If a person has a reddened eye, then this does not always indicate pathology. Such a sign can be observed during hard work or when exposed to irritating substances. However, if redness lasts a long time and does not go away, then this should be alarming. Such a manifestation can be a symptom of both ophthalmic and internal diseases.
Why blush your eyes
In the eye proteins there are many vessels necessary for the nutrition of the organs of vision. In the normal state, they are almost impossible to see. But when the vessels expand, the blood shines through their walls. The eye looks reddened. This phenomenon is associated with increased blood supply to the sclera. The reasons for the expansion of the eye vessels may be different.
Causes not related to pathological processes
It often happens that a person after a long work at the computer, reading books or watching TV, his eyes reddened. The reason for this is not related to pathology. The intense work of the organ of vision requires additional blood supply to the sclera, while vasodilation occurs. If you give your eyes a rest, then the redness will disappear. However, if overvoltage occurs systematically, then this can lead to the development of myopia. In addition, a constant large load on vision causes an increase in intraocular pressure.
It often happens that a person has a reddened eye after drinking alcohol. Ethanol causes the release of the hormone norepinephrine, which dilates blood vessels. As a result, the sclera becomes red, sometimes hemorrhages are even observed on them.
Eyes may turn red after hard physical work. Muscle tension causes increased circulation, including in the sclera. Such redness can last for several days, even after rest.
Many people use contact lenses. For a long time, this may not cause any discomfort. But suddenly one day a man notices that his eyes have turned red. The reason for this is a violation of the rules for wearing and storing soft optics. In no case should you sleep in the lenses; you must make sure that eyelashes or particles of cosmetics do not fall under them. Contact optics should be stored in a special solution.
If a speck falls under the eyelid, it can also cause scleral vasodilation. Redness disappears after the foreign body has been removed. The smaller the speck, the sooner the color of the eye proteins normalizes.
Irritation and eye injuries
Sometimes a person notices that his eye whites have turned red after being in a smoky room. Tobacco smoke irritates the sclera. However, this is quickly passing. It is enough to go into fresh air, and the eye vessels will quickly narrow.
Also, often the redness of proteins is noted when soap or shampoo enters the conjunctiva and sclera. These detergents contain substances that are irritating to the organ of vision. Often after hygienic procedures, a person notices that his eyes have turned red. What to do in this case? It is enough to rinse your eyes with plenty of water, and then treat with strong tea leaves. This will help remove detergent particles and relieve irritation. Usually, such inflammation goes away quickly.
However, there are more serious causes of scleral hyperemia due to irritation. Particles of deodorant, cologne and other alcohol-based liquids can get into the eye. Such substances can cause not only inflammation, but also a burn. A person feels a strong burning sensation and notices that his eye has reddened. What to do if hyperemia is caused by exposure to chemicals? It is necessary to immediately rinse the eye with water and drip into it drugs with anesthetic effect: "Alkain", "Naklof", "Octilia". This will help relieve burning sensation and eliminate redness. Then you need to contact an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
Another dangerous cause of scleral hyperemia can be injury. After a blow or a bruise, a person notices that he has a swollen and reddened eye. The organ of vision is very sensitive to any mechanical influences. Even after a minor injury, swelling, pain, and redness occur. In such cases, seek medical attention. It is not always possible to cure the effects of eye bruising on your own.
Internal illnesses
If a person has a red eye, you should pay attention to general health. This may be one of the symptoms of internal diseases. Hyperemia of the sclera is a sign of the following pathologies:
- Allergies. Sometimes it is difficult for a person to determine why the reddened eye. This may be due to contact with an allergen that has gone unnoticed by the patient. This happens, for example, with increased sensitivity to plant pollen or animal hair. Usually, other symptoms accompany this symptom: skin itching, rash of the type of urticaria, runny nose. But in some cases, redness is observed only in the sclera, this is called allergic conjunctivitis.
- Colds. With ARVI and rhinitis, hyperemia of the eye proteins is often observed. Redness usually goes away after recovery.
