How to Relieve Red Eyes

Give Your Eyes a Break. Resting your eyes is one of the best remedies for red eyes caused by issues like corneal abrasions, lack of sleep, eye strain from long periods of screen time, excessive sun exposure, or long trips. Make sure to sleep more, reduce screen time, and avoid reading or using your phone for extended periods. Instead, consider listening to the radio or audiobooks. If it's not possible to rest your eyes the entire day, try to take short breaks.

• If you're reading or working on a computer, stop every 15 minutes and look at something far away for 30 seconds. Changing your focus helps relax your eye muscles.
• Every two hours, take a 15-minute break from screens to give your eyes some relief. You can walk around, exercise, have a snack, or make a short phone call to avoid looking at a screen.

Use Eye Drops or Artificial Tears. If you experience occasional red eyes, you can relieve the discomfort by using eye drops (sometimes called artificial tears). These drops are available at most pharmacies and are reasonably priced. They help lubricate and cleanse the eyes, reducing redness and irritation. There are four types of eye drops:

• With preservatives – Preservatives like benzalkonium chloride, oliexetonium, polyhexamethylene biguanide, polyquad, purite, and sodium perborate (GenAqua) prevent bacterial growth but may also cause eye irritation. If your eyes are sensitive or you need to use eye drops for a long period, it's best to avoid drops with preservatives.
• Preservative-free – Brands like Systane, GenTeal, Refresh, Thera Tears, and Bausch & Lomb offer preservative-free eye drops.
• For contact lens wearers – If you wear contact lenses, look for eye drops specifically designed for lens users.
• Whitening eye drops – Avoid using whitening eye drops like Visine, Clear Eyes, and All Clear, as over time, they may worsen eye redness.

Consider Using Eye Gel for Severely Dry Eyes. Eye gels and ointments are thicker and last longer than regular eye drops but may cause temporary blurred vision. Therefore, it's best to use gels and ointments before bed to prevent dryness overnight.

• Use a warm compress or a mild soap to cleanse the eyelids before applying the gel or ointment. This helps prevent blockages in the glands and ducts.
• Avoid using gels or ointments if you have been diagnosed with Meibomian gland dysfunction.

Take Allergy Medication. Seasonal allergies, pet allergies, and environmental allergies can all lead to red eyes. Allergies often cause itching and watery eyes, especially in the morning. This is because: first, sleeping in an environment with allergens exposes you to them for an extended period; and second, seasonal allergies tend to be worse in the morning when pollen levels are highest. To manage allergies:

• Take antihistamines like Cetirizine (Zyrtec), Desloratadine (Clarinex), Fexofenadine (Allegra), Levocetirizine (Xyzal), or Loratadine (Claritin).
• Use antihistamine or anti-inflammatory eye drops, such as Azelastine (Optivar), Emedastine (Emadine), Ketotifen (Alaway, Zaditor), or Olopatadine (Pataday, Patanol).
• Keep windows closed during allergy season to reduce exposure to allergens.
• Avoid letting pets into the bedroom, especially on the bed.
• Use an air purifier in your home to reduce allergens.

Rinse Your Eyes. Rinsing your eyes can help flush out irritants causing redness and also provides moisture and relief. You can rinse your eyes with warm water by allowing a gentle stream of warm water to run over them, using an eye cup, or standing under a warm shower (but never spray directly into your eyes). For added effectiveness, you can make a special eye wash:

• Boil a cup of distilled water.
• Add a tablespoon of Eyebright herb, chamomile, or crushed fennel seeds.
• Turn off the heat, cover, and let the herbs steep for 30 minutes.
• Filter the solution through a coffee filter into a sterilized container.
• You can store this eye wash in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Apply a Warm Compress to Your Eyelids. Blepharitis can hinder the circulation of natural oils to your eyes. A warm compress helps release oil from the glands. Start by soaking a clean, dry cloth under warm running water and wringing out the excess. Then fold the cloth in half and place it over your closed eyes. Relax for 5-10 minutes while applying the compress to soothe your eyes.

Place a cool, damp tea bag over your eyes. Both green tea and chamomile tea contain compounds that help soothe irritation, reduce inflammation, and unblock oil ducts. You can soak two tea bags, then chill them in the fridge or freezer until they're cold. Afterward, apply the chilled tea bags over your closed eyes for about five minutes.

Ensure there's no foreign object in your eyes. Even the tiniest speck of dust can cause irritation if it collects in the eye. If you feel itching, avoid rubbing your eyes, as this can scratch the cornea. Instead, it's best to rinse your eyes. You can use eye drops or saline solution and blink rapidly. To improve effectiveness, you should wash your eyes by:

• Using clean hands to gently pull your eyelids open under a stream of warm, soft water.
• While showering, let the water flow across your forehead, opening your eyes as it runs over them. Alternatively, you can rinse your eyes with an eye wash cup or eye wash solution.
• If there's a foreign object in your eye, you might find it difficult to open and close your eyelids properly.

