Is Red Eye Serious?
At one point or another, everyone finds themselves with red eyes. There are many ways this can come about but generally speaking the your eyes have been irritated causing them to become red. More often than not, the problem will go away without the need for medical attention if you take the time and care to help your eyes out. If the problem persists for more than a day or two, you should have them looked at. Any changes with your eyes that last longer than a day really should always be checked out by a professional. The best way to prevent permanent damage or catch a more concerning disease is through early detection.
Is red eye a serious problem? What causes red eyes?
Red eye is not an initial sign of a serious problem. It is so easy to get something in your eye like dust, dirt, makeup, an eye lash, or even have irritation from allergies. What might be surprising to learn is that sleeping with the fan on overhead can dry out your eyes despite them being closed. If you then rub your eyes while sleeping, you could wake up to find them red, dry, and possibly painful.
Other simple causes for red eyes include saltwater, sunshine, or wind overexposure. Here in Florida, we often see that people who spend a lot of time near or on the ocean having irritated eyes afterwards. It is always smart to wear quality sunglasses that are rated to help protect your eyes from the sun’s rays. We also recommend to people who boat often to make sure the sunglasses are a style that almost cups the eye more, wrapping around to enclose them rather than the open sides. This helps with the wind from drying them out. Motorcyclists should also make sure to wear protective high quality eyewear as well for the same reasons.
Something we find can be overlooked rather easily, is people who wear monthly contacts. If you are more lax on cleaning them well each and every time they come out of your eyes, they can become more dirty than you may see. Also, if you have over extended the wearing life, your eyes can become irritated. Monthly contacts are truly only meant to be used for 30 days after being opened. It is not about the amount of days you actually put them in your eyes, but the time that they have been exposed to the outside world.
Think of this like milk. Once the expiration is up, you really don’t want to consume the milk and can smell the difference when it turns. Unfortunately maybe contacts don’t start to smell sour after their wearing life is up! Always follow the exact recommendations of the manufacturer for your contacts for cleaning and wearing life span. If you find that you do not actually wear your contacts everyday and wish their life was longer, you may want to consider daily contacts. Although the upfront cost can be more, your eyes will be healthier with a fresh pair each time you wear them. Some people only wear contacts a few days a week and thus get get a lot more than the typical 90 day supply out of them, which in turn could end up costing less in the long run,
Of course there can be more serious causes such as trauma or injury, infections like pink eye (Conjunctivitis), or even glaucoma, ulcers, or uveitis. Your eyes are independent of one another when it comes to conditions and health, which is why generally, if both of your eyes are red, it is probably due to something like allergies. It is possible to have rubbed your one eye then touched the other and spread something like Pink Eye to both eyes.
When should I be worried about my red eye?
If your eye or eyes remain red after you after tried to give them a break and flushed them- more on this below- for more than 24 hours, you should see about having a professional look at them. If you know you have been working in an environment that is the cause of your red eyes- like construction with lots of saw dust or debris, you already know giving your eyes a break and making sure to wear your protective glasses is the best answer rather than treatment. Likewise, if you have seasonal allergies that tend to result in red eyes, odds are good you know that you need to use the high quality eye drops to help clear them out and take breaks throughout the day.
If your red eye all of a sudden causes a change to your vision, this is when you need to seek care immediately. Do Not Rub! Ask someone for help to get you to a hospital if you loose your vision for a doctor to help clean them out and make sure there is not something more serious going on with your body as a whole. It is possible for your eyes to be the first noticeable sign of something more serious going on you have not identified just yet. Never wait to seek professional help if things are just not right when it comes to your eyes. If you are alone and cannot drive because of this, by all means call 911. If you have a friend or family member who is nearby, ask for their help to get you safely to a doctor.
How can I treat my red eyes at home?
You wake up and your eyes hurt. They burn or itch and you just want tp rub them- but wait! Rubbing makes it worse. Wash your hands, then flush your eye with clean water to easy the discomfort. Taking a small dixie cup is a good way to do it. After you get a good rinse, you can use quality eye drops to help re-lubricate your eye with its more natural like tears. The water will help to rinse any foreign objects like dust, an eyelash, or makeup from your eyes. The eye drops give the eyes the saline needed to help heal.
A hot water towel compress is another great method to ease irritated eyes. The heat helps to sooth, while the steam from the water gives extra moisture to help flush. You want to get your tap water good and hot, then take a face cloth and get it all the way wet. Make sure you ring it out good before placing it over your closed eyes. If you have makeup on, it is very important to remove all the makeup you can specifically with makeup remover to make sure no additional makeup gets into your eye, which could very well be your culprit.
There are lots of over-the-counter eye drops available that specialize in red eye. We find that the fastest acting eye drops you can buy without a prescription are generally the more expensive ones. These have higher quality ingredients that act more like your natural tears and have better soothing properties to them. Often you will find that you actually use less of the product at one time than with the less expensive version which means they also can last longer. Do mind their expiration dates however, as expired eye drops of any kind could make things worse.
What if my at home treatment isn’t clearing up my red eyes?
If these self care tips don’t clear up your eye in an hour or two and no improvement is visible, you should call to get an appointment to be seen to make sure it is nothing more serious. We are able to help you identify the problem further and get prescription eye drops that can make a big difference.
In the meantime, we also highly recommend switching to your glasses rather than putting your contacts in. This is why you always want a pair of glasses on hand for those just-in-case moments. If you are not a contact lens wearer, then just keep those hands away from your eyes and let them rest if possible!
When in doubt, or longer lasting, always have your doctor take a look to make sure there is nothing more serious going on. It is also possible to get better eye drops than the over the counter ones you might find at Publix or Target. Feel free to contact us today to have our doctors take a look for you! We would be more than happy to help.
