If you have been plagued with red eyes day in and day out, you know how frustrating it can be. It’s more than a problem with appearances. Redness means your eyes may itch, become irritated, or sting. Understanding four common reasons that you have redness could help you to avoid the problem in the future.
Your Allergies Could Be the Culprit
Allergies often lead to eye irritation and redness. If you have seasonal allergies, pet allergies, or allergies caused by something indoors such as dust, red eyes could be staring at you in the mirror. Avoiding allergens, taking allergy medication, and eye drops may be keep the redness away.
Your Contact Lenses Might Be to Blame
If you wear contact lenses, you may struggle with redness. Eye drops can often clear the redness up. Otherwise, you can talk to your eye doctor about different kinds of lenses that may bring you relief. Keep your eyes lubricated. You can also consider taking a break from your contacts. Take them out when you get home at the end of the day and on the weekends. You should remove your contacts every day and change them often.
Pink Eye Isn’t Only for Kids
Pink eye, otherwise known as conjunctivitis, can also cause redness. It’s a common condition for children. It’s highly contagious and can quickly spread through a school. It’s no surprise if a little one brings it home to family members. In addition to redness, your eyes will itch and water. You may also have light sensitivity. Your doctor can give you a prescription if you think you have pink eye.
Chronic Dry Eye
Chronic dry eye occurs when your natural tear production isn’t high enough to keep your eyes lubricated. In the end, you’ll have redness and irritation. Your eyes will burn. You may experience this problem all the time, when experiencing hormonal fluctuations, in air conditioning, or on a plane. Your doctor can recommend a dry eye treatment, including artificial tears or prescription eye drops to help you be more comfortable.
Red eyes aren’t any fun, but you can do something to avoid the problem. Take breaks from screen time. Be aware of environmental triggers. Be conscientious about your use of contacts. If you have been exposed to anything that could cause redness in your eyes, talk to your doctor about potential solutions. In many cases, artificial tears could do the trick.