Red eyes or reddened eyes are among the most common complaints that patients complain about in connection with their eyes. Often, together with the redness of the eye, tearing and itching also occur, which is very unpleasant for the patient. Therefore, a quick visit to an ophthalmologist is recommended to find out the cause and initiate a suitable treatment against red eyes.
What are red eyes?
Red eyes can have numerous, different causes. Often, red eyes are due to conjunctivitis, either caused by an allergy or bacterial infection. An ophthalmologist speaks of red eyes or red eyes when the eyeball has a reddish discoloration. Red eyes are a symptom that the veins of the eyes have more blood flow. Reddened eyes can be an indication of various diseases or causes. In any case, an ophthalmologist should be consulted as soon as possible to initiate appropriate treatment for red eyes.
Causes
Red eyes can have numerous, different causes. Often, red eyes are due to conjunctivitis, either caused by allergy or bacterial infection. Especially in children, red eyes as a symptom of conjunctivitis can also accompany a cold or infection. In addition to the redness of the eye, there are usually other symptoms such as itching or tearing. Also conspicuous in conjunctivitis are sticky eyelid margins after sleeping. But dry ambient air can also lead to red eyes. In some cases, the red eye is also due to a burst vein, for example caused by a speck of dust. In addition, viral infections of the eye such as a herpes infection or injuries and foreign bodies in the eye must be considered as a cause of red eyes. Contact lenses can also irritate the eyes to the point that redness appears in the eye. Since red eyes can also be a symptom of serious eye diseases such as glaucoma, it is imperative that the exact cause of red eyes be determined by an ophthalmologist.
Diseases with this symptom
- Conjunctivitis
- Eye herpes
- Allergy
- Glaucoma (glaucoma)
- Common cold
- High blood pressure
Diagnosis and course
The diagnosis of red eyes is made by an ophthalmologist, who thoroughly examines the eye as well as queries the symptoms in the patient. If conjunctivitis is suspected, the ophthalmologist takes a swab from the reddened eye. He can determine whether the red eye is due to an allergy or an infection with bacteria or viruses. The diagnosis should be made by an ophthalmologist within 24 hours of the appearance of the redness, as red eyes can also be a sign of other serious eye diseases. The fastest possible treatment is required for these in order to have a good chance of recovery. If the underlying disease is treated quickly, there is usually a significant improvement in red eyes within a short time.
Complications
When defining a complication, the condition responsible should be discussed. A complication in the medical field is a consequence of a disease or undesirable effect of a medical preparation when it is used against the same health disorder. Complications may therefore come from a misdiagnosis or during the medical procedure. Red eyes are a common complication of various diseases such as viral infections, allergies and dry eyes. Likewise, red eyes may burn and itch in the course of these diseases. Red eyes are caused by inflammation or defensive reactions of the body. Complications such as dry eyes often occur as a side effect of certain eye drops and in physically weakened or elderly patients. Reddened eyes can be a warning sign of allergies. In order to exclude serious diseases and their complications, the occurrence of suspicious complaints should call for ophthalmological examination. Sometimes the patient should be treated as an inpatient in the course of prevention or acute treatment of possible eye injuries or progressive eye diseases. In this case, the concept of outpatient treatment can be worked out against the original disorder.Reddened eyes are basically just a complication of many eye diseases, from very mild to endangering vision. Avoiding dry air, abstaining from nicotine and precautionary eye examinations can prevent the cause of red eyes. Some medications, for example antidiabetic drugs, cause visual disturbances and red eyes.
When should you see a doctor?
In red eyes or red eye, the white of the eyeball appears reddish in color. The intensity of the discoloration varies from individual to individual. Reddened eyes are not an eye disease in their own right, but a symptom. The causes of reddened eyes are numerous and not always a reason to visit the doctor. In some cases, however, medical clarification is strongly recommended. Harmless causes of red eyes include dry indoor air, wind and the ingress of dust, sand or small insects. In these cases it is sufficient to wait and see. Experience has shown that avoiding or removing the suspected triggers is sufficient. If the redness of the eyes does not improve, it is time to see a doctor. Reddened eyes are also common with colds or certain allergies such as hay fever. In this case, treatment of the underlying disease usually already takes place. The situation is different if larger foreign bodies or even chemicals have entered the eye. In this case, a doctor must be consulted immediately in order to prevent permanent damage or even the imminent loss of vision. Other causes of red eyes that require treatment are a herpes infection and glaucoma, also known as glaucoma. Unless there is one of the harmless causes mentioned at the beginning, an ophthalmologist should always be consulted immediately as a precaution if the eyes are good.
Treatment and therapy
Red eyes are treated according to the underlying disease or problem. If red eyes occur due to an allergy, the ophthalmologist usually resorts to anti-allergic or cortisone eye drops or eye ointments and, in severe cases, anti-allergic tablets. If the red eyes are caused by a bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe eye drops that contain an antitbiotic and thus kill the bacteria. If the redness is dry eyes, the use of artificial tears often helps. This supplies the red eye with fluid and thus counteracts the redness. In contact lens wearers, reddened eyes are often due to excessive wearing time, which is why they should refrain from wearing contact lenses for a few days. Changing the care product as well as the use of artificial tears can also significantly improve the wearing properties of contact lenses and prevent reddened eyes.
Outlook and prognosis
Usually, no particular complications or problems occur with red eyes. Since red eyes are often mainly due to stress and excessive eye strain, the symptom disappears even when the trigger is gone. Without treatment, mainly rest and plenty of sleep leads to recovery of the eyes. It may happen that a vein in the eye bursts. This is not a big deal, the vein heals within a few hours. Treatment can take place with eye drops. In this case, a positive prognosis is also possible. The situation is different if the reddened eyes occurred very suddenly, are associated with severe headaches and other complaints such as visual disturbances or nausea. In this case, an eye clinic must be visited immediately, it is an acute glaucoma. This must be treated by an emergency doctor. If burst veins in the eye occur more frequently, this is due to excessive blood pressure in the eye. Treatment then takes place with medication. In the worst case, if not treated, reddened eyes lead to conjunctivitis or inflammation of other regions of the eye.
Prevention
To prevent red eyes, it is recommended to make sure that the ambient air in the room is not too dry. Those who do their work at a computer should make sure to get out into the fresh air frequently and relieve the eyes in between by doing eye exercises. In general, a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise and a healthy diet can help prevent eye diseases and also red eyes.
What you can do yourself
Red eyes can have numerous triggers.Whether and what the patient himself can do against this condition depends on its causes. If the reddened eyes are the result of hay fever, it is important to clarify with the help of an allergist to which pollen the patient is allergic. Those affected must also get into the habit of studying pollen prognosiss and, if possible, not leaving the house or office unnecessarily on days with high exposure. Those who live in a rural area should also check whether the allergens are blooming in their own garden or that of their neighbor. The grasses should then be removed. If other contact allergies or food intolerances are the reason for the reddened eyes, it is also important to identify the irritants and then avoid them. People who apply makeup to their eyes should refrain from doing so on a trial basis. Often, the related cosmetics or makeup removal products are the reason for eye irritation. Staying in strongly heated, dry rooms as well as screen work can dry out the eyes. Here it helps to ventilate work and recreation rooms regularly. When working with computer screens, sufficient breaks must be taken, and blinking should not be forgotten. In stubborn cases, artificial tears from the pharmacy can help.
