Red eyes are caused when the small blood vessels on the surface of the eye become enlarged and congested with blood.

This occurs as a result of insufficient oxygen supply to the cornea or the tissues covering the eyes. Usually, red eyes are not really a cause for major concern but if eye pain or impaired vision occurs, this may be an indication of a serious problem.

Symptoms of the Red Eye are:

1. Blurred vision – blurred vision often indicates serious ocular disease. Blurred vision that improves with blinking suggests a discharge or mucous on the ocular surface.
2. Severe pain – it may indicate keratitis, corneal ulcer, iridocyclitis, or acute glaucoma. Patients with conjunctivitis may complain of a mild irritation or scratchiness but not of severe pain.
3. Photophobia – photophobia is an abnormal sensitivity to light that accompanies iritis, either alone or secondary to corneal inflammation. A patient with conjunctivitis has normal light sensitivity.
4. Coloured halos – rainbow as fringes or coloured halos seen around the point of light are usually as symptom of corneal edema, often resulting from a rise in intraocular pressure. The coloured halos are a danger symptom suggesting acute glaucoma as a cause of the red eye.
5. Exudation – is a typical result of conjunctival or eyelid inflammation and does not occur in iridocyclitis or glaucoma. Patient will often complain that their lids are stuck together in the morning when they wake up. The corneal ulcer is a serious condition that may or may not be accompanied by exudation.
6. Itching – this is a non-specific symptom but usually indicates an allergic conjunctivitis. Many people say that no itching, no allergy.

To treat your red eyesthere are many useful methods:

• Get more rest at night. Pause and rest a little more during the day.
• Do not use eye drops from the pharmacy. They have an agent in them that constricts the blood vessels. This may make your whites look whiter for awhile, but no problems have been solved. Do not tinker with your precious eyes! When the drops wear off in a couple hours, the redness generally appears redder than before.
• Lay a cool, wet washcloth over your closed eye. The cold constricts the blood vessels naturally, and the moisture helps your eyes.
• Be sure and drink enough water, so you will have an adequate amount of fluid in your tear ducts.
• If the eyes are red when you wake up, the problem may be your eyelids. This is a low-grade infection of the eyelids. Treat it by washing your eyes with warm water at night before retiring.
• Any problem in the eyes should be taken seriously. Infection can be treated with a small amount of boric acid mixed with sterile water.
• Helpful herbs include eyebright, fennel, and cornflower. Eyebright is remarkably helpful for a number of eye conditions.

Catch up on your sleep. During sleeping hours your eyes are allowed to rest and rehydrate, naturally eliminating redness. If you are getting less than eight hours of solid sleep at night, chances are a little extra shuteye will be your best medicine for curing those tired, red eyes.

Treat your eyelids and not your eyes if you notice red eyes first thing in the morning. If you wake up with red eyes, you probably have a mild case of blepharitis, a mild infection of the eyelids. Remove all makeup thoroughly and rinse your eyelids with warm water each night before bed and you will soon notice less red eye in the morning.

See a doctor if your red eyes last longer than a few days or are accompanied by swelling, pain or loss of vision.

Call your doctor if:

• Your eyes are red longer than 1-2 days.
• You have eye pain or vision changes.
• You take blood thinning medication, like warfarin.
• You may have an object in your eye.
• You are very sensitive to light.
• You have a yellow or greenish discharge from one or both eyes.

And finally, for preventing red eyes:

• Do NOT share anything that has touched the eye of someone with this contagious condition – like pillowcases, sheets, towels, or eyeliner.
• Wash your hands right away if you have come in contact with someone with eye redness like conjunctivitis.
• Wash out any chemicals or objects from your eye immediately.