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How can I get Rid of Bloodshot Eyes?
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
There are an assortment of things which can be used to treat bloodshot eyes. As with any medical condition, if it persists or grows worse, you should see a medical professional, as they can indicate a troublesome underlying medical condition. Since a bloodshot appearance is often caused by allergies, a doctor may also be able to prescribe specific medications to treat the allergies, which may eliminate other symptoms like a runny nose, wheezing, and blotchy skin.
When your eyes become bloodshot, it is an indicator that they are irritated. This irritation could be caused by dryness, environmental factors like smoke, or an allergic reaction to something you have eaten or been exposed to. Exhaustion and stress can also cause bloodshot eyes, as can dramatic weather or elevation changes in your environment. One way to get rid of red eyes is to take note of things which cause them, and to avoid these things.
To ease dryness, use artificial tears, which are available at many drugstores. Try to avoid medicated eye drops which claim to ease bloodshot eyes, as these products can be very drying. Although these drops will eliminate the signs of the problem, your eyes will still be irritated and inflamed. You can also treat the dryness with moist compresses; cool compresses often feel very good on bloodshot eyes, and warm compresses can help to flush out bacteria in your eyes.
If you can tolerate it, rinse the eyes with a gentle flow of warm to cool water. Mildly saline eye washes like those sold with contact lenses can also help with bloodshot eyes. The rinsing can remove irritants which may be bothering your eye, and it can also bring moisturizing relief. After a rinse, pat your closed eyes dry gently with a clean cloth, and use artificial tears to keep your eyes moist.
There are also lifestyle changes which can help to relieve bloodshot eyes. Getting plentiful sleep can help, as can smoking cessation and avoidance of smoky areas or areas with airborne particulates like sawdust, steel dust, and so forth. Upping your water intake can help, as can taking vitamin A and E supplements. Essential fatty acids also appear to be beneficial for dry eyes, especially if you consume vitamin B6 with them to help your body absorb them. These acids can be found in fish, seeds, some nuts, and leafy vegetables.
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
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![Rinses with a mild saline content can be used to flush a bloodshot eye of irritants.]()
By: alco81Rinses with a mild saline content can be used to flush a bloodshot eye of irritants. -
![Bloodshot eyes can be caused by environmental factors.]()
By: Ðиколай ÐÑигоÑÑевBloodshot eyes can be caused by environmental factors. -
![Quitting smoking is a lifestyle change that can help with bloodshot eyes.]()
By: Minerva StudioQuitting smoking is a lifestyle change that can help with bloodshot eyes. -
![Relieving exhaustion might help get rid of bloodshot eyes.]()
By: lassedesignenRelieving exhaustion might help get rid of bloodshot eyes. -
![A warm compress can help to flush out bacteria in your eyes.]()
By: fotomatrixA warm compress can help to flush out bacteria in your eyes. -
![Second hand smoke can cause bloodshot eyes.]()
By: eldadcarinSecond hand smoke can cause bloodshot eyes.
Discussion Comments
@anon272340: You might want to visit your eye doctor. Since your eyes are burning, it may be that you have a mild eye infection. The doctor can prescribe drops with both an antibiotic and a steroid, which will help the swelling.
I wore my contacts to sleep one night and now I have bloodshot eyes. I do have eye drops and I did take some allergy medicine but nothing seems to have worked. Is there anything else I can do to bring down the redness? My eyes are also puffy, watery and they burn a bit. Please help!
I am 21 and I've been having blood shot eyes for some years now. I need glasses, I'm at a computer for around eight hours and I'm at a decent weight. I don't know what the remedy is for this. I'm tired of having to apply eye drops every single time. Is there another remedy for this? I don't want to go to my eye doctor and for him to just recommend eye drops again.
My son is known to have allergies, but his eyes get really red or blood shot red and it hurts, sometimes a bit swollen. What can we use or get to help him.
Well, i guess same as the others. I'm 13 and woke up this morning with a super red eye. i know what it's from but i have no idea how to get rid of it today. Help?
i have bloodshot eyes. I've had them since i was 13 and I'm 35 now. I have been seeing a doctor and he's given me different eye drops but none have worked. they've taken blood tests but nothing works. what should i do?
I'm 13 and i woke up this morning and my eye was just so red. then it started getting itchy. i tried not rubbing them but i just could not, and now my eye is all swollen and really red. What should i do? Help, please. --shania
I've had bloodshot eyes for as long as I can remember but have only just gotten round to considering doing something about them. They're usually quite dry and irritated so thank you for the suggestions in this article- will have to try a few out.
well i have been having bloodshot eyes for a long time like eight months or more. my eyes are itchy and sometimes it feels like tears are coming out of my eyes for no reason. i get tired at night earlier than my brothers like an hour to an hour and a half earlier. What kind of eye drop should i use and how should i treat it after i use my eyedrops? if i can't buy eyedrops how should i treat it without eye drop or any medical ways?
please help me. i'm 11 and i have a red eye i don't know what to do.
If you are in need of getting rid of bloodshot eyes in a hurry, it’s probably best to use saline water drops, like Visine.
I was in a hurry for a Monday interview and my 7-week-old baby allowed me only 3 hours of sleep the night before. The make-up covered up the dark circles under my eyes a little bit, but my eyes were red as ever. I didn’t want them to get a bad impression of me, so I used Visine. It didn’t go all away, but good enough and pretty quick.
Of course, the best thing to do is to prevent getting bloodshot eyes in the first place. I got them recently from swimming too long in a chlorinated pool, without goggles. Next time, I'll be sure to use goggles. But when I did get them, the way I got rid of them is by sleeping it off. By the next day, the problem was solved.
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