What causes persistent eye redness?
May 30, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Wang Shuai
Introduction
Frequent eye redness may be caused by prolonged sleep deprivation, foreign body irritation, scleritis, iridocyclitis, glaucoma, or other reasons. To maintain eye health and prevent eye redness, it is important to ensure adequate sleep, avoid foreign objects entering the eyes, maintain good eye hygiene, and undergo regular eye examinations to prevent the development of eye diseases.
Generally speaking, persistent eye redness may be caused by chronic sleep deprivation, foreign body irritation, scleritis, iridocyclitis, glaucoma, or other reasons. When experiencing bodily discomfort, one should not ignore it and should seek medical attention promptly. A detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Frequent late nights due to work or lifestyle can lead to long-term insufficient sleep, causing eye fatigue and poor blood circulation. This results in blood congestion in the eyes, leading to persistent redness, often accompanied by symptoms such as dryness and tiredness. No special treatment is required; ensure adequate sleep, ideally 7–9 hours per night.
2. Foreign Body Irritation
When foreign objects such as dust, sand, or eyelashes enter the eye, they can irritate ocular tissues, triggering an inflammatory response and causing blood vessels to dilate, resulting in eye redness. This may be accompanied by eye pain and tearing. Usually, no medication is needed—rinsing the eye with normal saline solution can effectively flush out the foreign object.
3. Scleritis
Scleritis is an inflammatory eye condition that may result from infection, autoimmune diseases, or external irritants. The inflammation causes blood vessel dilation and blood congestion, leading to red eyes, along with symptoms such as eye pain and vision loss. Treatment should follow medical advice and may include ophthalmic solutions such as tobramycin-dexamethasone drops, pranoprofen drops, or levofloxacin eye drops.
4. Iridocyclitis
This condition may be caused by bacterial or viral infections, ocular trauma, or other factors. Inflammation of the iris and ciliary body leads to vascular dilation and blood congestion, resulting in eye redness, typically accompanied by eye pain and photophobia (light sensitivity). Under a doctor’s guidance, medications such as compound tropicamide eye drops, prednisolone acetate tablets, or fluorometholone eye drops may be used for treatment.
5. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition characterized by increased intraocular pressure, commonly caused by abnormal eye structure or aging. Elevated eye pressure leads to dilation of ocular blood vessels, optic nerve damage, and eye redness, often accompanied by symptoms such as eye pain, vision loss, and headache. Treatment should follow medical instructions and may involve medications such as timolol maleate eye drops, pilocarpine nitrate eye drops, or acetazolamide tablets.
To prevent eye conditions, it is important to maintain sufficient sleep, avoid foreign objects entering the eyes, practice good eye hygiene, and undergo regular eye examinations.
