Red eye is caused by swollen or dilated blood vessels on the sclera, the white outer surface of the eye. Proper eye examination of the red eye will be beneficial for the confirmed diagnosis. A quick guide is described in this article for the efficient red eye evaluation. Each of these procedures generally takes about two to three minutes in most cases. Visual acuity should be assessed. The degree of conjunctival injection should be noted.
If it is Mild, then it may be due to dry eyes, allergy, chlamydia or mild bacterial infections. If It is Marked, then it might be acute viral or non-specific bacterial infection or acute iritis. The degree of conjunctival injection pattern should be noted. If it is sector injection, suspect corneal infiltrate, episcleritis, phlyctenule or inflamed pinguecula. If it is global injection, then it might be uniform—bacterial or viral infection or uveitis.…
