Saturday, March 14, 2009

What Is Red Eye?

By Richard Farrah

If you've ever taken a photo then you've probably come across the 'red eye' effect. This causes the eyes of the person in the photo to show up as red. But, not so many of us will have come across real red eye in medical terms. Here, your eye looks like it has a red tinge rather than being its standard white.

Although waking up in the morning and finding that one or more of your eyes has turned red can be alarming, this isn't necessarily something to worry about. It is, however, worth checking out the issue with your doctor or optician as this condition can sometimes be a sign of a more serious illness or condition.

In basic terms this kind of coloration often happens when the flow of blood within the blood vessels in your eye(s) increases for some reason or other. This can simply make the vessels more obvious to the naked eye and make it look like your eye has turned red.

So, for example, a simple heavy night out on the town or a bout of insomnia can give you bloodshot eyes that can look quite red. This is just a temporary issue that will go away on its own. Some people with particularly sensitive eyes may also experience a similar type of symptom if they spend time in a hot and smoky environment.

In other cases red eye may be caused by some form of infection such as conjunctivitis or blepharitis. And, it can also be the precursor to a more serious illness or condition such as eye trauma, an increase in blood pressure, certain vision problems and glaucoma. For this reason it is always wise to get redness here checked out if it persists for more than a day or so.

There are times, however, when you should seek medical advice sooner rather than later. If, for example, your vision isn't right (i.e. you have blurred or impaired vision) then you should see a doctor. Other warning signs here include a sensitivity to light and significant pain in one or both of your eyes. You should also look out for other issues such as seeing colored halos around objects when you look at them.

A doctor or optician will be able to assess quickly and simply whether your red eye problem is a sign of something more sinister. This usually involves an examination of the eye/eyes in question to see what is going on behind the scenes. It may also involve a variety of standard ophthalmic tests such as pressure measurements and so on.

There are actually different ways that your eyes can look red. In some cases, as mentioned, they may simply look red all over because they are bloodshot. Or you may have a red spot or patch on the white of your eye or a red ring around your cornea. In most cases the red eye that you suffer from will not be a serious issue but in others it is wise to seek advice and treatment if necessary.

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