Good eyesight is certainly a blessing in disguise. It is easy to take eyesight for granted and people often realise how misery it is when their eyes face some problem. There are many eye disorders that could lead to discomfort and eyesight becoming problematic and to ask a doctor would be the wisest way to identify the problem. One of the most common eye symptoms stemming from a lot of eye disorders is a red eye.
Having a red eye does not only make a person look weird, but also potentially cause a great disturbance to the eyesight. Redness of the eye can be in the form of a complete redness of the white of the eye, shape of a spider web consisting of the blood capillaries and even red spots. Sometimes a red eye may also cause the eye to become itchy, feeling as if there is something stuck in the eye, feeling the eyes are burning, sore and swollen. In some cases, a red eye is accompanied with discharge in forms of clear or thick fluid and changes of the eyelid or area around the eye. A red eye can happen in one or both eyes and or pain sensation. There are many causes that could lead to a red eye, this includes infection by viruses or bacteria, allergies, harmful chemicals or smoke, dry eyes, foreign objects on the eye, trauma and glaucoma.
A red eye usually does not cause a great concern and most often gets better on its own. This means a red eye is possible to go away without any medical treatment in 7 to 10 days. Although a red eye may disappear without any intervention, the red eye itself can be bothersome to many and typically results in a person finding some form of relief in an attempt to treat it. There are actually some steps you can take to treat your red eye. You may try:
1- Use artificial tears up to four times a day.
2- Consider antihistamine eye drops if you often experience allergies.
3- Use cool compresses on a closed eye a few times a day.
4- Avoid triggers or irritants that lead to the red eye. This is especially true for those with a history of allergies.
5- Remember to always use clean bedding and towels on a daily basis. Make sure to wash your hands often to avoid transferring germs on your hands to the eye and never touch your eyes with an unwashed hand.
6- Avoid using contact lenses for the time being until the red eye has resolved.
Even though most people may think a red eye can resolve on its own, it is important to note that if the red eye persists for almost a week and does not get better with any home remedies, plus if it is accompanied with other symptoms, it is best to meet a doctor to get the right medical advice and to make sure there is no other serious problems is going on. If you experience a red eye with loss of vision, sudden light sensitivity when looking at light, having a severe headache or an eye injury, urgent visit to the doctor is necessary as this may be an indication for an emergency treatment and evaluation. To avoid having a red eye, try to not rub the eye, make sure the hands are always clean, use contact lenses with careful hygiene care, remove eye makeup properly and remember to take some breaks off the screen especially after a long time of staring onto the device or computer screen. Get vaccinated.