What should you know about really bloodshot eyes?

Bloodshot eyes occur when small surface blood vessels widen or break. Irritation, dryness, allergy, and Conjunctivitis can all cause redness, with symptoms such as itching, watering, crusting, or discharge. Allergic Conjunctivitis often affects both eyes and causes prominent itching, while an infection may spread between people. A sharply defined red patch without pain can be a small surface bleed, but an examination is needed when the pattern is unusual.

Wash your hands, avoid rubbing the eyes, and pause contact lenses until the eye is comfortable and a clinician says they are suitable again. A cool clean compress may ease itching; a warm compress can soften crusting. Do not share towels or use someone else's eye drops. Avoid drops marketed simply to hide redness if symptoms are severe, and arrange assessment if redness persists or discharge is heavy.

Seek urgent eye care for reduced vision, severe pain, strong light sensitivity, injury, a chemical splash, unequal pupils, nausea with eye pain, or redness around a contact-lens eye. Rinse a chemical-exposed eye with clean running water while arranging emergency help. Sudden severe symptoms should not be attributed to conjunctivitis without assessment.

Ask whether the redness fits allergy, infection, dryness, or another eye problem, whether you should stop lenses, and which drops are safe. Mention one-eye or two-eye involvement, discharge, pain, vision change, injury, and recent exposure to irritants.