- High blood pressure. With systematic high blood pressure in the walls of the vessels of the retina, pathological changes are noted. Disturbed blood circulation. Because of this, the sclera becomes red, in some cases hemorrhages in the whites of the eyes appear.
- Diabetes mellitus. With this disease, the same changes in the vessels of the retina occur as with hypertension. However, if the eye turns red in a diabetic, then this can be a very unfavorable sign. Vascular disorders can lead to clouding and detachment of the retina, which causes a significant decrease in vision.
Also, scleral hyperemia may be associated with low blood coagulation. Sometimes this is a consequence of excessive use of medications: Aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anticoagulants.
Eye diseases
Pathologies of the organ of vision are a fairly common cause of redness of the sclera. The following ophthalmic diseases can cause such a symptom:
- Conjunctivitis. This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye that occurs due to infection. With this disease, not only proteins, but also the eyelids turn red. Burning and itching are felt, pus is released from the eyes.
- Glaucoma. With this disease, intraocular pressure rises. A person's health worsens: dizziness, nausea occurs, colored circles float in front of his eyes. Visual acuity decreases, pain in sclera is felt.
- Iridocyclitis. This is an inflammatory process in the iris of the eye. It occurs as a result of infection or is a complication of internal diseases. A person's vision decreases, swelling of the eyelids appears, tears constantly flow. The iris can change color, and the shape of the pupil is deformed.
- Keratitis Inflammation occurs in the cornea. This can be a consequence of infection, trauma, as well as a complication of rheumatic pathologies. A person is bothered by the constant sensation of a foreign body in the eye, lacrimation, fear of light. The cornea becomes cloudy, vision deteriorates.
- Blepharitis. Inflammation occurs on the eyelids, near the eyelashes. This disease has an infectious nature and is caused by many bacteria and viruses. Microorganisms enter the eyes from the nose, throat and oral cavity. The eyelids turn red and itchy, sometimes purulent discharge appears.
- Inflammation of the sebaceous gland near the eyelash (barley). With this disease, an abscess forms at the edge of the eyelid. This is a consequence of infection in the gland. Usually, the eyelid turns red with barley, but scleral hyperemia can also be observed.
- Episcleritis. This is an inflammatory process on the outer shell of proteins. Signs of the disease are not pronounced, redness of the sclera and discomfort in the eyes are noted.
- Dry eye syndrome. With this pathology, tears are not produced in sufficient quantities. The patient is worried about pain in the eyes and increased sensitivity to light.
Many of these diseases require persistent and long-term treatment. Scleral redness may be the first sign of serious ophthalmic pathologies.
If the eye itches
Often, scleral hyperemia is accompanied by itching. If the eye turns red and itches, then this may signal the following diseases:
- allergies
- conjunctivitis;
- dry eye syndrome;
- blepharitis.
With allergies, redness disappears after taking antihistamines. Conjunctivitis, blepharitis and a lack of tear fluid require treatment by an ophthalmologist.
Lacrimation
If the eye turns red and watery, then this may be a sign of serious diseases, such as keratitis and iridocyclitis. This symptom can also be observed with irritation with chemicals, as well as with ingestion of specks. A tear fluid is released in order to remove a foreign body.
In some cases, this is a sign of a viral infection. If a person has watery and reddened eyes, then this manifestation may be the initial symptom of herpes eyes. In the early stages, this disease resembles many other inflammatory pathologies of the organ of vision. And only then specific signs arise: rashes on the eyelids and conjunctiva in the form of vesicles.
Eye festering
If the eye turns red and festering, then this is always a manifestation of an infectious lesion. Such a symptom is characteristic of conjunctivitis, blepharitis, barley. Also, the release of pus is observed with dacryocystitis - inflammation of the lacrimal sac. This disease is accompanied by severe swelling of the eye. When you click on the swelling, you can notice the release of pus.
