When there is redness of the eyes, we can often hear the expression "vessels burst." It is worth remembering that this requires very serious reasons. This does not happen so often, but redness is a common phenomenon, which has many reasons, ranging from various diseases to ordinary physiological factors that are transient.
If the redness is chronic, it can be an allergy signal, a reaction to contact lenses, and even an infectious process. Self-medication is dangerous, because. the eyes and their visual function are quite vulnerable things.
Sometimes, heavy physical exercise and stress, even a strong cough, which may cause minor hemorrhages, can provoke redness of the eyes. Usually, with favorable further factors, the redness goes away spontaneously and no action is needed.
If the ailment is of a prolonged nature and there are no established provoking factorsno, you should definitely see an ophthalmologist.
Let's look at the main causes of eye redness.
Reasons
This symptom can be caused by:
Conjunctivitis. It is a process of inflammation of the outer shell of the eyes. It can be either allergic or bacterial or viral in nature. In the latter case, the disease is contagious
Etiological types of conjunctivitis have slightly different clinical symptoms and may require different approaches to treatment, since incorrectly selected drugs for treatment can only aggravate the course of the disease and lead to complications.
An ophthalmologist prescribes treatment, but it is also important to follow the rules of personal and household hygiene. It is also recommended not to get into the eyes with your hands, otherwise it is fraught with the spread of the infection further.
- Blepharitis is another ophthalmic disease that is accompanied by redness of the eyes. It can also be of different nature. There are allergic, ulcerative and seborrheic.
- Redness of the eyes can also be caused by pathological conditions of the cornea, inflammation of the eye membrane, poisoning with poisons and chemicals, as well as a number of autoimmune diseases.
- There are situations of non-infectious origin, when the vessels actually burst. Usually these are quite serious pathological conditions, chronic and acute diseases in the form of pathologies of the vascular system and blood, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, etc. What other causes of eye redness can be?
- Alsoblood vessels can burst due to a head injury. Sometimes a banal fall and impact on a hard surface can cause not only a head injury, but also a bruise under the eye, respectively, injure the vessels in the eye. With hemorrhages caused by injuries, the appearance of the eye cannot be confused with anything. Usually everything heals well, however, you should not let it take its course, you should definitely see a doctor in order to avoid adverse consequences.
- Redness of the eyes due to vasodilation can occur due to chronic lack of sleep or lack of sleep for a long time, as well as when drinking alcohol.
- There are cases when the pattern of one or more vessels clearly appears on the eye protein. Usually in such cases we are talking about the anatomical features of the structure of the eye. If at the same time there is no tendency to increase areas or a pattern of redness, then there is no cause for concern. It is useless to treat.
- Episcleritis, an inflammatory process of the connective tissue, may be the cause of reddening of the white of the eye. The disease most often affects women from 30 to 40 years. Causes can be either infectious (tuberculosis, herpes, rosacea) or non-infectious (ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis). It is not necessary to make an appropriate diagnosis at the slightest redness. This disease is accompanied not only by redness, but also by pain, especially when pressing on the eyelid.
- Redness of the eye in an adult can be triggered by a disease such as keratitis or iridocyclitis - an inflammatoryiris process. The eyes not only turn red, but tearing appears, followed by the development of photophobia and pain. These diseases are quite dangerous and require immediate consultation with a doctor.
- In addition to the above, redness of blood vessels in the eyes can cause banal hypothermia, as well as allergic reactions, foreign bodies getting into the eye, prolonged crying.
- An acute attack of glaucoma can also cause a sharp reddening of the eyes. With it, an increase in eye pressure occurs very sharply.
- Reduced blood clotting is also a possible cause of red eyes.
- Dryness of the mucous membrane of the eyes also often leads to redness. Causes of dryness can be air in a poorly ventilated room, cigarette smoke.
- Toxicosis in pregnant women can also cause reddening of the eye proteins.
- Prolonged eye strain, reading, working at a computer are also causes of redness.
Allergic conjunctivitis: causes
Special attention should be paid to the allergic form of conjunctivitis due to the increasing prevalence of allergic phenomena in the modern world and the emergence of new allergens.
