What Causes Red Eyes?
- Conjunctivitis: This is essentially an inflammation or infection of the outer eye. Conjunctivitis comes in three different forms – viral, bacterial, and allergic. Bacterial conjunctivitis is often accompanied by crusty matter on and around the eyes. In contrast, viral conjunctivitis is the likely culprit if you have a cold or illness and red eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis is when you have common allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing, and eyes. While bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are contagious, allergic conjunctivitis isn’t.
- Foreign Object in an Eye: This will include getting something like dust or shampoo in your eyes.
- Tired Eyes or Fatigued Eyes: This can refer to a lack of sleep or staring at a computer screen for too long.
- Dry Eyes: This is a condition where your tears cannot provide adequate moisture for your eyes.
- Contact Lens Usage: Sometimes, wearing your contact lenses too often can cause your eyes to become red.
- Eye Injuries: This includes accidents, collisions, and other similar scenarios.
How to Treat Red Eyes
Treatment for red eyes depends on the underlying cause. Bacterial conjunctivitis is best treated with antibiotics, viral conjunctivitis with antiviral medication, and allergic conjunctivitis with allergy medication.
The best thing you can do for tired or fatigued eyes is to rest them. In case of foreign objects in the eye, you should rinse them with water. For dry eyes, mild cases can be treated with artificial tears, while more severe cases may require prescription drops such as Restasis, Xiidra, or LipiFlow treatment.
Contact lens users should take a break from wearing them for a day or a few days. If an eye injury is suspected, seeing an ophthalmologist in Loveland as soon as possible is essential.
Visit Our Loveland Ophthalmologist
Kirk Eye Center can help you with red eye treatment using the form below or by calling 970-669-1107. We treat patients in Loveland, Fort Collins, and other cities throughout Northern Colorado.
