1
Determine the cause of your eye redness. See an eye specialist for a professional opinion on why your eyes are red and irritated. Be able to provide answers to the following questions to help him or her make an accurate diagnosis:
Is this a chronic problem or is this the first occurrence?
Do you have any symptoms other than red eyes?
How long has this particular occurrence been present?
What medications do you take? Include any vitamins or supplements.
Do you drink alcohol or use any drugs?
Do you have any chronic diseases?
What allergies do you suffer from?
Have you been under a lot of stress lately?
Have you been sleeping enough?
Are you eating less, or do you feel dehydrated?
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2
Reduce the amount of time you look at screens. Studies show that our blinking rate decreases 10-fold when we're staring at screens.[9] Blinking is important to eye health because it keeps our eyes moisturized. Staring at laptops, TV monitors, and other electronic screens can cause your eyes to dry out and redden. If you have to look at screens for extended periods of time, take these precautions[10]:
Consciously remind yourself to blink.
Follow the 20-20 rule: every twenty minutes, take a break from your screen and do something else for 20 seconds to a minute. Give your eyes a little breather.
Lower the brightness on your screen.
Place the screen 20-40 inches away from your eyes.[11]
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3
Adjust your electronic screens.[12] If you have a job for which you have to use a computer or watch TV, you may not be able to reduce your screen time. You can still make small adjustments to lessen the burden on your eyes.
Place the screen somewhere it is level with your eyes. You don't want to be looking up or down at the screen.
Leave a distance of about 20-40 inches (50-100 cm) between your eyes and the screen.
Wear eyewear design to fight eye strain from the glare of light off the screen. If you wear prescription lenses or glasses, ask your eye care expert if the time you spend looking at screens calls for a new prescription. Consider a tint or anti-glare coating to reduce the strain on your eyes.
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4
Avoid smoking.[13] Irritants like smoke bother your eyes and cause unnecessary redness. Smoking also increases your risk for a variety of eye diseases, including cataracts, macular degeneration, uveitis, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye syndrome. Smoking while pregnant can even cause infant eye disease in an unborn child.
If you're unwilling or unable to quit smoking, make sure to smoke outside to keep your house smoke free. You can also purchase air cleaners to keep your home smoke-free if you smoke indoors.[14]
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5
Limit your alcohol intake. Drinking too much alcohol dehydrates the body.[15] You lose nutrients important for tear production through increased urination. The combination of dehydration and nutrient loss causes dryness and redness in the eyes.
Use a drink calculator to figure out if you're drinking more alcohol than you should.[16]
When drinking alcohol, drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.[17] You need enough water in your body to keep your eyes moisturized.
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6
Eat a balanced diet.[18] The food you eat can impact your eye health, along with the other organs in your body. Eat a balanced diet rich with omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, flaxseed, nuts, etc.) to ensure healthy eyes and prevent inflammation.
Vitamins C, E, and zinc prevent eye problems that arise with age. You can find these vitamins in bell peppers, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, oranges, cantaloupe, cabbage, tomatoes, raspberries, celery, and spinach.[19]
Vitamins B2 and B6 reduce age-related eye diseases and help prevent cataracts. Eat foods like eggs, fresh vegetables, whole cereals, dairy products, sunflower seeds, and meats like tuna, liver, and turkey.
Lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eyes from harmful lights. To boost these nutrients in your diet, eat plenty of green peas, green beans, orange bell peppers, corn, tangerines, oranges, mangos, eggs, and dark, green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, broccoli, and spinach.
Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water each day.
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7
Get plenty of sleep. Though this is a common cause of eye redness, it's often ignored. Sleep replenishes your entire body, including your eyes. You should sleep 7 to 8 hours every night.[20] Getting too little sleep can leave eyes dry and irritated, and also result in problems like eye twitching and bags under the eyes.
Another benefit of sleep is that it allows time for white blood cells to fight harmful pathogens.[21]
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8
Manage your allergies. Allergies are a common cause of dry, red, irritated eyes. Seasonal allergies usually kick in at the beginning of spring, when pollen counts are high. The irritation comes from the body releasing histamines to fight off the allergy. The side effect of histamines is dry, itchy eyes. Buy over-the-counter antihistamines to treat your allergies, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
You may also be allergic to pet dander. If you notice dry, itchy, or swollen eyes when you're around certain pets, avoid those animals. You can also see a doctor for injections to fight your dander allergy.