Allergic conjunctivitis is said to be when an allergy covers the mucous membrane of the eyes. A very characteristic symptom is a severe, irresistible itching, which not only does not bring relief, but also intensifies the more you rub your eyes.
The main allergic irritants are:
- pollen of many plants;
- pet hair and dander;
- cosmetics, or rather some of the components included in the composition;
- medicinal preparations, especially for topical use;
- components of household chemicals.
Allergic signs are hard to miss. They are manifested by redness and swelling of the eyelids, tearing, itching, irritation and peeling of the skin of the eyelids and even around the eyes. Symptoms are often accompanied by respiratory reactions such as nasal congestion, sore throat, sneezing.
Treatment of allergic conjunctivitis
If the time of exposure to the allergen is not significant, then, most likely, allergic manifestations, in turn, will not be long. But still it is better to clarify what exactly could cause an allergic reaction. If allergic manifestations stubbornly continue to bother a person, you should consult a doctor.
Allergists recommend that any newly purchased cosmetics must be tested on the skin beforehand, it is better to do this on the skin of the forearms. What eye drops for fatigue and redness to choose?
Medicines
The modern pharmaceutical industry provides a wide range of treatments for allergic conjunctivitis. The main treatment tactic is aimed at identifying the allergen and eliminating contact with it. Further, the allergic reaction is stopped with the help of antihistamines (Zodak, Zirtek, Suprastin, Fenistil, etc.). Their selection is huge. If necessary, on the skin aroundeye can be applied special creams based on corticosteroids (cream "Advantan"). Treatment of allergic conjunctivitis also involves instillation of the eyes with drugs such as Lekrolin, Opantol.
Allergic dermatitis
An allergic reaction in the eyes often manifests itself in the form of dermatitis. Common causes of this phenomenon are either the use of cosmetics or the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. A distinctive feature of the pathology is that the area of manifestation of symptoms (edema, redness, rash) is slightly higher than the area that had contact with the allergen substance.
Dry eye syndrome (xerophthalmia)
Xerophthalmia is one of the causes of redness, dryness, irritation, itching in the eyes. They arise due to insufficient production of tear fluid in certain diseases (thyroid pathologies, lymphoma, Sjögren's disease). The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of conjunctivitis, but the treatment in this case is to eliminate common diseases or prescribe eye drops that supplement or replace natural lacrimation.
Reason to see a doctor
Above, we considered situations where redness can be of a completely harmless nature, and when it can be a signal of an incipient pathology.
Below we will try to systematize the cases when a visit to the doctor should not be postponed:
- Penetrating wound, after which the eye(s) turned red sharply.
- Redness of the eyes, accompanied by impaired visualperception, as well as phenomena in the form of nausea, vomiting, headache.
- Red eye accompanied by pain.
- Redness of the eyes occurred while taking medications that are prescribed to thin the blood.
- When looking at the light, a ring of light appears.
- Against the background of redness of the eyes, photophobia or increased photosensitivity appeared.
- A foreign body has caused redness in the eye.
- There are purulent discharges.
The causes and treatment of eye redness are interrelated.
Treatment
Below we will look at how to eliminate and prevent redness of the eyes, which is not related to diseases of an ophthalmic, allergic and infectious nature.
- Use vasoconstrictor drops for redness of the eyes, such as Vizin, Okumetil, Octilia, etc. It is important to note that they should not be abused, as well as vasoconstrictor drops in the nose. Frequent and prolonged use leads to the development of addiction, which, in turn, causes weakening of the walls of blood vessels. This, in turn, only exacerbates the situation, since it turns out that the vessels are constantly in an expanded state. Eye redness drops stop working.
- You can constrict blood vessels by such means as applying ice, compresses, special exercises, massage. Cooling procedures are not harmful and have a good vasoconstrictive effect. Can be made coldbaths, apply ice or a cold handkerchief - all this is literally for a few minutes. Compresses can be made from tea or decoctions of herbs: a cotton pad is moistened in decoction and applied to the eye. And so several times. It is desirable to take tea large-leaf, without additives and flavorings.
