Eye Health
Red and painful eyes
Eyes can become red and painful for a number of reasons - including some that require immediate treatment - so always take a red, painful eye seriously, especially if the vision is affected.
Chemical burns, especially from caustics, can destroy an eye very quickly. Immediate copious flushing of the eye with saline or tap water for at least 15 minutes should be done even while waiting for emergency care.
Some Red Eye Causes
- Trauma - sharp or blunt, leaving foreign bodies, scratches, cuts, bruises, bleeds and internal eye effects
- Radiation - welding flash, sun exposure
- Chemical burns
- Acute glaucoma - raised fluid pressure in the eye. Most people with glaucoma have the slow, symptomless kind, but if the eye pressure rises suddenly, the eye will be red and sore.
- Complications from contact lens wear
- Infections
- Inflammation
- Allergy
- Growths on the eye
- "Dry" eyes - poor tear quality
Sorting out the cause, and therefore the treatment, for a sore, red eye requires careful examination.
Never delay getting a red eye seen to.
Further information
British Medical Journal summary of red eye
Eye Health Facts
Why are some people more sensitive to glare?
Some people don't seem to be bothered by the brightness of sunlight, while others almost can't go outside without having sunwear on.
The cause of the feeling we call glare is scattered light inside the eye. When light from an object gets scattered, it lands on a bigger area at the back of the eye than it ought to - giving that over-bright feeling. Sudden, painful glare sensitivity can sometimes be due to serious eye problems - such as acute glaucoma, or inflammation inside the eye - and so should be checked out straight away. People with cataracts often notice their eyes becoming more sensitive to glare over time, but more serious conditions aside, why the differences in glare sensitivity amongst people who otherwise have healthy eyes?
A number of factors can contribute to greater glare sensitivity
- Pale coloured irises
- Large sized pupils
- Dry eyes/ poor quality tears
- Floaters
- Small amounts of haze in the lens of the eye
- Deposits on contact lenses
- Dirty glasses
- Hormonal changes
- Some medications and medical conditions