Red Painful Eye
What Should You Do for a Red Painful Eye?
The next best thing would be to see your family doctor or go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic. Unfortunately, many people just start putting in OTC drops and then hope the problem goes away.
The most common cause of a red eye is a viral conjunctivitis which is caused by the same virus that causes the common cold. This is what people call "pink eye" and it can last anywhere from 1 or 2 days to 6 weeks. The severity of the infection can vary greatly from patient to patient. Bacterial infections can cause an acute red eye as well and both of these are contagious. If you have a red eye and cannot be seen immediately by a doctor, you may be at risk of serious eye damage if you are unfortunate.
There are so many more serious but less common causes of red eye that it is very foolish not to get proper medical attention if your problem does not clear up within 12 to 24 hours.
The problem becomes even more serious if you are a contact lens wearer or have been working without eye protection. A corneal ulcer will produce the same acute painful red eye and ignoring that possibility
even for 24 hours can lead to permanent loss of vision. If you wear contacts then take them out and do not wear them until you are examined by an ophthalmologist or eye specialist.
Contact lens wearers very often do not have a backup pair of glasses and continue to wear their contacts in spite of their red eye.
If you ask people what they fear most and you give blindness as a choice, they will say they fear going blind. However these same people will put themselves at risk time after time by not receiving prompt treatment for their acute painful red eye.
If you wake up with a painful red eye, seek medical care as soon as possible or risk potential serious consequences.
Edgar M Dapremont Jr. MD , FAAO, FACS
www.dapremont.com
www.dailyrecipedoctor.com
Published by S. A. Knight
Born and raised in New Orleans, Dr. Dapremont has practiced Ophthalmology on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1982. Dr. Dapremont completed his residency in Ophthalmology at Walter Reed Army Medical Cente... View profile
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- The most common cause of a red eye is a viral conjunctivitis
- The severity of the infection can vary greatly from patient to patien
- There are so many more serious but less common causes of red eye