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Top 10 Causes of Red Eye
in No Particular Order
by Dr. Diamante
 Redness occurs when blood vessels near the surface of the eye become enlarged
and dilated. If you have a red eye, it is important to find out why. Red eyes
have several causes. Sometimes the cause of a red eye is of little concern, but
it can also be a sign of a medical emergency. It is always best to seek the
advice of a medical professional.
1. Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is an inflammation or infection of the clear,
protective layer that coats the front part of the eye. Conjunctivitis can be
caused by allergies, bacteria, viruses, or toxic substances.
2. Iritis is an inflammation of the iris. It can cause redness, pain, blurry
vision, floaters and light sensitivity. Iritis should be treated quickly because
other complications, such as glaucoma or significant scarring may occur if it
lingers.
3. Dry Eye. Human tears function to lubricate, nourish and protect the surface
of the eye. When the tears are not of good quality or quantity, the surface of
the eye becomes dry. Chronic dryness causes the surface of the eye to become
inflamed resulting in dilated blood vessels.
4. Blepharitis. Blepharitis is a chronic infection and inflammation of the
eyelid and eyelashes. Blepharitis may be caused by poor eyelid hygiene. Other
causes include oily eyelid glands, allergic reactions, bacterial infections, or
lice on the eyelashes.
5. Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma. Unlike most types of glaucoma, acute
angle-closure glaucoma causes several recognizable signs, including painful
redness, visual halos and blurred vision that usually occurs in one eye. Acute
angle-closure glaucoma is a serious medical emergency and must be treated
immediately.
6. Subconjunctival Hemorrhage. A subconjunctival hemorrhage is caused by a blood
vessel that ruptures on the surface of the eye. When broken, these vessels bleed
and spread out underneath the conjunctiva, the clear coating on the surface of
the eye. It can be caused by hard sneezing, coughing, intense straining,
vomiting, trauma, high blood pressure, diabetes and sometimes from certain blood
disorder problems.
7. Injury. When an eye suffers an injury, the blood vessels can enlarge and
dilate to bring cells to heal and repair the injury. Also, trauma can cause a
vessel to rupture. These scenarios may cause redness.
8. Corneal Ulcer or Infection. The cornea is the clear, dome-like structure that
helps the eye achieve clear vision. The cornea has no blood vessels of its own.
When the cornea becomes infected, however, surrounding blood vessels enlarge,
bringing immune system cells to help fight the infection.
9. Contact Lens Wear. In some individuals, wearing contact lenses every day (or
for extended periods of time) can cause the eyes to appear red. Some people
develop contact lens-induced dry eyes or inflammation, which make it difficult
to wear the lenses comfortably. In others, simply the friction of the lens over
the eye may cause redness.
10. Frequent Use of Eye Drops. Constant use of one of the widely available "get
the red out" eye drops can cause rebound dilation of the eyes' blood vessels.
After the effect of the eye drop wears off, the blood vessels sometimes dilate
larger, causing the eyes to appear even more bloodshot.
Go to the hospital immediately if:
Your eye is red after a penetrating injury.
You have a headache along with blurred vision or confusion.
You are suddenly seeing halos around lights.
You have nausea and vomiting with eye redness and blurred vision.
Call your
eye doctor if:
Your eyes are red longer than 1-2 days.
You have mild eye pain or vision changes.
You suspect having a foreign body on your eye.
You develop significant sensitivity to light.
You have a yellow or greenish discharge from one or both eyes.
You are unsure of your symptoms.
Dr. Diamante is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a clinical assistant
professor of ophthalmology at Brown Medical School. His private practice is
located in Johnston, RI. www.drdiamante.com, www.optxrhodeisland .com
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