Red, bloodshot eyes are usually caused by diseases of the conjunctiva and other parts of the eye. Other possible causes of red, bloodshot eyes include allergies and autoimmune diseases. What do red bloodshot eyes mean? What disease indicates red eye syndrome?

Contents:

  1. Red, bloodshot eyes: causes
    • Diseases of the conjunctiva
    • Corneal diseases
    • Diseases of the sclera
    • Eyelid diseases
    • Other possible causes

Red ,bloodshot eyes(aka red eye, red eye syndrome) is a red eye that occurs as a result of the widening of the superficial vessels blood vessels of the eyeball.

Red, bloodshot eyes: causes

The most common causes of this condition are conjunctival irritation, althoughred eye syndromecan also be the result of irritation to other parts of the eyeball, such as the uve, cornea, and sclera.

People who have red, bloodshot eyes should check if there are other symptoms, for example :

  • changes in visual acuity
  • itching
  • scratching feeling
  • eye pain
  • photophobia
  • discharge from the eyes

Other symptoms should be noted that suggest possiblecauses of red eyes :

  • headache
  • feeling sick
  • vomiting
  • flares around light sources (acute glaucoma attack)
  • runny nose and sneezing (allergy, upper respiratory tract infection)
  • cough
  • sore throat
  • fatigue (lower respiratory tract infection)

It should also be determined whether a person with red eye syndrome is suffering from allergies and autoimmune diseases. In addition, the effect of recently used medications that were administered to the eye must be taken into account.

Diseases of the conjunctiva

  • allergic conjunctivitis - there is binocular, intense itching of the eyes, as well as conjunctival hyperemia and swelling, as well as watery eyes. The accompanying symptoms are usually a runny nose and sneezing or itching in the nose;
  • vernal conjunctivitis- is an eye allergic disease that occurs in boys before puberty or during puberty, usuallyfrom families of allergy sufferers. In this case, the redness of the eyes intensifies in spring and disappears in winter;
  • infectious conjunctivitis : bacterial - purulent or serous-purulent discharge appears in the conjunctival and tear sac, conjunctival hyperemia and swelling, sometimes of the entire eyelids, gray-yellow spots on the conjunctiva; viral - swelling of the conjunctiva, itching and a feeling of a foreign body, the appearance of serous secretions, clusters of swollen vessels on the conjunctiva;
  • chemical(irritant)conjunctivitis- red eye appears after exposure to potential irritants (dust, smoke, urea, chlorine , phosgene);
  • subconjunctival hemorrhage- characteristic is one-sided, asymptomatic, local redness, plaque-shaped or diffuse;
  • dry eye syndrome- there is an impression of "sand under the eyelids", an image seen through the fog, a feeling of tiredness and heaviness of the eyelids. People who spend a lot of time in front of the computer and in air-conditioned rooms are particularly bothersome;
  • conjunctival tumors , e.g. pterygium, which is manifested by itchy eyes, redness of the eye, blurred vision, eye irritation, burning sensation.

Corneal diseases

  • viral keratitis- symptoms of the disease are: dull cornea with uneven surface, redness of the eye, severe eye pain accompanied by burning and stinging, severe conjunctival swelling, tearing, photophobia, foreign body sensation in the eye;
  • epidemic conjunctivitisandcorneas(adenoviral conjunctivitis) - eyelid edema, pre-ear lymphadenopathy and edema are common conjunctiva;
  • keratitiscaused by prolonged wearing of contact lenses - tearing and swelling of the cornea appear;
  • corneal ulceration- grayish clouding of the cornea appears, at a later stage an ulcer crater is visible. It can appear in people who sleep in contact lenses;
  • corneal erosionis a loss of the corneal epithelium as a result of its damage (e.g. by a foreign body);
  • ophthalmic shingles- one-sided rash on the skin of the forehead (typically blister clusters on reddened skin), sometimes changes reaching the tip of the nose, eyelid swelling, redness of the eye, possible severe pain.

Diseases of the sclera

  • episcleritis- one-sided, local redness, slight irritation and watery eyes;
  • scleritis - manifested by severe pain,often described as piercing, as well as photophobia and tearing. There may also appear red or bluish spots under the conjunctiva, sclera swelling, soreness of the eyeball. There is a common history of autoimmune diseases.
According to an expertDr. Łukasz Kołodziejski, MD, specialist in eye diseases at the Warsaw Ophthalmology Center LIBERMEDIC

Red, bloodshot eyes are the most common symptoms of irritation. The cause may also be bacterial and viral infections.

Sometimes a red eye looks like it is bleeding - this is when subconjunctival bleeding occurs, making patients who come to the ophthalmologist very scared.

Most often, this subconjunctival hemorrhage is caused by arterial hypertension, which has suddenly increased as a result of intense exercise or a stressful situation.

How to deal with bloodshot eyes? If there is irritation resulting from the improperly functioning protective layer - the tear film, the eyes should be moistened with special preparations. They make the lubricants stay on the surface of the eye for a longer time.

If irritation occurs as a result of infectious agents, antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal drops will help.

Eyelid diseases

  • abnormal eyelash growth
  • tuck in the eyelid, tuck in the eyelid
  • palpebral fissure regurgitation
  • eyelid margin inflammation
  • barley

Other possible causes

  • acute attack of glaucoma- severe eye pain, headache, vomiting, nausea, rainbow "halo" around light sources, corneal fogging (in case of swelling), reduced sharpness eyesight
  • anterior uveitis- eye pain, photophobia, ciliary injection (conjunctival redness mainly around the cornea). Often accompanying risk factors (autoimmune diseases, blunt eye trauma in the last few days). Possible reduced visual acuity or the presence of pus in the anterior chamber of the eye (pus);
  • marijuana use- external symptoms of drug use include bloodshot eyes, a state of deep reflection or the so-called playfulness;
  • cluster headaches- the dominant symptom is a sudden, intense, excruciating, burning, stinging, drilling headache located in the orbital (behind the eyeball) or temporal area, less often in around the cheek or jaw;
  • poorly corrected vision defect- then the eyes are forced to more effort, which is usually associated with less frequentblinking and worse hydration of the eyeball, and thus - its irritation and redness
This will be useful to you
  • In most cases, the cause of redness in the eye is conjunctivitis.
  • Conjunctival irritations are usually characterized by itching or scratching, tearing, diffuse redness and often photophobia, but no change in visual acuity is observed. There is also no pain in the eye.
  • Corneal irritations are usually characterized by eye pain and a decrease in visual acuity that occurs with damage localized to the visual axis.
  • Topical vasoconstrictor medications are not recommended for red, irritated eyes.
About the authorMonika Majewska A journalist specializing in he alth issues, especially in the areas of medicine, he alth protection and he althy eating. Author of news, guides, interviews with experts and reports. Participant of the largest Polish National Medical Conference "Polish woman in Europe", organized by the "Journalists for He alth" Association, as well as specialist workshops and seminars for journalists organized by the Association.

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Category:

Eye diseases and vision disorders