Red eyes result from the small blood vessels on your surface becoming dilated and congested with blood. If you look at your mirror and realize your eyes are red, they could indicate something is wrong with your eyes or another part of your body. It is important to seek ophthalmology Jacksonville, FL expert care before the issue becomes severe and causes permanent damage. But with so many conditions possibly causing red eyes, it can be hard to know what is causing your eye redness and the possible remedies. Here is a look at the possible causes of red eyes.

Heavy Alcohol Consumption

After drinking too much alcohol, you might notice red spider veins in your eyes. Alcohol causes dilation of the tiny blood vessels in your eyes; hence more blood flows. According to medical experts, the more you take alcohol, the more these blood vessels become visible and red. As the alcohol content gets out of your system over a couple of hours, the blood vessels will return to normal.

Insufficient Sleep

Tired eyes tend to turn red. This is because inadequate sleep can lower the oxygen levels that reach your eyes. This causes the eye’s blood vessels to dilate and turn red. Also, keeping your eyes open for a long time due to lack of sleep causes reduced lubrication to the cornea resulting in dry and red eyes. The best remedy for this is getting sufficient sleep and applying artificial tears to ease the dryness.

Allergies

An allergic reaction causes your eyes to feel tender, itchy, and watery. It can activate a blotchy redness that worsens when you scratch the eyes. An allergic reaction results from an excessive response of your body’s natural immune system to harmless stimuli. The most common allergens are pollen, dust, detergent, and pet dander. Try to identify what triggers your allergic reaction and avoid it. The redness will disappear once you don’t have the allergen, but that might take some time, based on allergy severity. You can also use over-the-counter eye drops or antihistamine medications to help combat your allergy faster.

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

This is a condition that occurs when an eye blood vessel breaks. This causes blood to be trapped in the eye, forming a bright red patch in your eye white. Subconjunctival hemorrhage can result from lifting a heavy object, a strong cough or sneeze, or throwing up. Although the hemorrhage seems serious, this is a common injury and does not often affect your vision or cause swelling, discharge, or pain. The red patch goes away in a couple of weeks.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs when excess pressure is applied to your eye due to fluid buildup destroying the optic nerve. One of the common signs of angle-closure glaucoma is eye redness. Other symptoms include swollen and painful eyes and seeing halos when exposed to light. Normally, glaucoma progresses slowly, but if the eye redness and vision issues occur immediately, you should consult your eye specialist.

Generally, bloodshot eyes can be caused by many conditions. Fortunately, most of this eye redness is easily cleared by a few eye drops or antibiotics. However, if your eye redness is due to a more severe condition such as glaucoma and is accompanied by symptoms such as blurred vision, severe eye pain, and headaches, you should consider seeing an eye specialist as soon as possible.

By AESir