Causes of Eye Redness
Eye redness or also called the bloodshot eye. The appearance of red eyes can vary widely. It can look like there are several squiggly pink or red lines on the sclera or the entire sclera may appear diffusely pink or red.
What Are The Common Causes Of Eye Redness?
1. Allergies
Allergies affect the eyes which may lead becoming red and swollen. Other symptoms that you may experience include:
- Itching
- A burning sensation
- Increased tearing
2. Dry Eyes
Dry eyes are common. If you have dry eyes, you may notice that your eyes appear red. Symptoms may include:
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
- A stinging, scratchy, or burning sensation
- Feeling like something is in your eye
This occurs when the membrane covering the insides of your eyelids and the conjunctiva becomes inflamed. Inflammation of the conjunctiva causes the whites of your eyes to appear pink or red.
4. Blepharitis
This occurs when your eyelids become inflamed. It can cause your eyelids or eyes to appear red and swollen. Some other symptoms may include:
- Increased tearing
- Crusty eyelids in the morning
- Sensitivity to light
5. Uveitis
This is an inflammation that occurs in the middle part of your eye called the uvea. Inflammation because of uveitis can lead to eye redness.
6. Scleritis
Scleritis is when inflammation affects the sclera. When this occurs, the white of your eye can become red and swollen.
7. Subconjunctival Hemorrhage
This occurs when a blood vessel in an eye can break and leak blood on the surface of your eyes. Subconjunctival hemorrhage may look serious but it’s often benign and goes away on its own in 1 to 2 weeks.
8. Eyelid Stye
A stye is a blockage of the meibomian gland in the eye that causes inflammation. It might affect the outside or inside of your upper or lower eyelid.
9. Angle-Closure Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an illness where the pressure in your eye increases because the eye produces more fluid than the normal rate. This can damage your optic nerve and potentially may lead to vision loss.
10. Corneal Ulcers
Corneal ulcers are ulcers or sores that affect the outer part of your eye. This condition is also called keratitis. Several things can cause corneal ulcers to develop:
- Showering or swimming in contact lenses, or using well water to clean contacts
- Dry eyes
- Sleeping in contact lenses
11. Injury
Sustaining an injury that affects your eye may cause it to become red, frequently because of bleeding or irritation.
12. Contact Lens Wear
Individuals who wear contact lenses have to touch their eyes and the surrounding area more often than those who don’t wear contact lenses. For this reason, they are at an increased risk of eye redness because of a variety of factors.
Treatment for Eye Redness
Medications for eye redness are wide-ranging. Oftentimes, rest, cool compresses over closed eyes, gently washing the eyelids, lightly massaging the eyelids, or over-the-counter eye drops can relieve the symptoms.
Medications may include: