As the name suggests bloodshot eyes makes your eyes blood colored. The blood vessels in the white portion of the eyes are enlarged and irritated causing the redness. Some common reasons for the redness of the eyes are due to coughing, eyestrain, dry air, over exposure to sun, dust, foreign body, an allergic reaction, infection, trauma, fatigue, alcohol consumption, lack of vitamin B2 and B6 and high blood pressure.
You can get bloodshot eyes by
Blepharitis - Caused by skin bacteria that leads to itching and turns your eyelid greasy and crusty.
Conjunctivitis - Also known as pink eye is caused by a virus, bacteria and allergy or skin irritation. It is very contagious if caused by an organism.
Corneal ulcers - It is caused by viral infection affecting the outer cover of the eye.
Uveitis - It causes inflammation of uvea, including iris, ciliary body and choroids. It is related to autoimmune disorder, infection or exposure to toxins.
Home Remedies for Bloodshot Eyes
Reduce the redness by splashing cold water over closed eyes. This soothes the eye and shrinks the blood vessels as in case of an allergic reaction.
You can apply cold compress to your eyes by using an ice pack wrapped in a towel.
Use warm compress for red eyes without any itching. This may be due to fatigue or tiredness
Put three drops of rose water in your eyes.
Soak cotton pad in a mixture of rose water, milk and Aloe Vera juice. Place these cotton pads over your closed eyes for 10-20 minutes in a dimly lit room. This will help in reducing the redness.
You can try the hot and cold compress on your eyes, alternately.
Stay away from allergy triggering agents which may lead to bloodshot eyes.
Goldenseal is a native medicinal plant that contains berberine which compresses blood vessels and helps in reducing the bloodshot effect. You can use it as a compress or wash to get rid of the pain.
To get relief from bloodshot eyes have two ripe tomatoes first thing in the morning on empty stomach. The vitamin C and flavonoids in the tomatoes makes the blood vessel walls stronger.
You can also use non-preservative artificial tears, this helps in soothing your eyes and clearing the redness.
Wear genuine preservative-free contact lenses. The ones with preservatives can cause redness and other related infections.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.