Seeing Red? 6 Possible Causes of Persistent Eye Redness

While red eyes may not seem particularly problematic — especially if they don’t come with any symptoms — you probably don’t want to be walking around with them all the time. So if you’re dealing with persistent eye redness, you want to find out what’s to blame and how to resolve it. 

We can help. As specialists in eye health, our team at Edwin Y. Endo, OD & Associates can determine what’s causing your persistent eye redness and help you find relief. If you regularly deal with red eyes, don’t wait to visit our office in Aiea, Hawaii. 

Generally, we start by checking you for some of the most common causes of eye redness.

#1: Allergies

Does your eye redness come with itchiness or any other allergy symptoms? If so, the redness may just be a symptom of your body’s response to the allergen in play. Allergy medication can generally help. 

#2: Dry eyes

Your eyes should make enough tears to keep them sufficiently lubricated, but some people fall short in this area. If you deal with chronic dry eye, it can leave your eyes chronically red, too. 

We can explore ways to keep your eyes hydrated, from medicated eye drops to punctal plugs. 

#3: Contact lens problems

Contact lenses require you to follow certain guidelines when it comes to caring for the lenses — and for your eyes as you wear them. Wearing your contacts too much and sleeping in them can cause eye redness.

Your contact lenses could also land you with an eye infection. To help you avoid this issue, wash your hands before putting in or taking out your contacts and follow the other tips in our guide. 

#4: Blepharitis

This condition primarily affects your eyelids, but it can impact your eyes, too. If you notice that your eyelids look red and irritated or have crusty buildup, talk to us. We can determine if you have blepharitis and help you treat it. 

#5: Eye injuryIf you scratched your cornea, it can cause irritation in your eye that leads to lingering redness. Worse yet, the corneal abrasion might leave you feeling like something is still in your eye, causing you to rub it, which only heightens the redness. 

Your best course of action is to leave the eye alone so it can heal. If you think something may still be in your eye, visit us right away so we can remove it without further damaging your eye. 

#6: Eye infections

From pink eye (conjunctivitis) to a stye, infections can leave your eyes looking less than their best. Fortunately, we specialize in treating these conditions.

Visit us right away if your eye redness comes with:

• Pain
• Itching
• Discharge
• Swelling
• Light sensitivity
• A gritty feeling in your eye
• Bruising

Eye infections can be contagious, so getting treatment as quickly as possible can help you avoid a household full of eye problems. 

Ultimately, a lot of factors can contribute to eye redness. To find out which is impacting you and how to resolve it, call our office or book your visit online today.