Most people realize red veins in eyes. Often, if you find it difficult to sleep at night or you are fatigued at any given time, you will end up with red veins in eyes. Explore more on the causes, symptoms and how to get rid of them.
What Causes Red Veins in Eyes
There are very many conditions or diseases that can lead to red veins in your eyes. In most cases red eyes sis a simple way you can describe irritated bloodshot eyes. It is important to know what is causing those red veins before rushing to get rid of the problem.
Normally, your white part of the eye will appear as if there are red lines in them. That is why when your eyes have red veins they are described as bloodshot eyes. For you to have bloodshot eyes there are changes that have occurred in the blood vessels which supply the conjunctiva (white membrane that covers your eyes).
Those red veins in your eyes can be sometimes permanent appearing in the corner of your white eyes. In this discussion we will look at some of the conditions that results in red veins in your eyes, their symptoms, how to get rid of them and ways in which you can treat them.
Causes of red veins in eyes
You may end up getting red veins in your eyes due to swollen or dilated blood vessels, a condition that occur on the sclera also known as the white surface of the eye. There are many conditions that cause this to happen and we are going to discuss most of them here. As we said above, you should not assume redness of your eyes as it may be causes by a serious condition or even disease.
Knowing what is causing your red veins in the eyes is the beginning of striking the best way of getting rid of the condition. Here are some of the most common causes of this problem:
- Conjunctivitis or pink eye
This condition is known to cause inflammation of the eye area. Pink eye is a highly contagious condition which can be caused by bacterial infection, viral infection, or allergy to your eyes. When caused by bacteria, pink eye can be treated by following your doctor’s prescription from use of antibiotics. In case it is caused by viral infection, you may leave the condition to take its course which normally last for about five to seven days. However, you can sooth the problem by use of a cool compress and use of coo artificial tears.
You may also control pink eye caused by allergies by use of a cool compress, hence make sure that the allergens have been removed from the area you area. Also allergy eye drops may offer a relief. By visiting your doctor, you may be able to find out which of the above conditions is causing your pink eye.
Allergy that results from irritation caused by pollen, animal dander, and chemicals can as well lead to red veins in eyes. You have to stay away from these allergens if you want to reduce irritations they cause to your eyes. Make sure those hours you are easily irritated you area indoors. Make sure your pets are always clean and treat their skins when necessary. When pollen is causing you eye irritation, make sure you use protection while you are outdoor.
You can as well be irritated by mold. It usually takes advantage when the humidity is below the normal condition, that is, below 30%. If it happens that you live in areas with high humidity, you may need a humidifier. You have to clean areas with high humidity by keeping them free from mold.
- Blepharitis condition
This is a condition where by your eyes are inflamed there by resulting to red veins in the eyes. Blepharitis is identified by itchiness, flaking, burning and crusting of the eyes. Although some people may use antibiotics to treat this condition, there are no strong suggestions that give evidence to this use. You may bring this condition under control by use of a warm compress and cleaning your eyes regularly.
- Red veins in eyes from subconjunctival hemorrhage
This is a less common cause of red eye and can be identified by a colored patch inside your eye. The patch is usually similar to the one you can get on your skin. Subconjunctival hemorrhage may result from simple things like sneezing, coughing or developing a minor bump on your sclera. When the pressure of your blood is very high or your use of blood thinners is increased, you end up getting this condition. The patch formed on your eye may clear up after one or two weeks on its own without medical intervention. In case there is some pain or discomfort resulting from the patch you may consider visiting your doctor.
- Red veins in eyes from dry eyes
Dry eye syndrome is a condition that develops from failure of your tear gland from producing enough quantity or quality of tears required to facilitate lubrication and nourishment of your eyes. When you are suffering from long dry eye syndrome, you may end up having inflamed and irritated eyes which normally appear red in color. Normally, tears are very essential in very activity of your eyes as they help in lubrication and cleaning of the eyes. You may use tear drops meanwhile as you treat this condition.
- Breakage of eye blood vessels
Coughing, injury or straining your eyes may cause the blood vessels inside to break or burst thereby leaking some blood to the surface which may be seen as red eye. Sometimes this condition may be referred to as subconjunctival hemorrhage.
The condition may appear to be worse especially if you are under some medications such as aspirin or warfarin which reduce your blood’s ability to clot thereby increasing the redness. The condition is not usually very serious and it usually clears up after some days without medical intervention.
- Red veins in eyes from iritis
This is the inflammation of your iris which is the colored part of your eye. Iritis can sometimes also be referred to as anterior uveitis. People suffering from iritis usually may also have sensitivity to light. Other symptoms may include blurred vision and headache.
There is no specific condition that has be found to cause iritis, although it can result from underlying conditions of the immune system and some infections to the eye. You may treat this condition by the use of steroid medication which is usually very effective in reducing the inflammation. Iritis rarely results in serious conditions.
- Red veins in eyes from acute glaucoma
This is a severe condition of the eye whereby you may experience a sudden increase in pressure inside your eye. This may cause the eye to appear red in company of very much pain, and in some cases the sufferer may feel sick, see some halos in the vision around light. Also the vision may be blurred or with some clouds.
- Corneal ulcer
Cornea is a clear outer layer of your eye that covers the eyeball. You may get ulcer on this part of your eye maybe from bacterial or viral infection. The ulcer can also be caused by injury to the eye. Symptoms to this condition may include sensitivity to light and sometime you may feel like you have some particles in your affected eye.
Usually, bacterial corneal ulcer is common in people who wear contact lenses. For people who get viral corneal ulcers, they may be culprits of frequent cold sores. In case a particle has scratched your eye accidentally, you feel a bit uncomfortable when anesthetic eye drops have worn out. Antibiotics eye drops or ointments may be helpful while dealing with this condition and you may see some relieve after few days.
