What’s Your Body Trying to Tell You?

Bloodshot Eyes

Most Likely Causes

A sleepless night or too much time in front of the computer can leave you with enlarged, dilated blood vessels in the conjunctivas, a.k.a. the whites of the eyes. Allergies or exposure to an irritant like smoke can also cause redness.

Less Likely Causes

You could have an inflammation inside your eyes or on the eyelids that is caused by an injury, an infection, or an irritant. Persistently red eyes can indicate a systemic problem, such as an autoimmune disease.

What to do: 

• While working at the computer, take frequent breaks. Close your eyes for one minute to rewet them and reduce the evaporation of tears before resuming work.
• Use artificial tears to lubricate your eyes and flush out irritants.
• Beware of redness-reducing drops. Their relief is usually only temporary, and if overused, they can lead to worsened redness.