Wear Sunglasses When You’re Outside
Taking preventative measures, while not a treatment per se, is just as important when it comes to proper eye care. This feels intuitive, but some people don’t love the look of sunglasses, so they grin and bear it without paying attention to the damage the sun might be causing. If you’re dealing with red eyes, it’s time to let that notion go.
Why Is My Eye Burning Really Bad
Eye allergies, as well as bacterial and viral eye infections, can cause inflammation that leads to burning eyes. Even a common cold or the flu can cause eyes to burn. In rare instances, burning eyes can be a sign of a serious sight- or life-threatening condition such as uveitis or orbital cellulitis.
Wash Your Eyelids And Lashes
When you wash your face, pay careful attention to your eyelids and eyelashes. Use warm water and baby shampoo, or a preservative-free eyelid cleanser to gently clean your upper and lower eyelids. Special attention should be paid to areas with makeup or facial creams that could get into the tear film and potentially irritate your eyes.
Follow up with a mask or warm, damp towel using it as a compress to help your eyes regain moisture.
You May Like: How To Heal Spider Veins
Wear Sunglasses As Needed
You may feel you need to don sunglasses 24/7 – even while indoors. Thats just fine. Protecting your eyes from their temporary light sensitivity is soothing. If you dont have prescription lenses, you can buy tinted wrap-around options at your local pharmacy OR contact your eye doctor. S/he may be willing to give you a pair for very cheap or free, as we often hand these out to patients after certain pupil dilating procedures or to protect their eyes after a LASIK or cataract surgery.
Clean Your Lids And Lashes
Be sure to clean the base of your lashes, as this may be where irritants congregate because there are oil glands along the margins of your eyes. Sometimes this oil accumulates, which attracts irritants: “Ultimately, cleaning the lids regularly will minimize the base of the eyelash buildup of oils, flakes, follicle mites -all of which can get onto the surface of the eyes and cause redness,” says Kegarise. “Once you have successfully noticed an improvement in feeling or decreased redness, you can reduce to a maintenance level of two times per week or whatever seems to be appropriate for your eyes.”
To get started, “Wash and scrub your eyelids with warm water and a washcloth every morning,” he says. “Take a clean, warm washcloth, close your eyes, and rub vigorously on the upper and lower eyelid margins and base of the eyelashes for 20 seconds. Baby shampoo or other ‘non-tear, gentle’ liquid soap can be added. Rinse with warm water. You may feel less scratchiness right away, and/or it may take some time to feel a less gritty sensation.”
Also Check: How Long Does Fractured Ribs Take To Heal
How Do You Moisturize Your Eyes
Tips to Keep Your Eyes Hydrated
Causes And Risk Factors
Anterior blepharitis which affects the outside of the eyelid near the eyelashes is usually caused by staph bacteria and scalp or eyebrow dandruff . When these bacteria around the face and eyelids begin to grow and become excessive, or the eyelid overreacts to their presence, an infection may occur. The bacterial growth associated with anterior blepharitis is commonly due to poor hygiene. This allows bacteria to live and grow in the folds and crevices of the eyelids. The bacteria causes inflammation, redness, burning and stinging around the eyelid.
Sometimes, although this is less common, allergies or a mite infestation of the eyelashes can lead to anterior blepharitis. If you are allergic to the bacteria or chemicals that are used on the eyes , you may develop blepharitis symptoms. An eyelash mite called demodex can also infest the eyelid margins and eyelashes, causing irritation and redness. Although demodex mite infestation usually remains asymptomatic, when they are present in high densities or affect someone with an immune imbalance, they can cause a range of dermatological conditions, including blepharitis.
People who have oily skin, dry eyes or dandruff are at a greater risk of developing blepharitis. To prevent or treat blepharitis, these conditions should be resolved first. Sometimes, its a matter of proper hygiene and choosing the right skin care products for your skin type.
Related: How to Get Rid of Eye Boogers
You May Like: How Can I Heal My Gums
Environmental Or Lifestyle Causes Of Redness Around Eyes
First, lets go over environmental or lifestyle causes of eye redness:
- Irritants: Multiple irritants and environmental exposures can cause inflammation, such as dry air, air pollution, dust, sun exposure, irritating makeup, and even marijuana use.
- Allergies: Red, itchy, or swollen eyes can be a sign of allergic conjunctivitis. Typically with eye allergies, symptoms will occur in both eyes rather than just one.
- Dry eye syndrome: Dry eye syndrome is one of the most common eye conditions. It happens due to a lack of lubrication on the eyes surface. Risk factors include increased screen exposure, advanced age, and certain medications and medical conditions.
How To Remove A Foreign Body From The Eye
If you believe that you have a small foreign object in your eye whether it be a wayward contact lens or a grain of sand you can usually safely remove that object at home by following these steps.
