Q&A: Bloodshot Eyes and Bright Screens

Seeing Red

Question: My eyes seem to be permanently bloodshot. I do not wear spectacles or contact lenses, and get about five to six hours sleep on most days. My eyes don’t feel dry or itchy; they just look ‘scary’. Apart from eye drops which a pharmacist suggested, what can I do to reduce the redness?

Answer: There are a myriad of conditions that have red eyes as a symptom — broadly divided into infective, inflammatory, vascular and ocular surface disorders. In your case, the duration of redness seems to be prolonged, hence it is less likely to be infective in nature. Infection tends to occur alongside other symptoms of pain, itching or discharge.

Inflammation of the ocular surface such as episcleritis or scleritis (inflammation of the white outer layer of the eye) usually results in a more localised area of redness and is often accompanied by some pain or discomfort. Inflammation within the eye (uveitis) is another possible cause. More commonly, blepharoconjunctivitis (inflammation of the eyelids and ocular surface) can result in asymptomatic chronic eye redness.

Thyroid eye disease can also cause chronic red eyes. On rare instances, vascular conditions such as caraticocavernous fistula (abnormal communication between the arterial and venous system in the brain) can result in dilated squiggly vessels in both eyes. It’s best that you consult an eye specialist to determine the cause.

Getting an Eyeful

Question: My husband bought a virtual reality headset that uses a mobile phone as the display screen. Both he and my son wear it regularly to play games. Will having a bright mobile screen so close to the eyes — sometimes for over an hour — affect the eyesight?

Answer: This is a real issue in this current age of technology where we constantly engage with our mobile gadgets. Studies have shown that near work activities predisposes myopia development in children. Near work activities include reading and most definitely, computer games. Children of parents with myopia are also more likely to develop myopia.

My general advice is to limit the time spent on near work activities as much as possible and to engage in more outdoor activities.

Fortunately, the degree of myopia does not increase in adulthood. However, prolonged near work activities often result in dry eyes. Common manifestations of dry eyes include redness of the eyes, a stinging/burning sensation, tearing, and blurring / distortion of vision. Using lubricating eye drops when engaging in near work will help to relieve dry eyes.