Eye infections - Eye redness

There are not that many people in the world who never experience eye redness. There are lots of causes that lead to red eye but it mainly occurs due to swollen or dilated blood vessels, which make the surface of the eye to appear red or bloodshot.

People need to know that if they are affected by red eye they should treat the problems because there are some causes that just cause concern, while some are considered to be medical emergencies. However, there are other causes that are of no concern at all. A person cannot and should not evaluate the severity of the infection by the degree of redness. Eye pain and impaired vision are much more reliable signs.

Causes

The main reason why the eye will appear red is because the blood vessels in the surface of sclera become enlarged and irritated. Some of the main causes that lead to this condition are dry air, exposure to the sun, dust, foreign bodies, an allergic reaction, infection, an injury to the eye or some other condition. Another common cause of red eye is coughing or straining. However, if coughing is the cause there is almost never a reason for worry and it is considered to be a pretty common medical problem. If there is a bloody blotch in one of the eyes and it causes no pain, people need not worry too much because the problem will resolve on its own. Apart from the redness, itching is almost always present. There are some infections that occur quite often and are the cause of red eye in people. Some of these infections are blepharitis, conjunctivitis, corneal ulcers and uveitis.

Home care

If eyestrain is the cause of red eye, people simply need to rest more and the problem will go away. In case of conjunctivitis, there are some things that people should do. For instance, a person should avoid rubbing or touching the eye, apply cold compresses, avoid putting makeup and wash the hands more often.If blepharitis is the cause, people should apply warm compresses and gently rub the area around the eyelids using a cotton swab with a solution of warm water and baby shampoo.

People should go to the hospital if the redness occurred due to a penetrating injury, a headache and blurred vision are present, see halos around lights or experience nausea and vomiting. People should also be aware that there are many ways in which they can prevent red eye from occurring.