If the eye turns red – what to do?

Why did the eye turn red?

There are many reasons for redness of the eyes. The effect of “red eye” can occur, for example, due to external stimuli (cosmetics, mechanical damage, and so on), eye strain, infection, and others. Consider all the possible causes of redness of the eyes.

One of the causes of red whites of the eyes are climatic and natural factors, namely: wind, sun, sea water or sand that got into the eyes, plant pollen and so on. Also, the eyes may turn red due to overwork as a result of working at a computer or other prolonged visual stress. For example, red eyes can be a reason for reading in low light.

Consider the remaining causes of reddening of the eye proteins:

• Chronic eye fatigue due to prolonged reading or long work at the computer;

• sleep deprivation;

• Injury to the eye proteins due to which there was a rupture of blood vessels;

• Length of stay under bright light;

• A protracted process of intoxication of the body (for example, during pregnancy or alcohol abuse);

• Irritation of the mucous membrane of the eye (getting specks, sand, dust, and so on);

• Rupture of a capillary in the eye;

• Dry eye syndrome;

• Arterial hypertension (damage to blood vessels);

• Due to exposure to radioactive or ionizing radiation;

• With an increase in intraocular pressure;

• With a cold;

• With overstressed childbirth;

• Eye redness as a symptom of an allergic reaction;

• Redness of the whites of the eyes as a symptom of a serious illness (conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer, blepharitis, glaucoma, endocrine ophthalmopathy, idiopathic hypertension, and so on);

• Redness of the eyes in children can be caused by mechanical friction and prolonged crying, but there can also be all of the above reasons.

If the white of the eye turns red and watery

With watery red eyes, you should immediately consult a doctor, as this is a sure sign of conjunctivitis. Only after the specialist confirms this disease, it is necessary to start treatment. Symptoms that accompany the onset of conjunctivitis are not only redness of the whites of the eyes and tearfulness, but also itching and ocular swelling. What can cause conjunctivitis?

• viral infection;

• Allergy to pollen of flowers;

• Chlorinated pool water and other chemical irritants;

• Bacteria, chlamydia.

How to get rid of conjunctivitis?

The easiest way to eliminate chemical conjunctivitis, which has arisen as a result of contact with chemicals in the eyes (chlorine from the water in the pool, detergents, and so on). It is enough just to wash the eye from the irritant. No treatment is needed in this case.

But if conjunctivitis has arisen as a result of interaction with an allergen, then the source of the allergen should be removed immediately, this will make it possible to stop the attack.

In most cases, conjunctivitis does not give complications, but during the treatment of this disease, it is necessary to strictly adhere to eye hygiene, wipe your eyes very carefully. But in the case when the causative agent of conjunctivitis is chlamydia or gonorrhea, there is a risk of complications. Therefore, only a specialist will be able to determine the type of disease and correctly prescribe treatment methods.

If the eye is red and swollen

If the eye is not only reddened, but also swollen, then the reason for this may be:

• Excessive consumption of salt, alcohol. To eliminate redness and swelling of the eyes in this case, you should limit the use of salty or alcoholic products. A cold tea compress will help relieve swelling faster. To do this, wet a cotton swab with cold tea and apply to your eyes. But in most cases, swelling of the eyes caused by the abuse of the above products, with healthy kidneys, disappears in a day.

• High pressure. With increased pressure, the eyes can also turn red and swell, in which case only a doctor can prescribe an antihypertensive drug.

• Pregnancy. Some pregnant women experience redness and swelling of the eyes. It is recommended not to get too carried away with drinks, but to replace them with water, since pregnancy already puts a lot of stress on the kidneys.

• Also, the eye can turn red and swollen with an allergic reaction, for example, to an insect bite. In this case, depending on your age dosage, take one of these drugs: zyrtec, fenistil, loratodin or suprastin.

• If the lower eyelid of the eye is swollen and sore, then the reason for this may be either some poor-quality cosmetic product, problems in the field of gynecology, or simply fatigue. This problem occurs most often in women. But there are cases when swelling and redness of the eye on the lower eyelid is the result of excessive growth of adipose tissue. Only surgery can correct this problem. With a swollen upper eyelid, the cause should be sought in an insect bite or in barley.

If your eyes regularly turn red and swell, then you should definitely undergo an examination in a hospital to identify the cause. After all, redness and swelling in most cases are very important symptoms of problems in your body. With frequent cases of the appearance of barley on the eye, we can talk about reduced immunity or vitamin deficiency.

