Eyes problems

People are beginning to notice how red your eyes are all the time. (Side-eye, anyone?) What gives? You stopped pulling all-nighters and partying in college. Catherine Hwang, MD, an ophthalmologist, discusses the reasons of bloodshot eyes and when you should consult an eye specialist. What causes redness in the eyes?

Allergies

The hints: Check the calendar; if pollen season is in effect, you may have your answer. Itchy, watery, or burning eyes are also possible symptoms. Are you sneezing or feeling congested as well? Then it's over.

Should you seek medical advice? If you're not sure what's causing your symptoms or if they're getting worse, see an allergist or ophthalmologist.

The hints: Look at the calendar; if pollen season is approaching, you may have your solution. Itchy, watery, or burning eyes are also possible symptoms. Are you sneezing or feeling congested as well? Then it's over.

Should you seek medical advice? If you're not sure what's causing your symptoms or suspect allergies but aren't sure, see an allergist or ophthalmologist.

Treatments: Eye drops, allergy tablets, and nasal sprays, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC).

Blood vessel rupture

"Most people don't even notice them," says one of the clues. Dr. Hwang explains that "their friends or family members notice shortly after the person wakes up." "It looks like a small bruise around the eye." And it frequently appears to get worse before it improves.

"Should you talk to a doctor? Unless it's linked to discomfort or changes in vision. "You must immediately consult an eye doctor if this is the case." Do not proceed. Go. "Do not take $200."

Treatments: Excellent news! Destroyed blood vessels normally heal themselves. So hold your breath and wait it out.

Dry eyes

The hints: Not only are those peepers red, but they also have a sand-like texture to them. The sensation is more intense at night.

Should you seek medical advice? Consult an ophthalmologist if OTC lubricating drops aren't helping.

OTC eye drops or artificial tears, prescription eye drops, and punctal plugs are all options for treatment. "Everyone has a tear drainage system on the inside corner of their eyes," says Dr. Hwang. We sometimes put a 'plug' in the eye to assist your natural tears remain around longer, similar to how you plug up a sink to keep the water in."

A word on possible dry eye causes: Anything that exhausts your eyes, such as too much screen time or little sleep, might cause them to become excessively dry.

Irritates eyes

The hints: It's possible that the windows to your spirit are hazy. Perhaps you encountered a bug while on a suicide mission. Something is odd or angry, whatever happened.

Should you seek medical advice? Yes, if you use contacts. It could be an infection in the eye. "We want to treat those infections as soon as possible," Dr. Hwang says. "Otherwise, it could develop into a serious ulcer." If the irritation causes pain or does not improve within a day, you should contact an eye doctor.

Treatments: It is determined by the source of the irritation.

Pink eye (conjunctivitis)

The signs include a burning feeling or itching in your eye, in addition to a pink eye (obvious!). It could also swell or discharge.

Should you seek medical advice? Definitely.

Treatments: If it's a viral illness, doctors will merely treat the symptoms until the virus goes away on its own. To relax the eye surface, cold compresses and artificial tears are used as symptom relievers. Doctors provide antibiotic drops if the infection is bacterial. "However, it's rarely bacterial," explains Dr. Hwang.

Precautions for pink eye: Because conjunctivitis is highly contagious, don't share towels, linens, or anything else that comes in contact with your eye.

When your eyes go red: talk to a doctor: the “better safe than sorry route” if you experience one or more of these symptoms along with bloodshot eyes:go to a doctor.

When in doubt, just get checked out, says Dr. Hwang. "Because most of these symptoms are similar, it's critical to see an eye doctor who can tell what's serious and what isn't."

Eyes that are beet red.

Redness in just one eye.

Swelling or redness on the eyelid.

Eye pain.

Unexplained changes in vision or sensitivity to light.

Eye condition spotlight: Uveitis

Uveitis is an infection of the iris and lining of the eye. It can result in inflamed eyes, sensitivity to light, and pain. If left untreated, uveitis can progress to glaucoma, cataracts, and ultimately blindness. While prescription eye drops may usually clear it up, your eye doctor may need to do tests to determine the cause.

Eye tumor

Tumors in the eye or on the surface of the eye are uncommon. They're difficult to identify on your own, especially if you don't have any symptoms. See an ophthalmologist straight away if you have unexplained eye irritation or vision problems.

A word of caution: "Redness reliever" eye drops should be avoided.

According to Dr. Hwang, they could:

You should have any mask issues examined .

The eyes get dry and inflamed.

Rebound redness or rebound hyperemia can occur.

These drops reduce blood flow to the eyes by shrinking the blood vessels on the surface of the eyes. However, reduced blood flow implies less oxygen and nutrients. As a result, when you stop using the drops, your blood vessels expand even more to compensate. Your eyes will get even redder than before.