Get 8 hours of sleep every night. Lack of sleep is a common cause of red eyes. If you're feeling tired and dizzy throughout the day, your red eyes could be a result of sleep deprivation. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night, though some may need slightly more or less.

• In addition to insufficient sleep, your eyes may turn red in the morning if your eyelids don't fully close during sleep.

Avoid excessive screen time on your computer and TV. Even if you're getting enough sleep, your eyes may become fatigued from staring at the screen for too long. This happens because we blink less often while looking at screens, and our eyes are fixed at a single distance for extended periods, leading to eye strain. To prevent this, take a 15-minute break every two hours and a 30-second break every 15 minutes.

• For a longer break, consider taking a short walk and looking at your surroundings or closing your eyes for 15 minutes to help your eyes catch up with your busy schedule.
• For a shorter break, look away from the screen and avoid it for 30 seconds. Focus on objects within your field of view, like trees outside the window or a picture on the wall.

Wear sunglasses. Studies show that excessive exposure to sunlight and wind can cause red eyes. Wearing sunglasses outdoors can protect your eyes from both wind and UV rays that irritate your eyes. You should opt for wraparound sunglasses that provide protection against 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays.

• Wearing sunglasses is a crucial step for maintaining long-term eye health. Excessive sun exposure can lead to issues like macular degeneration and cataracts in older adults.

Limit contact lens use and handle them properly. Contact lenses can cause red eyes due to infection, lack of oxygen to the eyes, or irritation from prolonged contact.

• Before inserting your contact lenses, it's advisable to apply a few drops of saline solution or lubricating eye drops and blink a few times. This helps cleanse the eye surface and prevents irritants from being trapped under the lenses.
• Dirty, broken, or deformed lenses can cause eye irritation and infections. Therefore, it's essential to follow the cleaning instructions from your eye care provider. Never reuse single-use lenses.
• Do not wear contact lenses while sleeping.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses while swimming or showering.

Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke exposure. Smoke is a common cause of red eyes. If you smoke, try to quit and stay away from others who are smoking. Aside from helping reduce red eyes, quitting smoking has many other health benefits.

Avoid overusing whitening eye drops. Moisturizing eye drops are an effective way to relieve red eyes, but drops designed to whiten eyes can worsen the issue. Whitening eye drops contain vasoconstrictors that narrow blood vessels under the eyes. Overuse of these drops can cause the body to become resistant to the medication, leading to even redder eyes when the chemical effect wears off. Common whitening eye drops include Clear Eyes, Visine, and All Clear. Avoid the following chemicals:

• Ephedrine hydrochloride
• Naphazoline hydrochloride
• Phenylephrine hydrochloride
• Tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride

Seek immediate medical attention for severe symptoms. Red eyes accompanied by other serious symptoms could signal a serious issue like a stroke or neurological disorder. You should go to the emergency room or call emergency services (115) if:

• Your red eye is caused by trauma.
• You experience a headache along with blurred vision and confusion.
• You see halos around light sources.
• You feel nauseous and/or vomit.

See a doctor if your red eye persists for more than 2 days. If the methods above don't relieve the redness, or if you are taking blood-thinning medications, or the red eye is associated with pain, vision changes, or discharge, you should consult a doctor immediately. Common conditions that can cause red eyes include:

• Conjunctivitis (pink eye) - An infection of the transparent membrane that covers the eye. It is treated with antibiotics and/or topical antihistamines.
• Chronic dry eye - A condition where the eye does not produce enough tears for lubrication. Chronic dry eye can be managed with plug procedures (inserting small plugs into the tear ducts to retain moisture), eye drops, and medications.
• Diabetic retinopathy - High blood sugar from diabetes can damage the small blood vessels in the eyes, causing redness. If you have diabetes, regular eye exams are recommended. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to vision loss.
• Vasculitis - An inflammation where the body's immune system attacks blood vessels. Vasculitis is treated with steroids and other medications to reduce inflammation.
• Glaucoma - Increased pressure in the eye can lead to blindness. Glaucoma can be treated with eye drops that reduce eye pressure.
• Keratitis - An inflammation of the cornea, often caused by extended contact lens wear or minor trauma. It may be accompanied by infection.

Consult an ophthalmologist if redness persists. Prolonged red eyes that do not respond to medical treatments (such as incorrect prescription medications) can often cause eye strain, which may require the use of bifocals.

• Overly strong prescription medications force the eye muscles to work continuously to focus on objects, resulting in eye strain and redness. A slightly weaker prescription is better than one that is too strong.
• If you need to look closely at a computer screen to see clearly, bifocals may help you see objects at multiple focal points.