Seeing Red: What Your Red Eyes Might Mean

Everyone has those days. You wake up, reluctantly crawl out of bed. You walk into your slippers and shuffle to your bathroom to start your morning routine. And as you hover over your sink, you lift your head and look at your reflection for the first time that morning.

And you literally scare yourself. Your eyes are bloodshot. And you don’t know why.

For times like those, you’ll be happy you read this blog post.

Reasons Why Your Eyes Might Be Red:

1)      Pink eye.

Not fun. Not attractive. But definitely not a stranger either. Though more prevalent in children, adults can just as easily contract conjunctivitis (known more popularly as “pink eye”).  With pink eye, you typically suffer from itching, burning and stinging sensations in your eye. It may be paired with discharge, swelling, and watering. If you think you have pink eyes, you need to schedule an appointment with your optometrist as soon as possible.

2)      Allergies

Darn those allergens! Whether is seasonal or environment, allergies can totally put a damper on any day. Allergies usually cause itchy, red eyes to occur and sometimes make them look puffy and even water. Your allergies may vary depending on what you’re allergic to.

3)      Busted Vein

It happens. You cough too hard; you put too much pressure in your eye or fatigue it and you can pop a vessel in your eye. Most times, this isn’t dangerous, and it sometimes looks a lot worse than it is. But an area in your eye may turn bright red, but don’t worry. Your eye should be bleeding out from a burst blood vessel, since the vein is under the clear film of your eye. If you are concerned about the broken blood vessel, you can consult with your optometrist to confirm there is no underlying health concern that led to the bursting.

4)      Trauma

When you hit a part of your body, it’s not surprising to find a bruise there. The same theory applies to eyes, except your eyes are much more sensitive.  And since so many sensitive parts come together in your eye, if you do get hit in the eye, you should immediately see your optometrist. If your optometrist is not available, have your eye examined at the emergency room or urgent care center.

Nobody knows your body like you do. If something feels off with your eye or vision, locate the nearest America’s Best location and schedule an appointment with your optometrist.