Note: If your eye irritation is being caused by a chemical or solvent, visit your local doctor or emergency department immediately.
If a foreign object such as a shard of glass or metal is embedded in your eye, cover it with a hollow cup, and seek emergency help immediately. Do not attempt to dislodge the object or flush it out.
Recommended Reading: Louise Hay You Can Heal Your Body
Pick The Right Eye Drops
The Mayo Clinic recommends preservative-free eye drops when choosing eye drops to alleviate red eyes.
Eye drops that contain preservatives can cause eye irritation, especially if theyre used more than four times daily. Eye drops for redness may cause your eyes to become even more irritated, so make sure the drops you use are for dry eyes.
You can also look into artificial tears.
What Causes Red Skin Around The Eyes: Eye Irritation Symptoms & Treatments
Having red skin around your eyes or red under your eyes can be a sign that your eyes are irritated. Eye irritation and redness can take many forms, such as having a red rash around the eyes or a red ring around the eyes. There are many different reasons why your eyes might feel irritated, and its important to know why so that you can differentiate between serious and non-serious eye problems.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about eye irritation symptoms and treatments, as well as related eye conditions.
Read Also: Will Lungs Heal After Smoking
Ways To Reduce Eye Redness Without A Prescription
Swiner is a family medicine/general medicine expert, covering a broad spectrum of both medical and mental health issues. She loves taking care of the family as a wholefrom the cradle to the grave. Her interests include Minority Health, Womens Health and Pediatrics. As a wife and mother of two, she uses real-life experiences to clearly communicate keys to better health and wellness for mind, body and spirit. She is the author of How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex.
Stocksy
The worst thing about waking up with red, bloodshot eyes isn’t the fact that they instantly make you look sick and/or hungover. It’s that usually they’re accompanied by itching or a headache .
“Eye ‘redness’ can be caused by several factors, including genetics, anatomy, past surgery, overuse of vasoconstrictive eye drops, allergy, infection, etc., and exacerbated by irritation or inflammation on the eye’s surface,” says optometrist Jeffrey Kegarise. In short, bloodshot eyes aren’t funparticularly if you’re already not feeling great. To see how to prevent and deal with red eyes, we consulted Kegarise and Andrew Iwach, MD. Of course, if your symptoms are unusual or last longer than a few days, contact your eye doctor.
Meet the Expert
- Andrew Iwach, MD, is a fellow at the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is also the executive director of the Glaucoma Center of San Francisco.
- Jeffrey Kegarise, OD, is a board-certified optometrist and president at Cool Springs Eye Care.
Crusting Or Gooey Eyes
Eye debris has a few different causes. “If your eyes tear, the tears can dry into a crystalline, sandy material on your lids. If there’s something goopier or thicker, then it’s either pus from an infection like conjunctivitis or mucus from severe allergies,” explains Dr. Gardiner.
The fix: Treating an underlying condition will reduce eye debris. For a bacterial infection that’s causing goopy eyes, your doctor can prescribe antibiotic drops or ointment. If the infection is caused by a virus, you’ll have to wait until it goes away on its own, usually in just a few days.
Read Also: How To Heal Muscle Soreness
Why Are My Eyes Itchy Answers From An Expert
For many people, the warmth and beauty of spring are accompanied by irritated, burning and, sometimes, swollen eyes and eyelids. These symptoms, often attributed to allergy season, can be caused by other factors in the environment.
If you are one of the many who suffer from itchy eyes, understanding the cause is the key to treatment and relief.
Ophthalmologist Irene Kuo, M.D., of the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, explains the cause and the methods to keep in mind to help relieve your itchy eyes.
Eye allergies, whether seasonal or year-round, are often the cause of itchy eyes. These allergies can be triggered by pollen or pet dander. Irritants like dust and smoke, or products such as lotions, makeup or contact lens solutions can also cause symptoms similar to those of eye allergies. An allergist can conduct an allergy test to determine the specific allergens that are causing you discomfort.
How To Keep Your Eyes Healthy And Happy
Follow these steps:
Give them a break. Replace your mascara often, and never share makeup. Wear wrap-around sunglasses, and use safety glasses if you work with machinery.
Keep them moist.Dry eyes are more likely to get inflamed or scarred. Stay away from cigarette smoke. Air conditioning can pull moisture from the air in your house, so run a humidifier if it feels too dry. Ask your doctor if any of your medications might dry out your eyes.
Be careful with contacts.Wash your hands before you put in your lenses.
See your eye doctor. If you have pain or blurriness, double vision, or a serious eye injury, go to the doctor immediately.
Show Sources
You May Like: His Stripes We Are Healed
How Are Itchy Eyes Treated
It is important to see your pharmacist or optometrist to work out the cause of your itchy eyes.
