Suffering from an itchy, red eye? We’ll diagnose your condition and provide the right treatment

Suffering from an itchy, red eye? We’ll diagnose your condition and provide the right treatment

If you have an itchy or a red eye, you may have either an allergy or conjunctivitis. You can see any of our general ophthalmologists here at Clinica London including Mr Sajjad Ahmad, Ms Laura Crawley, Mr Jaheed Khan, Ms Naz Raoof and myself, Miss Jane Olver. We will take your eye history and assess your vision first, then examine your eyes under the slit lamp.
When I examine a patient, I will be looking for evidence of blepharitis, which can cause red-rimmed and itchy eyes. I will be looking for evidence of conjunctivitis, which can either be viral or bacterial and can cause red-eye, possibly with itching, but more likely it will be gritty and sore. I will also be looking for the typical redness that indicates an allergy.
Once a differential diagnosis has been made, and I am sure of what the problem is, I will then advise you on the best treatment. Red and itchy eye treatment usually means taking eye drops for between 5 and 21 days and, in the first instance, cleaning the eyelids and lashes twice a day.
If you have an itchy or red eye, you need to have the condition diagnosed and start the right treatment as soon as possible before it becomes severe, and also to prevent it from coming back.