Why are my eyes red?

Sorry, but I can’t answer letters personally

Symptoms:

» One of your eyes became red followed by the other, they feel gritty and pus is making your lashes stick together.

» Your eyelids are swollen, itchy, scaly and red, you have flakes or crusts around the roots of your eyelashes.

» You had a sudden attack of blurred vision with coloured circles around bright lights and pain in your eye.

It could be:

» Conjunctivitis (pink

eye), inflammation of the conjunctiva, the outer layer of the eyeball, usually due to infection.

Blepharitis, inflammation of the eyelids, your eyes feel sore and gritty, your eyelids are stuck together when you wake.

» Glaucoma (red eye) caused by high pressure inside your eyeball. Diabetes is a risk factor where loss of peripheral vision is usually the first sign.

Stop it:

» Wipe each eye with a fresh cotton pad dipped in cool boiled water to clean off pus. Hold a cold flannel on your eyes to cool them down. Ask your pharmacist for advice and possibly for antibiotic eye drops.

» Place a cotton pad soaked in warm water on your closed eyelid for 5-10 minutes then gently massage your eyelids for around 30 seconds, then clean them. Don’t wear contact lenses, don’t use any eye make-up, especially eyeliner and mascara, while you have symptoms.

» Glaucoma is an emergency because the high pressure can damage the optic nerve and permanently affect your sight. Go to the nearest hospital, preferably an eye specialist, for treatment as soon as possible.