Best Ways To Get Rid Of Eye Redness

One of your friends says”Oh my! Your shirt matches your eyes!” You feel flattered, thinking she’s complimenting you. That’s when you realized you’re wearing a red shirt. Drat. Your eyes are bloodshot again.

The eyes are among the most abused organs in the body, although they have one of the most important functions. Eye irritation and redness is very common. Although it does go away after a while, many still find this condition irksome, irritating and embarrassing. What if you have to be in a photo shoot or meet a person you like? Your red eyes will not be very appealing.

Thankfully, there are many sure and effective ways to remove eye redness. Here are some methods you can try to solve this annoying dilemma.

Why So Red?

Solving eye redness isn’t that complicated because it’s not a life-threatening ailment, but before you can get rid of this condition, you must first know what caused it. Your eyes can turn red because of many reasons, such as:

Puffiness – This is a very common beauty problem. Puffiness happens when the eye not only becomes red, but also swells. It can be caused by different factors like trapped fluids underneath eye tissues, sinus and allergy problems, hangovers, hypothyroidism induced by drugs, and dermatitis.
Infections – When bacteria or viruses invades the eyes, irritation and itching occurs, causing not only redness, but also discharge, vision problems and pain. You can be prone to illnesses like corneal ulcer, blepharitis, uveitis and conjunctivitis.
Cold and allergies – These can also cause minor eye redness.
Irritants – When chemicals and particles like chlorine, dirt or dust get in the eyes, they can become irritated and redness can occur.
Contact lenses – People who opt for contact lenses instead of glasses often experience eye irritation, either because the lenses aren’t clean, don’t fit their eyes or because their eyes are too sensitive. Redness sometimes leads to keratitis, an cornea inflammation caused by a contaminated contact lens.
Wrong eye habits – Staring at the computer or television can cause frequent eye redness.
Stress – Working too much can result in bloodshot eyes.

These different factors may be the reasons why your eyes look reddish and tired. Now that you know what causes your condition, it’s time to solve your red eye dilemma.

Cool It

The first and most basic method you can try to get the red out of your eyes is to cool them down. Oftentimes, the eyes become red because they either become too dry or they lose their moisture. To bring your eyes to their normal state, you can use a cool soothing wash or compress.

The easiest way is to use a cool, wet face cloth. Soak a clean washcloth in cool water for a few minutes. Then, lay it over your eyes and leave it there for a while. Whether your bloodshot eyes are from stress, viruses or allergies, this will soothe and cleanse them.

If you’ve got red AND puffy eyes, here’s another effective way: Get a bowl of ice-cold water or milk. Soak some cotton wool pads into it for a few minutes, and lie down with the pad over your eyes. When they become warm, replace them. Keep doing this for fifteen minutes, or until the puffiness goes away.

Use Eye Drops

If you always have bloodshot eyes, carrying around eye drops is a great solution. These are chemical fluids that work by constricting the small blood vessels in the eyes, reducing eye redness. They are effective for eye redness caused by different factors.

For red eyes, eye drops with a lubricant and decongestant work well. If you’ve got red and itchy eyes or pinkeye, then an antibiotic antihistamine eye drop works better. It kills the bacteria.

Once you’ve bought the right type of eye drops product, you know have to use it properly. Here’s how:

Tilt your head backwards.
Form a”pocket” by pulling your lower lid away from your eye. You can either pull the lid down using your index finger or by pinching the lower lid using your index finger and thumb and pulling it outwards.
Hold the eye drops bottle upside-down using your other hand, and squeeze it gently. Let a drop fall down into the “pocket”. Make sure the bottle is close to your eye, but it doesn’t touch your eyelid or eyes.
Close your eyes, but don’t blink. Apply light pressure where your lids meet with your nose. Leave it like that for two to three minutes.
Before opening your eyes, wipe the unabsorbed drops and tears from your closed lids with a clean cloth or tissue.

Eye drops are very effective in taking the redness away from your eyes. Just one reminder: Don’t use eye drops that belong to other people and don’t let them use yours. You might share or acquire infections or viruses.

Change Your Beauty And Grooming Products

You may not think it’s important, but the things you use everyday affect the condition of your eyes. Think about all the products you use, including your soap, cosmetics and even the laundry detergent. What chemicals do they have in them? You may not know it, but there must be something in these products that you’re allergic to, like the perfumes used in them. This may trigger your eye redness.

To solve this dilemma, fumigate your shopping list. Be careful when picking products while you’re in the grocery. Use unscented tissues, soaps, detergents, and cosmetics. You should also opt for anti-bacterial products. This will assure you that there are no harmful chemicals that can irritate your eyes.

Take Care Of Your Contact Lenses

Because glasses hide your beautiful eyes, you opt for contact lenses to correct your eyesight. Why not? They’re easy to use, they aren’t as expensive as laser eye surgery and they let you show off your attractive eyes. The problem is, wearing them affects your eye condition. Your contacts may look pretty, but they can also be the cause of your bloodshot eyes.

Before buying contacts, check with your ophthalmologist if the brand you choose suits your eye type. Although most people adjust to any type of lens, those with sensitive eyes are likely to become irritated if they choose the wrong kind.

Once you’ve chosen the right lens type for you, make sure you clean and disinfect them as often as recommended. Remove them before going to sleep. Contact lenses can be the perfect incubator for bacteria. Make sure the cleaning solution you choose is suitable for your contacts, too.

Here are a few other contact lens tips to remember:

If you’re using eye drops, remove the contact lenses first.
Make sure your hands and fingers are clean before touching the lenses.
Clean the lens case, too.
Never share contact lenses with other people.
Don’t use saliva or other homemade solutions for your lenses.

Stop Bad Eye Habits

You’re not always aware of it, but you may be guilty of poor eye habits. There may be things you do every now and then that causes eye irritation and redness. Here are some common examples.

Don’t rub. This is one of the first rules when it comes to proper eye hygiene. Rubbing makes eyes bloodshot for three reasons: First, it dilates the small blood vessels in the eyeball, making them red; second, it triggers the release of more histamine. If the redness is caused by an allergen, this can worsen your eye redness. Lastly, your hands may have dirt and bacteria on them that can be transferred to your eyes and cause further eye irritation and redness.
Lessen stress. Spend less time in the office and in front of the computer. Don’t let anxiety and tension affect you too much.
Avoid too much exposure to TV and PCs. You don’t have to avoid them, just don’t spend too much time in front of them. You should also stay as far away from the screen as you can. If you’re in the office, learn proper workplace ergonomics, so your eyes won’t be as stressed.
Stay away from polluted places or smoky rooms. Pollution and cigarette smoke carry allergens that irritate your eyes and cause redness, so try to avoid them. If you can’t, shield your eyes from these factors by wearing sunglasses.

Watch out for these habits. If you’re able to stay away from these practices, then your eye problem will most likely go away.

Clear Eyes At Last!

Eye redness may not be life threatening, but it can be embarrassing and irritating. You don’t have to suffer from this condition. If you do encounter this again, remember these simple, but effective solutions. They’ll help clear up your eyes in no time.