Itching caused by an allergy can be helped with antihistamine or anti-inflammatory eye drops. It can help to use artificial tears to wash away any allergens on the surface of your eye. Sometimes you may need to take an oral antihistamine.
If you have something in your eye, try to wash it out with warm water or a saline solution. If that doesnt work, you should see a doctor within 24 hours.
Get Rid Of Blepharitis: 7 Natural Remedies For An Inflamed Eyelid
Blepharitis is a common eye disorder. A number of factors that lead to inflammation of the eyelid and crusty eyelashes can cause it. Researchers have suggested that it can be considered the most under-diagnosed, undertreated and underappreciated eye disease worldwide.
Blepharitis is associated with health issues like scalp dandruff, rosacea and dry eyes. If left untreated, blepharitis can lead to severe eye conditions like vision loss, inflammation of the cornea and even eyelid cancer. There are some straight-forward ways to prevent blepharitis. And if you have already developed the condition, there are natural remedies that will help to improve symptoms and address the root of the problem.
Recommended Reading: How Long Will Sciatica Take To Heal
What Causes Red Eye
Red eye has many different causes. Sometimes it is something as simple as wearing contact lenses for too long, or staring at a computer screen for lengthy periods of time without a break. Other causes include, among others: allergies, blepharitis , conjunctivitis , dry eye, eye injury, or glaucoma.
In addition, red eye can also stem from other causes:
- Excessive alcohol use, which reduces oxygen to red blood cells. This causes blood vessels to clump together and makes eyes appear red and bloodshot.
- Smoking increases the risk of eye diseases that affect a persons vision. Tobacco smoke is also a toxic eye irritant that can cause dry, red, and itchy eyes. Smoking marijuana also causes red, bloodshot eyes. An ingredient in marijuana causes the blood vessels in the eye to dilate, producing red eye that can last for hours or longer.
- Whitening eye drops that claim to whiten eyes contain vasoconstrictors, or chemicals that shrink the blood vessels on the surface of the eye to reduce redness. The drops do get rid of red eye, but the fix is temporary. Many people who regularly use these types of eye drops build up a resistance to their whitening effects, which means that they will need to use more and more drops each time to achieve the same results.
In Most Cases The Solution To Relieving Symptoms Is Simple
Your eyes are tearing all day long, or they’re dry and burning or crusty. What seems like a minor symptom suddenly has a major effect on your vision and your day. But take heart: in most cases there’s a fix for the discomfort. “Ninety percent of the complaints are common and temporary,” says Dr. Matthew Gardiner, an ophthalmologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Here are some common eye problems and the typical fix for each one.
You May Like: Nerve Damage How To Heal
See An Eye Specialist
Probably the most important and effective way to soothe eyelid irritation is to consult with an eye specialist. In addition to the recommendations above, some cases of eyelid inflammation require treatment with prescription medications, including:
- Topical and oral antibiotics
- Topical steroid eye drops
- Immunomodulatory drugs
“An eye specialist will identify what the specific trigger for your eyelid irritation is and prescribe targeted treatment for it,” explains Dr. Malik. “For instance, if your symptoms are caused by demodex mites in the eyelid, a specialized cleaning routine will be recommended.”
Yet another reason to see an eye specialist is because prolonged, untreated eyelid inflammation can progress into more serious eyelid changes, such as scarring and loss of eyelashes.
“There’s really no cure for blepharitis, but an eye specialist can help you understand how to better manage your condition in order to help reduce your risk of future flare-ups, as well as prevent a more serious complication from developing,” adds Dr. Malik.
Next Steps:
What Causes Irritated Eyes
Irritated eyes are not unusual. In fact, most of us are likely to experience this problem at least once, so you do not need to be frustrated when it happens to you.
Eyes are one of the most sensitive and hard-working parts of our body. They hardly have the chance to rest, even when we are sleeping. As a consequence, there may be many possible causes of irritated eyes.
But overall, irritated eyes may come from infections or allergies. Besides, you also need to take these factors into consideration when you want to find out what irritates your eyes.
- Excessive exposure to the sun
- Rubbing your eyes too hard
Also Check: How To Heal Ankle Sprain Fast
When Should Red Eye Be Treated By An Ophthalmologist
Although red eye usually goes away on its own, redness of the eye sometimes can signal a more serious eye condition or disease. Contact an ophthalmologist for diagnosis and treatment if:
- Eyes are painful
- Eyes become extra sensitive to light
- Symptoms have continued for a week or more, or are getting worse
- The eye is producing a lot of pus or mucus
- A fever or aches are also present with the eye discomfort
If red eye is accompanied by eye pain, light sensitivity, swelling, or blurry vision, it is important to make an appointment with an eye doctor immediately for treatment.
The ophthalmologist may recommend the use of artificial tears. These eye drops act like a bodys own tears. Artificial tears are available without a prescription and can be used as often as necessary.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/22/2018.
References
