their lack by taking special complexes containing lutein. You should also pay attention to nutrition. The diet should contain foods that positively affect the state of vision: blueberries, carrots, beef liver, dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits. A balanced diet is one of the most important components for eye health.
If redness is caused by overexertion while reading or working at a computer, it is recommended to do gymnastics or use special glasses. They reduce eye strain and maintain visual acuity. Various compresses relieve redness well. The simplest version of such a remedy is cucumber slices, which must be put on the eyes and left for a while. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a while for the best effect. Cucumber not only relieves redness, but also helps to get rid of dark circles under the eyes. Green or chamomile tea bags can also be used as a compress. Ice cubes relieve inflammation well, but you need to keep them on your eyes for no more than 5 minutes, after wrapping them in a cloth.
Redness is often the result of lack of sleep and dehydration. You need to try to drink more clean water and observe the daily routine. If an allergy appears in the form of redness, it is necessary to identify its cause. For a while, you need to stop using cosmetics, cleaning products, and do more cleaning.
Eye drops for redness
Drops are considered the most effective way to combat redness of the eyes. Depending on the causes that caused irritation and discoloration of proteins, their various types are used. If the redness is caused by tobacco smoke or allergies, drops containing phenylephrine are suitable. It has a narrowing effect on the vessels, as a result of which they become less noticeable. With dryness of the mucous membrane that caused redness, drops are required that can moisturize it.
The following drops are also used:
“Okutiarz” – eye drops based on hyaluronic acid (a natural component of human tears) with an ultra-high molecular weight help to quickly relieve dryness and redness of the eyes that occur episodically after prolonged visual work (computer syndrome in office workers, motorists / motorcyclists, frequent flyers, travelers, students ). In addition, drops are suitable for people after ophthalmic operations and for people who have recently worn contact lenses (to facilitate the removal and putting on of lenses).
They do not contain preservatives, they can be instilled on contact lenses.
“Cationorm” – a unique cationic emulsion that restores all three layers of tears and prevents the development of dry eye syndrome. Cationorm helps with severe symptoms of dry eyes that appear already in the morning, and quickly relieves redness.
The drug belongs to the class of non-preserved tear substitutes and can be used with contact lenses.
Cationorm is also suitable for people with other eye diseases (glaucoma, blepharitis, allergic conjunctivitis) and people using hormone replacement therapy (menopausal hormones, oral contraceptives).
“Oftagel” – eye gel with carbomer in the maximum concentration for a long time moisturizes the ocular surface, eliminates lacrimation and redness of the eyes, and does not require frequent applications, it can be used once a day as an additional moisturizing agent for the eyes. Suitable for people who do not have the opportunity or desire to use drops during the day.
Visin. This drug is prescribed if the redness is caused by dryness of the mucous membrane. The action of the drops occurs after a few minutes, and a small amount of them enters the systemic circulation. “Vizin” allows you to get rid of redness and swelling, but the drug should be used carefully, as it is addictive. It should be instilled several times a day for no more than 4 days. The drug is also contraindicated in patients with high eye pressure and small children.
“Octilia”. Drops eliminate the symptoms of eye irritation: redness, swelling, tearing, itching, burning. Due to this action, they are widely used for various types of conjunctivitis. The vessels narrow a few minutes after instillation, the effect persists for at least 4 hours. “Octilia” is used in cases where redness is caused by mechanical damage to the eyes, the ingress of chemicals into them. The drug should be instilled 2 times a day. If after 2 days there is no positive effect, you should stop using the medication and consult an ophthalmologist.
“Naftizin”. It has a strong vasoconstrictive effect, eliminates signs of inflammation, including redness of the eyes caused by allergies and mechanical stress. “Nafthyzin” is buried no more than 3 times a day. Like many other similar drugs, it can be addictive, which reduces its effectiveness. With an overdose of drops, weakness, headache, nausea appear. “Naphthyzin” leads to the expansion of the pupil, so after instillation it is difficult to perform work that requires increased concentration.
“Okumetil”. This combination drug has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. “Okumetil” is instilled when edema and redness of the eyes appear several times a day for 3 days. In the absence of a positive effect, it is necessary to stop its use and consult an ophthalmologist. Since the drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation, it should not be used by pregnant and lactating women, young children, patients with diabetes mellitus and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Immediately after instillation, itching and burning are felt, visual acuity decreases.
“Alomid”. It is used mainly as an anti-allergic agent, it allows you to quickly remove inflammation and redness of the eyes. The drug has practically no contraindications and similar effects. Treatment with “Alomid” is carried out for several days and can last several weeks. As with many other similar drugs, discomfort is possible after instillation.
“Vizomitin”. The peculiarity of this drug is that it does not just eliminate redness, but acts on the cause that caused the inflammation. It is used to combat age-related changes, moisturize the mucous membrane, relieve irritation and eye fatigue, “computer syndrome”. The exact dosage and duration of the course of treatment is determined by the ophthalmologist, depending on the nature and causes of redness. A significant advantage of “Vizomitin” is that it is able to enhance the effect of other drugs, so it can be used as part of complex therapy.
Author of the article: Degtyareva Marina Vitalievna, ophthalmologist, ophthalmologist