Blood Shot Eyes
You’ve been out at the beach all day long and you notice before bedtime that your eyes are bloodshot.
Or, you forgot to take your contacts out last night and red, blood shot eyes are what you see staring back in the mirror this morning.
What does it really mean to have “blood shot” eyes?
I asked my optometrist and here’s what I found out.
Bloodshot is the somewhat generic term that we use to describe when our eyes look red. Because the small blood vessels on the eye’s surface become enlarged and filled up with blood, it sometimes gives your eyes the appearance of red lines running through them.
The cause is generally a result of not enough oxygen getting to your cornea or to the tissues that cover your eyes. Normally, they aren’t cause for huge concern– with one exception. If you have eye pain or impaired vision in addition to blood shot eyes, you should consult your optometrist right away as these could be signs of a more serious problem!
The list of causes of blood shot eyes is very long. Ugly red eyes can appear because of any of the following lifestyle reasons: lack of sleep, too much alcohol, exposure to cigarette smoke, sun exposure, toxins in the air, wearing your contact lenses too long, eye strain, cosmetics or other irritants getting in your eyes, poor diet, or stress!
There are also some diseases, illnesses, and conditions that can cause you to face blood shot eyes at one time or another. Diabetes, corneal abrasion, corneal ulcers, pink eye (conjunctivitis), colds, flu, allergies, pregnancy, high blood pressure, mumps, irritable bowel syndrome, liver or kidney issues, and other infections can also lead there. Often you’ll have other symptoms–ranging from pain, swelling, excess mucous or headache– along with the eye redness to indicate that a trip to your doctor is in order.
If your only symptom is your red eyes, you know you aren’t sick, and maybe even know the cause of why your eyes are red (like that mascara you forgot to wash off last night), then the best thing you can do is give your eyes some rest and use some good, moisturizing eye drops. Keep your contact lenses out until all the redness clears up.
If your blood shot eyes don’t clear in a day or so, consult your local America’s Best optometrist to make sure your cornea isn’t scratched or you don’t have an infection like pink eye.
