Every one of us might have experienced red eye at least once in our life time. Reasons for red eye can vary from trivial reasons to some blinding eye diseases. The cause of red eye should be known and treated to prevent unexpected complications. Everyone should have a knowledge of these “red eye” causes and their symptoms. One eye has a thin layer covering it which is called conjunctiva.
This conjunctiva has blood vessels which are usually small and not prominent. Whenever there is irritation or inflammation, theses blood vessels will increase in number and size , leading to more blood entering them. This causes redness of eye. Sometimes, normal blood vessels can rupture due to trauma or blood pressure. This causes blood of ooze out of blood vessels and cause redness. This is called Subconjunctival hemorrhage. The various causes of red eye with their symptoms and treatment are listed.
1. Foreign body :
If your eye is red and have severe foreign body sensation (feeling of something pricking inside the eye), which has developed suddenly in a dusty environment, you are probably having a “Foreign body” in your eye. This can be a dust particle, a stone particle or a leaf particle. Wash the eye with clean water immediately, which flushes off the foreign body. It it not gone, try to look for the foreign body in the mirror. You can also take the help of your friend, to find out the foreign body. If its superficial, it can be removed by using a cotton wisp. If it does not get dislodged, seek medical attention immediately. Do not rub your eyes, as it can damage the cornea and lead to severe problems of vision.
2. Conjunctivitis (Madras eye) :
If your eye is red with mild foreign body sensation and you get white discharge from your eyes, which appears even after cleaning, you may be having acute mucopurulent conjunctivitis. You will also find that your eyelashes get stuck to each other. You find it difficult to open your eyes in the morning. Vision is usually not affected in this disease. It starts in one eye, and after couple of days involves the other eye too. Conjunctivitis is the infection of conjunctiva, which is a thin layer covering the eye and which extends onto inner surface of eye lids. Usually the infection is by bacteria. Theses enter your eye, when you touch your eyes with infected hands or other materials. Once u get this, keep your eyes clean by washing away the discharge every 6 hourly. Take medical advice for antibiotic treatment and follow the instructions. Take care not to spread your infection to others. Do not let others use towels, handkerchief’s etc which were used by you. It does not spread just by seeing into other’s eyes. Children are most common to get this infection. If your child has this problem, do not send the child to school for few days, as there is a great chance that the other kids in the class get the infection too.
3. Allergic conjunctivipathy :
If your eyes are red and watering with itching sensation, you may be suffering from allergic conjunctivopathy. It is usually seen in both eyes. You have severe itching in the eyes, and on rubbing, the eyes become red. Sometimes it may be associated with sneezing and itching over the nose. This is usually seen in people with allergic tendencies like asthma, allergic dermatitis etc. it is common in children where special types of allergic conjunctivitis occur like vernal catarrh. It is a seasonal disease with recurrences. Vision is usually not affected. Try to avoid dust, cold weather etc. these problems are treated with steroid medications, which should not be used injudiciously. Medications should be strictly used according to the ophthalmologist’s advice. This usually gets responded with the treatment, but recurs few months to a year later.
4. Iritis/ Iridocyclitis :
If your eye is red and your vision is foggy, usually in one eye, you may be having ititis. Iris is a thin opaque membrane inside the eye which regulates the amount of light reaching the retina (like camera aperture). This membrane may get inflamed due to several reasons. This is usually an allergic phenomenon, with the allergen coming from the own body. The eye becomes red especially around the cornea (the black circle on the eye), unlike other causes of red eye, where in the redness is uniform all over the globe. Treatment should be done by ophthalmologist, and therefore medical attention should be sought. Its treated with steroids and the response is usually good, but recurrences are common in few people with bodily problems, for which a detailed systemic evaluation is needed.
5. Corneal Ulcer :
If you have red eye, with decreased vision and see a white or yellow patch on your cornea, you have corneal ulcer or keratitis. This is an infection of the cornea. Usually seen in field workers after trauma with vegetative matter. Sometimes seen in contact lens wearers, who don’t take proper care of their lenses. The infective organisms eat away the corneal tissue leading to necrosis. This is a serious disease, which may lead to blindness , if not treated early.
6. Acute congestive Glaucoma :
If you have redness with severe pain in eye and head, with decreased vision, you might be having “acute congestive glaucoma”. This is not so common. Our eye ball maintains its shape, due to fluid present in nit, which is called ‘aqueous humor’. This fluid is produced in certain part of the eye, it circulates in the eye, and finally leaves the eye through another part called “angle of eye”. In some people this outlet i.e. angle is so narrow, that the fluid cannot escape from the eye. This leads to increased pressure in the eye, which irritates the iris and other parts, causing redness, defective vision and pain. This is again a serious disorder, if not treated early. Immediate medical attention should be sought. It’s usually treated with medicines, either orally or intravenous. It also requires a laser procedure to let the fluid out.
Other diseases like Blepharitis, computer vision syndrome, sub-conjunctival hemorrhage, orbital cellulitis, tumors etc, also cause redness of eyes. Only the common and serious ones are discussed above.
Thanks,
Health-Sep-2012
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