Why Do I have Bloodshot Eyes?

Bloodshot eye, eye care, eye condition

Why Do I have Bloodshot Eyes?

It is a terrible feeling to wake up and find yourself looking in the mirror with bloodshot eyes. Mostly, bloodshot eyes are common among people who stay late working, smoking or drinking. But bloodshot eyes can still creep in normal circumstances if you haven’t slept properly.

In many cases, bloodshot eyes hint at an undiagnosed and untreated eye problem. When eyes have bloodshot or look red, schedule an appointment with a local optometrist in Billings, Montana.

Causes of Bloodshot Eyes

Common causes of bloodshot eyes can be sleep deprivation, excess consumption of alcohol, dry eyes, getting a lot of blue light from screens, or getting in contact with irritants like pollen, perfume, or smoke. Biologically, when blood rushes through your eyes’ veins, there is a dilation of red blood vessels along with the white areas that makes the eye more visible. Bloodshot can make your eyes look irritated and red.

Bloodshot eyes can pop up due to unhealthy lifestyle choices. But environmental irritants can also cause eyes to appear red. If it is an environmental pollutant, bloodshot will go away on its own. But if you consistently get bloodshot eyes, you will have to get first-aid eye drops.

Not getting enough sleep and consuming a lot of alcohol are the most common causes of bloodshot eyes. For many people, allergies trigger bloodshot eyes. You can take oral antihistamines and antihistamines eye drops to relieve symptoms of bloodshot.

Dry Eye Syndrome

Bloodshot eyes can also be an underlying sign of dry eye syndrome or DES. In this condition, eyes feel irritated, dry, and sensitive to light. You may also experience watery eyes, blurred vision, and feel like grit is stuck in one eye.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis infection can be viral and bacterial. Each year, more than 10% of children get bacterial conjunctivitis. It is also a highly contagious disease that affects both adults and children. Apart from redness of the eye, conjunctivitis bacterial conjunctivitis can make eyes swollen and irritated. In viral conjunctivitis, symptoms like flu or cold triggers excessive tearing and itchy eyes.  

Eye Injury

Oftentimes, the direct cause of bloodshot eyes is injury. Remember, even a small eye injury can impact the sclera or white part of your eye. In eye injury, broken blood vessel leads to bloodshot eyes. All eye injuries require immediate treatment to avoid long-term complications.

Get Help from Professional Optometrist

With a simple eye exam, the eye doctor can find out the root cause of your bloodshot and recommend suitable treatment. Reach out to Total Eye Care Billings for treatment of bloodshot eyes. The more time you sit out with bloodshot eyes, the longer it will take for the treatment to work.

Schedule your comprehensive eye test today!