6 The most common causes of red eye & bull; hello healthy

Not only is it uncomfortable, red eyes can also interfere with your daily activities. In fact, not only that, this condition will also interfere with your appearance. So, what causes red eyes? How to find out the answer in this article.

Various causes of red eyes

The eye is one of the most sensitive organs in the human body. The reason is, the eyes are more often exposed to outside air and are only protected by the eyelids, so that the eyes are prone to various disorders including red eyes.

The causes of red eye are very diverse, ranging from eye irritation, eye pain, or other eye disorders. Well, here are various conditions that can cause red eyes:

1. The eye has entered a foreign object

A foreign object that gets into the eye, such as sand or dust, can cause the eye to twinkle and water. The foreign object will scratch the cornea and the symptoms are redness, watery eyes, or sensitivity to light.

Trauma or injury to the eye caused by an accident, exposure to foreign objects or chemicals, recent surgery, small scratches that cause corneal abrasions, or burns can also be the cause of eye redness.

This occurs because the blood vessels in your eye dilate to bring more blood to the injury site so that the healing process can proceed faster. It is this dilation or sometimes damage to the blood vessels in the eye that causes your eyes to appear reddish.

If the irritation eye complaint becomes unbearable, try to rinse it with clean water. Do not rub or touch your eyes to try to remove the foreign object.

If it is a sharp, dangerous object, such as broken glass, close your eyes and go to the doctor or emergency room immediately

2. Inappropriate use of contact lenses

If you can't treat them properly, contact lenses can irritate the cornea and trigger red eyes. For a long time, this can dry out your eyes.

When this condition occurs, never wear contact lenses. If contact lenses cause eye irritation, replace them with new ones. If your eyes are dry, consult an ophthalmologist or look for a different type of lens. However, you must reduce the use of contact lenses.

3. Dry eyes

Dry eye syndrome occurs when the tear glands don't produce enough eye fluid, both in quantity and quality, to lubricate your eyes. As a result, it makes your eyes dry and irritated, making them look red.

You can give artificial eye drops or tears (artificial tears) every 2-3 hours or according to the instructions on the packaging, to help alleviate this condition.

4. Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis or what is also often referred to as pink eye is the most common and contagious eye infection. This condition occurs when the conjunctiva, which is the transparent membrane that covers the eyeball and the inside of the eyelid, becomes infected. This causes the blood vessels in the eye to become irritated and swollen, making the eyes look red.

Infections are usually caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. In addition, exposure to pollution, dust, smoke, or certain chemicals can also cause this condition. Pink eye due to conjunctivitis can occur in one eye or both.

Because conjunctivitis is contagious, you should get treatment as early as possible to avoid spreading it to other people.

5. Allergies

Red eye is also a symptom of eye allergies. This is because a common reaction to allergies is redness of the eye.

When your immune system reacts to foreign substances, such as dust, pollen, animal dander, certain chemicals in makeup or contact lens fluids, your body naturally releases histamine in an attempt to fight allergens.

As a result, histamine causes the eye vessels to dilate, making your eyes red and watery.

6. Eyes tired

Too long staring at the monitor screen, TV, or cellphone will make you subconsciously blink less frequently. In fact, blinking is one of the natural ways to moisturize your eyes so that they can prevent dry and red eyes.

To reduce the risk of eye fatigue from constantly focusing on a computer screen, you can use anti-radiation glasses that are specially designed to protect your eyes from exposure to computer light and apply the 20-20-20 rule.

The 20-20-20 rule recommends that you look away from the monitor screen every 20 minutes and rest your eyes for 20 seconds by looking at objects that are about 20 feet (6 meters) away. If needed, you can also put artificial eye drops or tears to moisturize your eyes.

7. Uveitis

According to the Mayo Clinic, uveitis is a type of eye inflammation that attacks the tissue in the middle layer of the eye wall (uvea).

This condition causes the eyes to experience symptoms such as redness, pain, and blurred vision. Uveitis can affect one or both eyes, and can occur at any age.

Some of the causes of uveitis are infection, eye injury, or the presence of an autoimmune disease. However, there is often no known cause for uveitis.

8. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an increase in eye pressure resulting in damage to the optic nerves. As a result, the sufferer's vision can be threatened.

One of the symptoms experienced by people with glaucoma is red eyes, which are also accompanied by headaches, dizziness, and nausea and vomiting. If not treated immediately, glaucoma has the risk of triggering blindness.

9. Subconjunctival hemorrhage

Have you ever seen someone with the whites of their eyes that were red like bleeding? This condition may be a subconjunctival hemorrhage.

In this condition, the blood vessels in the conjunctiva burst and cause blood to leak between the conjunctiva and sclera (the white part of the eye). This bleeding is usually seen in the form of blood-red dots or spots on the whites of the eyes.

Subconjunctival bleeding can have many causes, from cleaning or coughing too hard, rubbing the eyes, to other eye injuries.

10. Corneal problems

Corneal problems can also cause your eyes to turn red. Together with the sclera, the cornea is the vanguard that protects the eye from dust, germs, and filters out the amount of sunlight entering the eye.

One of the disorders that can occur in the cornea is keratitis, which is inflammation caused by bacteria or fungi. Irritation due to wearing contact lenses can also trigger keratitis.

How to deal with and prevent red eyes

Treatment of red eye will usually depend on what the main cause is. For example, redness of the eye caused by a bacterial infection may need to use eye drops from a doctor that contain antibiotics.

Or, if eye redness occurs as an allergic reaction, one way to do this is to avoid anything that can trigger allergies and take antihistamine medications to relieve symptoms.

To maintain eye health and prevent it from various problems, including red eye conditions, you can follow these tips:

• Use sunglasses when on the move in the sun
• Avoid cigarette smoke and pollution
• Eat foods that are good for eye health
• Have regular eye exams
• Take good care of contact lenses
• Limit the use of electronic devices for too long