The modern rhythm of life forces people to work hard and hard, and most of the time in front of various monitors. Such a lifestyle, of course, makes itself felt in the form of fatigue and lack of sleep. And the main symptom of the transferred load is often redness of the eyes. The reason for this, according to most people, is a bursting vessel. However, in reality this is precisely the reason that occurs least of all. But the main factors for the appearance of pathological redness in the eyes are quite a lot - starting from a banal lack of sleep, characteristic of many adults, and ending with a dangerous ophthalmic pathology.
A bit about the symptom
Red eyes are a common problem that people of different ages and specialties often face. Often this symptom indicates serious changes within the body that require attention. Most often, redness is accompanied by itching, burning, swelling of the eyelids and tearing.
The causes of red eyes in an adult can be a huge amount. Moreover, each of them requires special treatment.
Redness itself can manifest itself in different ways, for example, in the form of a small speck or dot, veins or a completely reddened protein.
If, besides the redness itself, nothing bothers you, and it was preceded by overwork or lack of sleep, then nothing needs to be done - usually, the symptom disappears on its own. In such situations, redness appears against a background of insufficient hydration of the eyes. When the moisture level is restored, the symptoms disappear.
If other problems are accompanied by red eyes, it is worthwhile to undergo an examination to determine the diagnosis. Indeed, in this case, a number of pathologies can be suspected.
Harmless causes of red eyes in adults
Treatment and use of any medication may not always be required. In general, redness of the eyes is not in all cases a reason for visiting a doctor. Sometimes this problem can be dealt with without assistance.
Doctors often say that the cause of red eyes in adults can be serious diseases, for example, barley, glaucoma, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis and various inflammations. These diseases are really extremely dangerous and often provoke the appearance of a number of other unpleasant symptoms.
But still, the main causes of red eyes in adults often turn out to be commonplace. They are most often found. So why does an adult have red eyes? Here are some of the simplest explanations for this symptom.
- Allergic reaction. Vasodilation, leading to redness, irritation of the mucous membrane of the eyes and tearing, may indicate the development of allergies. In such a situation, it makes sense to use moisturizing drops to wash off the allergen. If this turns out to be useless, you will need to take an antihistamine.
- Alcohol and smoking. Enough for a couple or three hours of being in a smoked room, and redness will not take long. And all because tobacco smoke irritates the mucous membrane, which leads to excessive redness. Having drunk too much alcohol, you also risk waking up with red eyes. The fact is that alcohol leads to a disruption in the hydration of the eyes, and this in turn provokes redness.
- Lack of sleep. It takes some time for the eyes to restore normal hydration. It is at night that they rest, but if they are not given such an opportunity, they will surely take revenge on their master by redness.
- Dry air. It is in winter that redness of the eyes occurs most often. And all because dry air prevails on the street at this time, and the same thing awaits you in the premises.
- Long work near the monitor. On average, a person makes 15 blinks per minute. If he is busy working at the computer, this frequency is greatly reduced. As a result, due to prolonged dryness, the eyes simply turn red.
- Damage to capillaries. If you find a red spot, it probably appeared due to the fact that the vessel in the eye burst. The causes and treatment of this condition can be varied. Typically, such redness disappears on its own, but sometimes it can indicate the presence of various pathologies in the body, for example, hypertension or diabetes mellitus.
- Side effect of medicines. Another common cause of red eye in adults is the side effect of drugs. Antihistamines, sedatives, hypnotics, diuretics, and beta-blockers can cause this effect. In this case, you should consult a doctor.
- Injury. Red eyes are often a sign of damage. Redness can occur after shock, falling, contact with the eyes of sand, an insect or even eyelashes. This problem often appears in women who have had childbirth. In this case, redness is associated with an increased load on the vessels, which simply can not withstand it. After a while, the problem disappears.
- Contact lenses. Wearing contact lenses often causes red eyes in adults. In this case, treatment is not necessary, you just need to change the brand of the lenses themselves or completely abandon them in favor of glasses.
When it's time to see a doctor
If redness of the eyes causes severe discomfort, you should definitely make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Symptoms that may indicate a serious problem:
- sudden visual impairment;
- yellow or green discharge;
- severe pain in the eyes, which may be accompanied by migraine;
- photophobia.
All these signs can talk about the development of a dangerous disease. In such a situation, do not self-medicate, trying to fix the problem with eye drops.
There are a large number of pathologies that can cause red eye proteins in adults. Only a doctor can recognize a particular disease, so you do not need to delay a visit to him.
Conjunctivitis
It is this pathology that is considered the main cause of red eyes in adults. The constantly appearing redness in this case is explained by the inflammatory process, covering the mucous membrane.
Conjunctivitis is viral, allergic and bacterial. So the treatment in each case occurs differently. With this disease, an adult has red eyes festering, and they also itch.
Bacterial and viral forms of conjunctivitis can be transmitted to others. In addition, if the eyes are not completely cured, the pathology will often remind of itself.
Keratitis
This pathology proceeds almost exactly the same as conjunctivitis. True, there is one difference - inflammation in keratitis covers the cornea.
In addition to redness, the patient has pain and photophobia. Do not let the pathology drift. After all, keratitis can lead to the development of serious complications, including complete loss of vision.
Blepharitis
It develops against the background of inflammation of nearby structures: tonsils, nose or oral cavity. Even inflammation of the skin can lead to the onset of blepharitis. Redness and tightening of the eyelids is the first sign of blepharitis in adults. In this case, medication is used. But the doctor should prescribe the drug.
