Red eye

Resident Survival Guide

Red eye Microchapters
Patient Information
Overview
Classification
Causes
Differentiating Red eye from other Diseases
Treatment

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

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Synonyms and keywords: Bloodshot eye

Overview

Red eye is one of the most common complaints managed by primary care physicians though in some cases it heralds a serious and life-threatening condition needing urgent referral to ophthalmologist. The etiology of red eye can be infectious, traumatic, inflammatory, allergic, autoimmune and rarely secondary to tumors. Red eye stems from pathologies of eye lid, conjunctiva, cornea, sclera and uvea. Doctors must always document the history and findings of an eye examination (including negative findings). Pain, photophobia, visual acuity, and whether the condition is unilateral or bilateral, are the essential elements to be documented. The clinician should refer the patient for same-day specialist assessment by an ophthalmologist if any red flag features are present.

Classification

There is no established system for the classification of red eye.

Causes

• The cause of red eye is diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination and patient's history. The most common cause of red eye is conjunctivitis. Other common causes include blepharitis, corneal abrasion, foreign body, subconjunctival hemorrhage, keratitis, iritis, glaucoma, chemical burn, and scleritis.
• Conjunctivitis, episcleritis and subconjunctival haemorrhage make up about 70% of the primary care red eye consultations.

Sight-threatening causes

The most common causes of sight-threatening causes of red eye include

• keratitis
• scleritis
• acute glaucoma
• orbital cellulitis
• foreign body trauma
• chemical burns

Treatment

For more information on treatment click here.

Related Chapters

• List of eye diseases and disorders