Your eyes are red and you don’t know why? You need to learn some causes of red patches or bloodshot eyes. Don’t take this problem superficially! Bloodshot eyes are a serious effect, which it’s saying you that something’s wrong with your health. It’s not very easy to figure out what is causing the bloodshot eyes. This is what you should know…
“Usually the eyes turn red because the blood vessels on the surface of the eye get dilated or inflamed,” explains Jessica Lee, MD, assistant professor of vitreoretinal surgery, department of ophthalmology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. “And there are a multitude of reasons that can happen.”
Some of these reasons are unexpected and serious, others are easy to fix. If you observe that your eyes are red and inflamed this could be a bad sign for your vision. Here are some reasons that are causing the redness of your eyes.
Allergies
“Allergic reactions occur when the body’s natural immune system overworks or has an excessive response to a harmless stimulus,” says Dr. Lee. Allergies makes your eyes feel itchy, watery and tender, but they also could make your eyes red and it only becomes worse when you are scratching your eyes.
If you are confronting this problem, splash your eyes with a little bit of water and then use a cool compress.
Conjunctivitis
This medical problem turns your eyes into pinkish-red messes. That’s why the non-medical term of conjunctivitis is pink eye. This problem doesn’t always require the visit of a doctor. Also, a cool compress can make miracles when you have this problem.
The only problem with conjunctivitis is that making contact with another person can transmit it, even if you share your makeup or towel.
Too little sleep
If you have trouble with sleeping, this can cause your bloodshot eyes. When you are sleeping too little the amount of oxygen is decreased. “If your eyes are kept open for a long time because of lack of sleep, it prevents the cornea (the surface of your eye) from being well lubricated, and this can cause dryness and redness,” says Dr. Lee.
“The best way to calm them would be to get more sleep, and use artificial tears and cool compresses to ease the discomfort.”
Contact lenses
When you are wearing contact lenses your eyes don’t have enough oxygen and this can lead to irritated peepers. “If the lenses are worn too long or worn while sleeping, they can cause redness, infections, and in worst-case situations corneal ulcers,” says Dr. Lee.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a very serious disease, which damage the optic nerve. The first sign of glaucoma it’s redness, according to the Mayo Clinic, but you can also experience blurred vision or pain in the eyes.
The rough part it’s that glaucoma can cause blindness and its progress it’s slowly. So you need to get regular exams if you think you may have it.
