Have you noticed some redness around your eyes and are wondering what might be causing it? That redness could be caused by an allergic reaction or a skin condition like eczema, rosacea, or dermatitis. You could have a stye or an inflamed eyelid, and any of these conditions can make the skin around your eye look red and unhealthy.
It’s not uncommon for people have redness around their eyes. It can simply be an indication that the skin is getting thinner or that they are aging. They can also be caused by any number of common health issues- many of which are not serious but may require treatment.
A lot of the issues that cause redness around the eyes can be easily treated, and you should know what may be causing the redness and how to get rid of redness around eyes. How do you tell if the redness is a serious problem? Medical experts advise people to lookout for any redness that lasts longer than a week, as this can indicate a problem that requires medical attention.
Also, if the redness is paired with blurred vision, pain, or other problems that are cause for concern, it is important that you contact a doctor for treatment.
Let’s look at some of the most common reasons for redness around the eyes and what you can do to treat these conditions. Once you know how to get rid of redness around the eyes, your skin can look like normal again.
What Causes Redness Around the Eyes?
Rosacea
This chronic skin issue will usually appear on the face and can cause small bumps that are filled with pus. It can also cause some swelling and irritation as well as facial flushing. While some people suffer from rosacea due to hereditary factors, many people experience this condition because of environmental factors.
What can cause rosacea to appear on your face? For some people, it can appear after they eat spicy foods or drink hot beverages. Sometimes it can happen because someone drinks an alcoholic beverage, with red wine in particular causing a flareup. If the skin has high levels of the protein cathelicidn, that can cause an outbreak as well.
How to get rid of redness around my eyes caused by rosacea? Avoiding the triggers that caused it will help, but using the antibiotic metronidazole is the best treatment for this skin condition to help get rid of inflammation, discoloration, and oxidative stress. There are other treatments as well that your doctor may recommend to treat rosacea, including ivermectin, brimonidine, and azelaic acid.
Eczema
If you suffer from eczema, your skin could be itchy, inflamed, or red. It’s not a contagious condition and it can affect people no matter what their age. Eczema often appears in conjunction with seasonal allergies and asthma and can appear on more areas than just your face.
Eczema can be treated with topical corticosteroids like hydrocortisone. Your doctor will be able to prescribe something stronger than that for how to get rid of redness around eyes from eczema. You may need an antibiotic if you have an infection in conjunction with your eczema. Antihistamines can help to reduce itchiness, and wet, warm compresses can provide soothing relief.
There are some ways to reduce eczema flareups, such as using moisturizer each day and taking cooler baths and showers. Some medications can help to reduce eczema flareups as well.
Eczema can appear due to an allergy, and avoiding allergens can reduce the risk of flareups. Being gentle with your skin and making sure that it doesn’t come into contact with anything that could irritate it can help reduce the risk of eczema as well.
Chalazion and Styes
Another kind of skin problem that could cause redness around the eyes is an infection known as a stye. If one of your glands around the eye becomes infected, it can cause a swelling on the eyelid and redness around the eye. You may feel like there is a lump in your eyelid and there likely be pain associated with this. Fever can also accompany the appearance of a stye.
How to get rid of skin redness around eyes caused by a stye? First, make sure that you clean the affected area using warm water. This will help prevent further infection. You can treat it with an antibiotic ointment and try to avoid putting anything on your face that could clog pores or irritate your eye, like makeup. It’s also advised that you don’t wear contact lenses while you have a stye.
You can apply a warm compress or a warm tea bag to the stye to help treat irritation, pain and redness. Many people will take over the counter pain medication to lessen the severity this skin problem. It can be helpful to massage the area as well to promote drainage from the stye.
If this time is not disappear after a few days of at home treatment, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about further treatment options. Usually, though, this is a skin condition that can be treated at home on your own and that will disappear after a few days.
Dermatitis
Another skin condition that can cause redness around the eye is dermatitis, and this is a reaction to your skin coming into contact with an irritant, but it does not indicate infection or virus. What kind of irritants can cause dermatitis? For some people it can be something as simple as water, but it’s usually something more potent, like bleach, cleaning agents, detergents, or scented soaps.
People who come into contact with a lot of chemicals each day are more likely to suffer from dermatitis than anyone else. That would be people like housekeepers, healthcare workers, mechanics, beauticians, and restaurant employees. Dermatitis can cause some swelling and can create skin that is dry and stiff. After a little while, the skin can start to blister and crack and you may suffer from open sores that are quite painful.
How to get rid of redness around eyes skin caused by dermatitis? It’s best if you don’t treat this condition on your own at home. Some people who have self treated have managed to make the problem worse by using the wrong kinds of treatment methods. They may have used ointments or creams that were not designed to treat dermatitis and actually worsened their condition.
If you suspect that you have dermatitis, you should talk to your doctor about how to treat it. The doctor will take a history of the patient trying to find out what they might have come in contact with that caused the dermatitis. This could help them to treat it more effectively and help with prevention in the future.
There are so many reasons why you may have redness around the eyes, and we’ve only covered a few here. For some people, it could just be a sign that they are getting older and it may not need any treatment. For others it could indicate an allergic reaction or a skin condition that can be treated very effectively. If you would like to clear up your skin and get rid of redness around the eyes, consider if you have one of the conditions listed above or talk to your doctor for a more specific diagnosis and treatment. Be careful about treating any medical condition or skin condition for yourself, as there is the possibility that you could make it worse.
Most of the conditions listed in this article require specific treatment, which is why it’s important that you know what you’re treating and how it should be treated. If in doubt, talk to your doctor.
