Ask the Dry Eye Doctor

Our eyes are one of the first things people look at when they first meet. Having red tired looking eyes is both unattractive and sends the wrong message to those around us. This problem has grown so huge that pharmacy shelves are filled with products to treat red irritated eyes. Major brands like Visine and Clear eyes are regularly advertised on national television and have even become part of our culture.

The irony is that most of these over-the-counter medications not only won’t help solve the problem, but can actually worsen red irritated eyes. This is because the vasoconstrictors contained in many of these drops can cause rebound redness which can make your eyes look even worse than before soon after you use the drop.  Some patients even get addicted to these drops, forced to use them more and more frequently to keep redness at bay. It can quickly become a vicious and costly cycle.

Recently introduced by Bausch + Lomb, Lumify is a major breakthrough in managing red eyes.  The effect of this new product can be shocking with a signficant reduction in redness within a minute or two.

Based on a glaucoma drug that has been safely in use for over a decade without issue, Lumify is both safe and effective and usually requires only once or twice daily dosing.  While it is important to understand that as effective as this product can be, it does not addrerss the underlying cause of redness which must me identified and managed properly. 

Redness is a sign of inflammation – the body’s primary defense against a variety of challenges, including infection, allergy, irritation or trauma. Redness reflects increased blood flow to the area caused by dilated blood vessels, which carry white cells that can counter infection and help with healing.

Other than the cornea, which is the clear window that light passes through to enter the eye; a clear transparent tissue called the conjunctiva covers the rest of the eye’s front surface. Rich in blood vessels, the conjunctiva overlies the clear white sclera of the eye, which makes conjunctival redness look even worse than it actually is.

 Finding an effective and permanent cure for chronic red eyes requires first identifying the cause. For many patients redness can be caused or worsened by dry eye or meibomian gland dysfunction. Arid sunny environments found in Arizona can contribute to dryness and add potential surface damage from increased exposure to UV. Other causes range from local irritation to systemic disorders. To fully understand what is causing your redness problem, a thorough eye examination is usually necessary.

More aggressive approaches like surgical eye whitening procedures advertised and promoted by some centers are fraught with peril – sometimes leading to horrible cosmetic complications and even sight threatening eye damage like the image of the eye on the right.

Because red eyes are often a chronic problem, treating the condition and restoring healthy white looking eyes can take weeks or even months of ongoing treatment. However, the results can be remarkable. If you suffer from chronic red irritated and tired looking eyes, we can likely help.