How to Get Rid of Red (Bloodshot) Eyes: Home Remedies

Sometimes when you wake up in the morning after a sleep, you find your eyes red and they stick together, making it difficult to open. Red eye is caused when the blood vessels in the eye get swollen. The blood vessels in the white part of our eyes get enlarged and irritated. This leads to red eyes. It gets back to normal with time. But if you neglect it, it may lead to serious problems. It can even cause blindness.

There are various reasons for your eyes to get red. Allergy, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, lack of sleep, fever, alcohol, smoking and infections are some of the reasons.

Best Home Remedies for Red Eyes:

Castor oil:

Castor oil is excellent for your eyes and is found in most of the eye drops you get from the market. Wash a dropper well with soap and water and then put one drop of castor oil in each eye with the help of this dropper. Repeat it 4 times a day and this helps in soothing g your eyes and getting rid of redness in the eyes.

Cucumber:

Cucumber is great for treating red eyes as well as puffy eyes. Cut slices of cucumber and place one slice each over your eyelids. This helps in reducing redness. It works like cold compress and causes the blood vessels to constrict. This in turn reduces redness. Cucumber can also reduce inflammation, swelling and irritation of the eyes because of its anti-irritant properties.

Cold compress:

Red eyes are accompanied by swelling also in many cases. You can apply ice pack or cold compress to reduce swelling. This constricts the blood vessels and reduces redness. Cold compress also helps in reducing the fluid retention around the eyes.

Chamomile:

Take one teaspoon of dried chamomile flower and mix it with a cup of boiled water. Let it steep for a few minutes and then let it cool down. Strain it and use it as an eye wash.

Drink more water:

When your body is not well hydrated, water may get drained out from your eyes and this causes redness and swelling. Make sure that you drink enough water to keep your eyes well moisturized.

Diet:

Diet plays an important role in the health of your eyes.  Have a diet that includes omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamins A, B, C and E, zinc, iron and zeaxanthin. Deficiency of Vitamin B complex can cause diseases of the eye and redness. Vitamin A is essential for improving vision. Foods containing carotenoids and lutein can help in preventing red eyes.

Eye drops:

Eye drops are very beneficial for treating swollen, irritated and red eyes. Eye drops contain histamine, which can get you relief from swelling and itching. Use eye drops 4 times day to teat red eyes.

Goldenseal:

Goldenseal herb is very beneficial for getting rid of red eyes. Take 2 teaspoon of powdered goldenseal herb and mix it with one cup of boiled water. Use this as a warm compress to treat red eyes. You can also use this infusion as an eye drop. Put two drops of this infusion in your eyes two to three times a day. This can remove redness and other symptoms connected with it.

Milk and honey:

Milk and honey are known for their antibacterial and smoothing properties. So, they are very effective for treating red eyes. Take equal quantities of milk and honey and mix well. Put three drops of this mixture in your eyes several times a day with the help of a dropper. Milk is good for treating itchy and red eyes. Dip a cotton ball in milk and place it on your eyes.

Rose water:

One of the best home remedies for red eyes is to wash your eyes with rose water. Wash your eyes at least 2 to 3 times a day. This will give a cooling effect to your eyes. You may also soak a cotton ball in rose water and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool it. Put this cool cotton ball on your eyelids. This will provide you instant relief. Putting a few drops of rose water directly in your eyes is also an effective way to treat red eyes.

Splash cold water in your eyes:

Splash cold water in to your eyes as many times as possible. This helps in reducing the redness caused due to allergies and soothes your itchy eyes.

Tea bags:

Green tea and black tea contain bioflavonoid, which can fight viral and bacterial infection. This helps in reducing inflammation. So, if you have red and swollen eyes, place tea bags over your eyes. Make sure that you keep them in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes and then put on your eyes. Let the tea bags remain on your eyes for 20 minutes. The tannic acid it is also good for getting you relief from itching and swelling.

Vasoconstrictors:

Vasoconstrictors are also known as ‘get the red out’ eye drops. This eye drop helps in constricting the blood vessels, so that they are less noticeable. Do not use it in excess as this can cause the blood vessels to dilate more than it did before. This will again cause red eyes.

Washcloth:

Sty can also cause redness in your eyes. Place a cloth washed in warm water on your closed eyes to treat this problem. Repeat this procedure 3 or 4 times a day. Always use warm water to wash your cloth. The heat from the cloth helps in opening the blocked pores in the eyelash area. Never squeeze or pop the sty as this can spread the infection to the surrounding area as well.

Witch hazel:

Witch hazel is a good cure for red eyes and is used from ages for curing inflammation of the eyes. Take a cotton ball and soak it in witch hazel. Compress this cotton over your closed eyes. Witch hazel has astringent properties, which helps in reducing swelling and itching.