- No matter how trite it sounds, but proper and balanced nutrition is an important guarantee of endurance and a he althy look of the eyes. A lot has been said and said about the benefits of fresh vegetables and fruits. Especially useful for the eyes are red, yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables: carrots, greens, cabbage of all kinds, oranges, tomatoes. The pharmacy network also presents a large number of vitamin and mineral preparations for eye he alth.
- There are a number of simple but effective exercises for the eyes that you can do even at work. They are recommended especially for those whose work is connected with the continuous use of the computer. Here are some examples: in a relaxed state, look sharply in different directions (to the right, to the left, up and down); circular eye movements both clockwise and counterclockwise; sharply shift your gaze from an object in the distance to an object near.
- Massage, for example, stroking the eyelids with circular rotations. It is enough even just to close your eyes and press your palms to them. Stay in this position for a few minutes.
- As we noted above, lack of sleep is one of the main enemies of a he althy eye. The recommended duration of a night's sleep, during which the mucous membrane of the eyes has the ability toto recover is 7-8 hours.
- Daytime rest also plays an important role. In one of the previous paragraphs, we noted that continuous work at the computer creates eye strain. The eyes just need a break of 10-15 minutes every hour. If that luxury isn't available during business hours, then even 5 minutes is better than nothing at all.
- It is very important to protect your eyes from harmful influences. Excess ultraviolet radiation is harmful to the eyes and vision in general. It is recommended to wear sunglasses with UV protection. It is better to buy them in optics, and not anywhere else.
- For women, an important recommendation is to remove makeup before bed.
- Contact lens wearers need to take care of them and adhere to the rules of hygiene in accordance with all the rules, without ignoring any points. Consider what leads to redness of the eyelid of the eye in childhood.
Causes in children
Separately, it is worth considering the causes of redness in the eyes of a child. In many ways, they are not very different from those that are typical for adults. However, there may be some differences, since children are much more sensitive to many annoying, traumatic and pathological factors.
- Fatigue, prolonged eye strain, fatigue, including chronic fatigue - such causes are often found in school-age children.
- Traumatic eye injuries - often cause redness and swelling.
- "Mote in the eye" - the ingress of a foreign body or just dust or dirt.
- Infections of bacterial and viralorigin.
- Dacryocystitis is a disease characteristic of infants. It is a blockage of the lacrimal duct, which occurs due to insufficient development of the lacrimal duct.
- Conjunctivitis (bacterial, viral, allergic). Very often, inflammation of the eye and redness accompany SARS.
- Ophthalmic diseases such as blepharitis, glaucoma, etc.
- Anemia, beriberi - can also cause slight redness of the whites of the eyes.
Treatment and prevention measures for red eyes in children
First, you need to find out the reasons that caused the redness of the eyes. If ophthalmic diseases are excluded, then you should pay attention to the following factors:
- Assess the degree of stress on the child, reduce the time and number of activities that require prolonged eye strain. It is also necessary to monitor the nutritional value of the child, observe the sleep and rest regimen. The duration of a night's sleep should not be less than 9-10 hours for school-age children.
- It is important to observe hygiene measures, make sure that babies and older children do not rub their eyes with dirty hands, avoid contact with patients with conjunctivitis.
- To avoid red eyes from fatigue, you need to minimize the time at the computer and TV.
- Eye strain can be caused by improper lighting in the room. Both too bright and dim lighting can cause eye strain.
If these measures are not enough, you may need to consult an ophthalmologist whomay prescribe eye drops and ointments.
Ophthalmic diseases require an individual approach and in some cases may require the appointment of quite serious drugs and surgical interventions for redness around the eyes.
Just a few examples:
- Clogged tear duct involves the use of antibacterial drops and regular massage.
- Allergic reactions involve the use of antihistamines.
- Washing with furatsilin or chamomile decoction may be required.
- Some ophthalmic pathologies, such as blepharitis, require long-term and complex treatment.
It is important to remember that any manifestation of redness in the eyes of a child should not go unnoticed by parents. Don't chalk it up to tiredness and exhaustion. You can miss the onset of any disease, in the early stages the treatment of redness of the eyes is much more effective.