If purulent contents are released after an eye injury, then this may be a bad sign. Such a symptom indicates a ulcerative process in the cornea, which without treatment can result in complete loss of vision.
Eye hurts
Very often, redness of the sclera is accompanied by pain in the eyes. Unpleasant sensations can vary from a slight burning sensation to severe pain. If such a symptom is caused by fatigue and stress, then it does not require special treatment, it is enough to give rest to the organ of vision. However, if the eye turns red and hurts for a long time, then this may indicate diseases such as iridocyclitis, keratitis, glaucoma, and herpes eyes. Pain and hyperemia are often noted after injuries and irritation with chemicals. Cutting and discomfort can persist for a long time after contact with large foreign bodies in the eye.
Also, pain is felt when ruptured by small eye vessels. Sometimes even a little physical stress is enough for this. A hemorrhage appears on the protein, and then pain is felt.
Eye swollen
If the eye is swollen and reddened, then this can be a symptom of both ophthalmic and internal diseases. This phenomenon is noted for inflammation: blepharitis, iridocyclitis, keratitis, barley. Eyes may swell with glaucoma due to increased intraocular pressure.
A dangerous cause of swelling and redness of the eye can be a phlegmon. This is a purulent inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue. It occurs when an infection enters the skin. In this case, the edema is quite large, the body temperature is sharply increased, and the skin in the lesion becomes hot to the touch.
Swelling of the eyelids and redness of the sclera can also be caused by malfunctions of the internal organs. For example, with excessive fluid intake, the eyes swell and turn red. The same symptom is noted with diabetes.
What to do with redness of the eye
If a person has a red eye, the treatment will depend on the cause of this symptom. With diseases of the internal organs, it is necessary to undergo a course of therapy. Hyperemia will disappear after cure.
In case of allergies, antihistamines are indicated: Suprastin, Tavegil, Diphenhydramine. This will eliminate all the symptoms of the disease, including hyperemia of the sclera.
If redness is caused by an excessive load on the eyesight, then it is necessary to arrange rest for the eyes. It is useful to periodically look at large distant objects. You should also spend several minutes per hour with your eyes closed.
Treatment of eye diseases requires consultation and observation by an ophthalmologist. Often, therapy takes a fairly long time. Redness of the eyes in this case is only one of the signs of pathology, in order to get rid of this phenomenon, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of vasodilation.
Before contacting a specialist, you can try to remove the redness of the eyes at home:
- If a person has reddened and sore eyes, then you can make compresses. Gauze should be moistened in a decoction of chamomile and put on forever. This herbal remedy does eye wash.
- For compresses, slices of cucumber or raw potatoes can also be used.
- You can put used tea bags on your eyelids.
To quickly eliminate redness, you can use vasoconstrictor drops: "Vizin", "Naphthyzin", "Octilia". But you need to remember that these drugs only remove external symptoms, but do not affect the cause of vasodilation. In addition, such drops are addictive, they can be used for no more than 3 days.
The drug "Lutein complex" contains many eye-friendly substances (vitamins, minerals, carotenoids). However, it does not quickly remove redness. This tool protects the organ of vision from overwork during hard work.
There are times when the patient's eyes suddenly become inflamed and blushed. How to treat such an ailment? Inflammatory diseases usually have a viral or bacterial etiology. In these cases, anti-infective eye ointments are used: Tetracycline, Acyclovir, and Ophthalmic. But these funds are not recommended to be used without the appointment of a doctor.
Preparations "Artificial Tear" and "Gilan Comfort" are prescribed for dry eye syndrome and other ophthalmic pathologies. They moisturize the sclera, eliminate pain and burning sensation. These drops do not instantly relieve redness of the eyes. But they are more useful than vasoconstrictor drugs. However, if the patient uses contact lenses, then “Artificial Tear” should not be used. For those who wear soft optics, there are special moisturizing drops.
As a first aid for eye redness, it is better to use traditional medicine recipes. After this, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. The specialist will diagnose and prescribe all the necessary drugs.