Red Eyes is the most common symptom of the eye which attracts attention of everybody. Usually the redness of eyes is most often mistaken for conjunctivitis. Infact conjunctivitis is one of the many causes for red eyes, the others being glaucoma, iridocyclitis, corneal ulcer, scleritis, episcleritis etc. to name a few.
Most of the time conjunctivitis being viral in origin, there will be recovery even without treatment, whereas diseases like glaucoma, corneal ulcer etc., need urgent treatment. Otherwise they will cause permanent irreversible damage to the structure as well as the functions of the eye.
Some people use eye drops indiscriminately. First of all self medication is dangerous. That too to use the medication prescribed for some other disease is still dangerous.For example to treat an acute glaucoma, one has to use a drug called pilocarpine. If it is given in a case of iridocyclitis it will be disastrous. Similarly, atropine which should be given in a case of iridocyclitis and corneal ulcer, if given in a case of glaucoma, it could cause permanent damage. So cross medication and self medication has got a deleterious effect especially in the treatment of the red eyes.
The common bacterial conjunctivitis is treated with suitable antibiotics and frequent washing of eyes whereas corneal ulcer is treated with antibiotics, atropine and a pad to patch the eye (to give rest to the eye ). The acute glaucoma in which there is sudden loss of vision with pain, redness, headache and vomiting is treated is treated with pilocarpine drops, systemic acetazolamide or injection mannitol. The iridocyclitis in which there is gradual loss of vision with pain and redness is treated with atropine, antibiotics with local steroids as well as systemic steroids.
Most of the time the duration between the onset of the disease and initiation of the correct treatment has got an important role on the final result after the treatment in case of red eyes. So if this time is delayed, whatever be the reason, one is bound to lose some amount of vision which he would have saved had he gone to the doctor at the earliest.
–Dr.H.S.Mohan
