Red Eyes Demystified

Identify cause → target treatment

What causes red eyes? That’s a loaded question because a myriad of things can make your eyes look red. Common culprits include:

• allergies

• dry eyes

• environmental irritants such as wind, dust, dirt, smoke etc.

• bacterial or viral infection of the outer lining on the whites of your eyes (aka conjunctivitis)

• lack of sleep

• broken blood vessels

• corneal abrasion, infection or inflammation

• contact lens complications……AND SO MUCH MORE!

It is best to have your primary eye doctor evaluate and address any underlying health issues that may be causing your red eye(s). Targeted treatments can range from antibiotic drops or artificial tears to allergy eye drops and cool compresses. This is especially important if you notice other symptoms such as pain, foreign body sensation, blurry vision, watering, sticky discharge or light sensitivity.

Treating with over-the-counter eye drops to “get the red out” can improve your eyes’ appearance in the short-term but may conceal the root cause while making your eyes dependent on these drops and even worsen your symptoms. DO NOT USE VISINE ! Visine’s active ingredient is tetrahydrozoline, a decongestant that can have the side effects of:

1) Rebound redness: exactly as it sounds. The redness can come back with a vengeance if you discontinue the drops, sucking you into a vicious cycle of treat and repeat.

2) Oxygen deprivation: redness relief is achieved by constricting the arterioles, the little vessels that brings nutrients and oxygen to your eye.

3) Pupil dilation: this drug is a milder form of the eye drop used in the eye doctor’s office to dilate your eyes. This will not only give you a wonky look if you use it in one eye but also increased glare.

LUMIFY (Bausch & Lomb) is an over-the-counter eye whitening drop that I recommend for patients with good eye health who desire redness relief for social occasions or photos. It takes effect within 1 minute with results lasting up to 6 hours for most. It can be used up to 4 times a day safely and works by constricting the venules (or the blood vessels that bring blood away from the eyes), to provide the cosmetic benefit of Visine without the downsides of all those side effects listed above!