Depending on the type of pink eye, treatment varies, from waiting out the infection to antibiotic eye drops. Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are easily spread and usually come with burning and a watery discharge, per the AAO. Pink eyeĪlso known as conjunctivitis, pink eye occurs when the conjunctiva of the eye become irritated or infected. You often sport red eyes when you’re sleep deprived due to a lack of oxygen supplied to the eyes, which causes their blood vessels to dilate and appear red.
This makes the eyes more prone to redness and irritation, especially if you’re in a particularly dry climate, are exposed to smoke, or wear contact lenses for extended periods of time. Dry eyeĭry eye happens when your eyes don’t produce enough tears or tear film, which is the layer of moisture that coats and protects your eyes when you blink, according to the AAO. Other potential irritants include dust, perfume, and chlorine from swimming pools. They respond to irritants in the air with the aforementioned histamine, causing redness. It’s no coincidence that your eyes grow redder when the local pollen count rises. These are some of the most common: Allergies Kamat says there are an array of causes for such irritation. “This response triggers additional flow in the numerous tiny blood vessels on the outer surface of the eye, making the eyes look red or bloodshot.”ĭr. “To fight off the irritant, your eyes make a substance called histamine,” explains Shivani Kamat, M.D., spokesperson for the AAO and assistant professor of ophthalmology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. To put it simply, redness stems from irritation.
Bloodshot eyes how to#
Keep reading to learn exactly what your red eyes mean, how to treat them, and how to differentiate between minor irritation and something more serious.
So if you find yourself asking “why are my eyes so red” every other day, it may be time to see a professional. It’s another to have scleras-the technical name for the whites of your eyes-that are consistently a shade of pink for reasons unknown.Īccording to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), bright white scleras are healthy ones, and any kind of discoloration could indicate a problem.
It’s one thing to look in the mirror after rubbing your eyes to discover you’ve left them red and irritated.
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