If the eye is red and itchy

In most cases, when the eyes are red and itchy, the reason for this is an allergic reaction to some external irritant (cosmetics, smoke, plant pollen, dust, glue, and so on). Incorrectly fitted lenses can also cause itching in the eyes.

But there are more serious reasons – eye diseases:

• Barley. A red eye that itches is a sign of the onset of an inflammatory process, for example, the formation of barley. Although this disease is very common, but fortunately, it does not belong to the category of serious diseases. Barley is a purulent inflammation process that occurs in the sebaceous gland or at the root of the eyelash in its hair follicle. The first symptom of barley is the formation of swelling on the eyelid, this place hurts at the slightest touch. Within a couple of days from the onset of the inflammatory process, a yellow head forms at the top of the barley focus, and on the fourth day the abscess can open, the pus will flow out and the pain will pass.

• Demodecosis century. Demodicosis of the eyelids is also accompanied by itching and redness of the eyes. Demodicosis is a skin lesion caused by a mite. The eyelids are not only itchy, but also covered with scales, a viscous discharge may appear from the eye, especially in the morning. The duration of treatment for demodicosis is approximately 4-6 weeks. You can treat this disease with the help of tosmilene, physostigmine and other drugs that your doctor will prescribe. Cryotherapy and physiotherapy procedures can also be prescribed by a specialist.

• Belmo. Also, the eye may itch due to a cataract, which is also called corneal clouding. It can occur due to injury or inflammation in the eye. Sometimes the thorn is a congenital disease.

• Cataract. If, in addition to the fact that the eye is red and itchy, there is also double vision in the eye, then this may be a cataract, which is a clouding of the lens. It can occur as a result of an eye injury, serious illness or diabetes. A person with cataracts has increased sensitivity to light, poor color perception.

• Trachoma. If it is not the eye that itches, but under the eye, then this may be a symptom of trachoma, an infectious disease of the cornea. It seems to the patient that there is a foreign object in the eye, the eye turns red, itches and discomfort is felt in it. When working at a computer for a long time, such a symptom as “dry eye syndrome” may occur. In this case, the eye may turn red, start to itch and discomfort will arise in it. To get rid of this syndrome, you need to minimize computer work or take breaks from work every 30 minutes. Wearing special glasses and gymnastics for the eyes will also help.

Reddened eye in a child

If a child has a reddened eye, then the cause of this may be conjunctivitis. This disease in children is not the same as in adults. If a child gets sick with conjunctivitis at a very early age, then he may experience a violation of sleep and appetite, he becomes capricious and does not even play with his favorite toys.

The main signs of conjunctivitis in a child are the following:

• In the morning the eyelids are glued together and a yellow crust forms on them;

• The child reacts too strongly to light;

• Pus may flow from the eye;

• If you pull the lower eyelid, you can see redness and swelling;

• If the child can already speak, then he will complain of a burning sensation and a feeling of discomfort in the eye (feeling of a foreign body), visual acuity and its clarity may also fall.

This disease is especially acute at the age of 7 years. Since it is by no means possible to treat children on their own, if symptoms of conjunctivitis or other eye problems appear in a child, you should immediately consult a doctor. But if for some reason it is not possible to immediately get an appointment with a doctor, then you can give your child first aid. With the help of cotton swabs dipped in a warm solution of chamomile, it is necessary to remove crusts from the eyelids every hour or several. Only a doctor can prescribe treatment for conjunctivitis!

adenovirus conjunctivitis. It is accompanied by fever, pain in the head and loss of appetite, then the eyes turn red. They can also enlarge the lymph nodes, the throat may start to hurt and a runny nose may appear. This type of conjunctivitis is treated by instillation of interferon or poludan into the eyes. Also, 0,25% tebrofen or florenal ointment can be applied to the lower eyelid.

Herpetic conjunctivitis. Also in children, herpetic conjunctivitis is quite common. Symptoms of the disease are the appearance around the eyes and on the edges of the eyelids of vesicles (vesicles) or even pustules (vesicles with pus). The eyes will tear, and the child will be sensitive to light. This type of conjunctivitis is treated with antiherpetic drugs, for example, acyclovir, which the doctor will prescribe to apply topically or orally.

Features of treatment

With any changes that have occurred with the eyes of a child, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist. Indeed, among the causes of reddening of the eyes in children, there may even be just an eyelash, sand or other foreign small object that has got there.

You can not put a bandage on the child’s eyes, so you will only create favorable conditions for the spread of infection through the membranes of the eye (heat and humidity). If the infection spreads, keratitis can occur, which can cause vision loss.

Author of the article: Degtyareva Marina Vitalievna, ophthalmologist, ophthalmologist