The following factors can lead to the development of blepharitis:
- chronic infection
- worms;
- allergy;
- fungus;
- weakened immunity;
- diabetes;
- deviations in the digestive tract.
So the treatment for such a pathology should be comprehensive.
Iridocyclitis
It is provoked by inflammation of the iris, which occurs due to infectious pathologies and metabolic disorders.
In advanced stages of iridocyclitis, pupil deformity is noted. In addition, a change in the color of the iris is not excluded.
Glaucoma
This is a dangerous pathology that is provoked by a deterioration in the circulation of the eye fluid. As a result, intraocular pressure rises and a number of concomitant symptoms appear.
Redness and severe pain in the eyes are features of the course of glaucoma. In addition, the patient may experience headache, nausea and high blood pressure. It is because of these symptoms that glaucoma is often not immediately diagnosed. But if you suspect this pathology, you should immediately consult a doctor. Indeed, delay in such a situation can be dangerous.
Causes of a red spot in the eye in an adult
In fact, redness in the eye may not be localized over the entire surface of the protein. It also happens that a small bundle or blood clot appears in it. Why then does an adult have red eyes? This is exactly the case when a vessel burst inside the organ and a hemorrhage occurred. Usually, such a problem is faced by people who already have some kind of vascular pathology. Although there is a huge amount of explanation why the vessel burst in the eye. The causes and treatment of this pathology are very diverse.
It happens that the explanation of the problem is pretty commonplace. Hemorrhage can occur, for example, due to overstrain against the background of exhausting work, severe stress or severe physical exertion.
It is noteworthy that ordinary conjunctivitis can also lead to the appearance of the same spots and dots. This is due to hyperemia, which is his constant companion. It is because of it that the vessels burst.
Most often, a blood clot disappears on its own, without any treatment after about a week. The healing process can be accelerated by exposure to low temperatures, which can stop bleeding. For example, you can use an ice compress.
But if you find a hemorrhage in the vitreous body of the eye, which leads to visual impairment, or if the problem does not disappear for a long time, you should contact an ophthalmologist.
General treatment rules
It is immediately worth saying that there is no standard therapy regimen that would suit everyone without exception. All pathologies in which redness occurs have a different origin and, accordingly, different treatment methods. Only after passing a comprehensive diagnosis and determining a specific diagnosis, the ophthalmologist can choose the optimal therapy.
So, if the symptom was provoked by infectious diseases, then first of all a therapeutic course is carried out aimed at eliminating the identified diseases. However, antiviral eye ointments and drops are used.
If the adult's red eyes become due to other, non-infectious reasons, for example, due to hypertension or diabetes mellitus, the doctor may not prescribe any drugs at all. In return, the doctor is likely to advise more rest, walk, refrain from physical exertion.
How to treat red eyes in adults? Artificial tears, vasoconstrictive drops and luteal complexes are most often used as drug therapy.
If redness is not associated with any pathologies, you can eliminate the symptom by taking a few simple measures:
- reduce the load on the visual system, prevent its overwork;
- use herbal compresses prepared on decoctions;
- apply vitamin drops and drink a course of drugs that have a positive effect on metabolism.
Drug therapy
Before determining a specific diagnosis, you can use safe solutions that will temporarily narrow the dilated capillaries, eliminate irritation of the mucous membrane and fatigue. For this, doctors recommend such drugs:
- "Vizin".
- Phloxal.
- "Polynadim".
- "Montevizin".
- Systein Ultra.
- "Okumet."
- "Octilia".
- "Artificial tear."
- Oksial.
- "Visoptic."
- "Naphthyzine".
All of these tools are universal, but you can’t use them for too long. Firstly, such drugs can be addictive. And secondly, they only eliminate the redness itself, but at the same time they do not cure the initial cause of the pathology.
Available tools and recommendations
An excellent folk remedy that has long been used to narrow vessels and eliminate redness is ice. Just prepare a few cubes in advance and apply them to your eyes every time your eyes turn red again. You can also pamper your eyes with a tea compress. Moreover, making it is very simple - you just need to pour two bags of black tea leaves with boiling water, wait until they cool, then attach them to your eyes for 15 minutes.
It is equally useful to make therapeutic compresses based on a decoction of chamomile, parsley, linden or mint. These plants effectively fight redness, swelling, burning and itching.
And in order for your eyes to receive as many vitamins as possible, and the vessels become resistant to pressure and temperature changes, you should change your diet by adding a maximum of natural products to it. Redness of the eyes will stop bothering you if you often eat poultry, parsley, lemons, grapefruits, fish, carrots, apples and cabbage. The vitamins contained in these products will protect your visual system from overwork.
In addition, doctors give their patients some more tips that will help you get rid of the hated redness of the eyes.
- Do not forget to wear sunglasses in bright daylight - this is the only way to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
- No need to go to bed with makeup. After all, particles of cosmetics can get into the eyes and cause severe irritation of the mucous membrane. It is because of this that allergic conjunctivitis can develop, so do not forget to wash your face thoroughly before going to bed.
- Try to adhere to the daily routine, and sleep at least 7-8 hours. Indeed, lack of sleep is often the main cause of the unfortunate redness of the eyes.
Pathology Prevention
Redness of the eyes can be prevented by following a few simple rules.
- When working in front of the monitor, you should regularly take breaks and do gymnastics for the eyes, performing simple exercises.
- You should sleep at least 7 hours - this is a prerequisite for a good rest for the eyes.
- Replenish your diet with products that contain many vitamins - sea fish, cottage cheese, blueberries, carrots, spinach, nuts, broccoli.
- Protect eyes from ultraviolet light. It is advisable to wear sunglasses not only in summer but also in winter.