How to Cope With Red Eyes

Red eyes can be a symptom of many different conditions including allergic conjunctivitis, hay fever, uveitis, dry eye, blepharitis, injury, infection, contact lenses and more; but for many of us it is just a sign of good old tiredness. However, while it is normally nothing to alarm ourselves over, it can still be embarrassing and unattractive. They might also be itchy or watery and this can be unpleasant too. For these scenarios, here is how to deal with red eyes and what to avoid doing.

Do not rub: Rubbing your eyes might be tempting if they are itchy or sore, but it will only worsen matters and may even cause some damage.
Avoid allergens: Allergens are anything that trigger allergies. In the case of red eyes this is very likely to include such things as pollen. While you cannot always avoid pollen there are some precautions you can take such as shutting the windows while you are indoors and getting air conditioning to help remove the allergens from the air. Another common allergy is to animal fur.
Use eye drops: If your eyes are too dry then you can use drops called 'demulcent drops' which will help to combat dry eyes. However you should be careful and limit your use of these drops as excessive use of use if the drops can actually worsen the problem.
See an optician or health specialist: In order to make sure you are getting the correct medication that will help to lessen the condition rather than worsen it, you should see a doctor or optician who can help you to treat the condition correctly. A doctor may recommend antibiotics or another medication if your red eyes are a result of infection or disease.
Blink: Blinking washes our eyes out and eye dryness can be caused by a failure to do this regularly – particularly if we are concentrating on something such as television or a computer game. Try to make a conscious effort to blink often and fully to ensure your eyes stay 'wet'.
Hydrate: However if you are dehydrated then you may not produce as many tears as you should and this can mean that blinking is not sufficient to moisten the eyes. As such if you are in a dry environment you should make sure to drink lots to ensure you continue to produce tears and other fluids to prevent dry eyes.
Sleep: As mentioned, for the majority of us red eyes are simply a sign of tiredness. To combat the symptoms then you should just be sure to get lots of sleep. Hopefully you will find you wake up bright eyed.