Today is your important day- you have an important meeting in the office, you have your first date with your beloved, you have a photo shoot scheduled for today, you have your shopping planned for the day – but even such important commitments can’t motivate you to step out of your home. Courtesy: A Blood Shot Eye!
In order to prevent you from falling into such a situation, read the article to know how you can prevent a blood shot eye from occurring and in case it does occur how to cover it up.
Know the Problem:
Also commonly known as ‘red eye’, ‘pink eye’ or ‘allergy eyes’; blood shot eyes refer to a condition where the white of the eye appears red. The causes can generally be traced to our unhealthy life style or to environmental factors like pollen, dust, blowing wind, pollen and sun exposure whereas in medical terms the condition is explained as: caused when the tiny blood vessels of the eye become distended and packed with blood due to insufficient supply of oxygen to the cornea and the tissues that surround the eyes. A slight variation to this condition is called subconjuctival hemorrhage which is a bright red, bloody splotch formed on the white of the eye due to a small bleeding, usually noticed in the mornings. Although it might look ugly but it doesn’t hurt and disappears within a few days. The symptoms of blood shot eyes usually range from itching, dryness in the eye, stomach ache or bloating, twitching, inflammation, headache, neck pain, sneezing or swelling in the feet.
Take Preventive Measures:
If you want to avoid your eyes looking like a road map when you wake up in the morning, then keep the following preventive measures in mind:
Clean your Eyes:
Of course you maintain a good personal hygiene but why do you forget your eyes in the course of all this? Make sure that you properly wash your eyes by dipping clean cotton swab in a bowl of luke warm water and clean the eyelids properly to prevent any foreign material from creating trouble. You can do this activity once a week but for other hectic days of the week, it is recommended that you simply wash your face before sleeping to keep your eyes stay healthier for long.
Say No to Smoking:
If you are a chain smoker or a drug addict then you have to seriously think about stopping this habit, the sooner the better. Smoking a cigarette or a weed contains chemicals that irritate your eyes, with the latter having extremely harmful effects. Smoking a weed causes chemicals to enter your blood stream which dilates the capillaries especially those in your eyes, thereby increasing the flow of blood in them and making them appear blood shot for a couple of days.
Proper Diet:
It is recommended that you consume raw foods and veggies rich in vitamin C and E and eat a protein rich diet i.e. legumes and grains to prevent your eyes from turning red. Eat a diet rich in Vitamin A which helps the eyes to remain strong and healthy. Make sure to include fresh fruits like blueberries, cherries and blackberries (which are flavonoid rich) in your diet. Fatty acids present in fish, nuts and leafy veggies (kale, spinach and mustard greens) can also be extremely beneficial.
Avoid Alcohol:
Drinking alcohol actually leads to red blotchy skin and red eyes by dilating and inflaming the tiny blood vessels called sclera present on the eye surface. The result is that these vessels burst creating a blood shot eye. Moreover, heavy alcohol consumption deprives the body of those essential nutrients that it needs for healthy eyes, consequently leading to a disorder known as alcoholic optic neuritis which can lead to the loss of eye sight and a permanent damage to retina.
Make Water Your Friend for Life:
Water acts a natural lubricant for your eyes. Make sure that you make a life long habit of drinking water religiously if you are really serious in treating red eye disorders especially those relating to dry eyes.
Take a Proper Sleep:
Sleep is body’s natural mechanism to keep your eyes healthy and prevent them from turning red. Make sure that take a proper sleep of at least seven to eight hours a day and save yourself the trouble of appearing scary even to your own self with those red eyes of yours.
Take Your Eyes off the Monitor:
Whether you are a computer professional or a kid or a TV addict, it is highly recommended that you don’t sit there in front of the computer or a TV screen for long. Make sure that after every hour or forty five minutes you give your eyes rest as too much exposure to these gadgets can strain your eyes which in turn can result in red eyes.
Direct Sun Exposure:
The environment has a good role to play in the occurrence of a blood shot eye especially when it comes to direct exposure to sunlight. But don’t mistake it for a total abstinence from sunlight, rather it is recommended that for those sensitive eyes of yours make sure that you put on those sun glasses of yours and enjoy basking in the sunlight.
Covering It Up:
For those who already are suffering from blood shot eyes, there are recommendations that can ensure that if you have one, you can definitely get rid of it by following the following steps:
Cold Compressing:
If you are having a blood shot eye due to an infection or allergy thatl makes you itch, it is advisable that you wash your eyes with cold water in the mornings and evenings. In addition applying cold compressors on the affected eyes by wrapping ice cubes in a towel can do the needful.
Warm Compressing:
For eyes which aren’t itchy but are red due to fatigue, overexposure to computer or lack of a proper sleep, the remedy is to use warm compressors by dipping a towel in warm water and spreading it over your eyes for five to ten minutes. The results will be visible in a couple of days.
Rose Water Treatment:
Putting two to three drops of rose water in your eyes can act as a good lubricant for them. You can also make a mixture of rose water, aloe vera juice and milk in a container and soak cotton pads in it. Thereafter go to a dimly illuminated room and place these cotton pads over your eyes for ten to twenty minutes. This makes sure that your reddish eyes are again back to their normal color.
Use Goldenseal:
Goldenseal is a medicinal plant containing barberine which reduces blood shot effect as it constricts the blood vessels. It is recommended that you use the plant as a compressor with water or wash your eyes with it to get rid of those red eyes.
Tomato Therapy:
If you aren’t allergic to tomatoes then, follow the mantra- ‘two tomatoes a day keeps the blood shot way’. It is advisable that you make sure that you eat two ripe tomatoes early in the morning on an empty stomach. Tomato contains vitamin C and flavonoids that makes the blood vessels stronger.
Blood Shot Eyes usually don’t involve pain or much discomfort to your eyes but it definitely interferences with how the way you look. However if the pain persists or the blood shot doesn’t disappear after a one or two weeks, its better you consult an ophthalmologist for advice. So, avoid yourself from falling into this creepy situation and take preventive measures beforehand and know the cure well in advance and make your friends aware of it too.
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