- Red veins in eyes from smoking
Smoking has a series of problems to the person practicing it. Apart from red veins in the eyes, smoking persons are at risk of cataracts and uveitis to their eyes, dryness, itchy eyes and ae related muscular degeneration. Those people who smoke marijuana may end up with red, bloodshot eyes.
Excessive use of alcohol may as well bring problems to your eyes. Usually, alcohol may reduce oxygen supply to the eyes because it reduces oxygen carried by red blood cells. Therefore, the blood vessels may clump together thereby resulting in a ruddy complexion and red veins in eyes.
Red Line in Eye Causes
Red lines in the eyes are simply an indication of red veins in the eyes. As we have said above, this condition may occur due to the blood vessels which supply your conjunctiva or outer layers of your eyes with blood swelling hence becoming visible. In most cases this blood vessels are capillaries. These swollen and dilated capillaries on the sclera are therefore seen as red veins on your eyes, or on the white part of the eye.
In many cases, the condition may result from allergies, fatigue, over-wearing of contact lenses, eye infections and many other conditions to the eye. If you are a victim of any of the above conditions as we have discussed in this post, you may end up getting red lines in your eyes which are simply dilated capillaries. There are other more serious conditions that we have not talked about here that can as well result in red lines in your eyes. Therefore you may look at some of the references we have given below.
Permanent Red Veins in eyes
There are cases where you may have red veins in your eyes permanently. There are conditions that we have talked above that are temporary while others may lead to a permanent condition in your eyes. Obviously, a condition that cause permanent red veins in your eyes is a chronic problem that was not attended to in the quickest time possible.
For example if eye dryness is not controlled in time by regular use of artificial tears, you may end up developing permanent red lines in your eyes. Assuming that dry eyes are the only reason why you have red lines in the eyes, you may reverse the condition are you getting in the situation immediately by the use of required medication.
You may also plug the duct that drain from the eye to the nose so that you conserve more tears. Also, the use of restasis drops can offer some help just in case all the other treatments have failed.
Red Squiggly Lines in eyes
Squiggly lines in the eyes can also be used to refer to the floaters which may result in the loss of clarity of a gel-like substance that is found in the eyes, also called the vitreous. Squiggly lines also refer to the red veins that are seen in the eyes whenever they are irritated. When your eyes are irritated, you may continue to rub them and this can result in red veins in eyes. However, this is a natural way of soothing your eyes and the problem may resolve without medical intervention.
Squiggly eyes that don’t heal on their own should be looked at by your medical provider. You may be dealing with something serious without your knowledge. Usually, eyes are considered as the light of your soul and if it happens they have a problem, we are sure that you are not comfortable at all.
How to get Rid of Red veins in Eyes
In most situations, red veins in the eyes are normally very temporary and may resolve after a short time. There are some conditions that may call for your doctor’s intervention and others may require emergency medical response as well. However, if you are suffering from a minor condition, you may require following simple treatments that will help speed up the healing.
Short term treatments – home remedies
While considering home treatment, it is also important that you are aware of the underlying condition that you are treating. However, there are home remedies that can offer relief to more than one condition that cause red veins in eyes, and some of them are as follows:
- Warm compress
A warm compress facilitates faster flow of blood and other body fluids thereby speeding the healing. In this case, blood will flow fast to and from the affected area and therefore bring faster healing. Your eye is a sensitive part of the body and therefore you have to be keen with the temperature of the water you will be using. You simply have to take a clean cloth or towel and dip in the water and rinse before pressing it slightly on the affected eye. Do this severally twice in a day and you will realize some improvement.
- Cool compress
This is also helpful when it comes to soothing itchy painful red eyes. In case a warm compress is not working for your condition, you may try this approach and am sure it will help.
- Use of artificial tears
There are a number of different eye drops you may use depending on which condition you are suffering from. However, in case you have dry eye syndrome, consider the use of artificial tears that will go well with your condition. They are very helpful as they perform the same purpose your natural tears would have performed.
Long term treatments
- Switch to contacts
If you are having chronic red veins in eyes you may try wearing contact lenses as they can offer relief. However, contact lenses can cause ulcer to your eyes if not fitted well. Make sure they fit well so that they may not worsen the situation.
- Healthy diet
Observe a healthy diet by eating foods rich in nutrients. Also stay hydrated to facilitate the movement of fluids in the body and other substances. Avoid foods that may cause problems to your body.
Red Veins in Eyes Pictures
If someone is suffering from enlarged red veins in the eyes, it is normally not a good look and it may result into a low self -esteem. Usually, red veins in the eyes are accompanied with pain, itching, eye discharge, swollen eyes, burning sensation, blurred vision or visual disturbances and may other symptoms.
For this reason, we have provided some pictures and photos that will help you evaluate your condition and come up with the right treatment that will offer a relief. We have photos of most of the conditions that may result in red veins in eyes, and therefore you can have a look at them so that you may know what you are suffering from.
- Red veins in eyes: http://www.belmarrahealth.com/red-veins-eyes-causes-treatment/
- Red veins on the whites of the eyes: https://healdove.com/eye-care/Veins-on-Eyes
- Underlying causes of red veins in eyes: http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/forum/community-resources/our-dry-eye-triumphs/20805-underlying-causes-of-red-veins-in-eyes-heart-disease-and-diabetes
- Why eye redness happens and how to treat it: http://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/how-to-get-rid-of-red-eyes#seeing-a-doctor5
- Permanent red lines in eyes: https://www.healthtap.com/topics/permanent-red-veins-in-eyes