Redness of the eyes – a very common phenomenon that almost everyone has encountered. Redness refers to a significant dilation of the blood vessels in the eyes, which may be accompanied by other symptoms (discomfort, tissue swelling, itching, lacrimation).
The cause of this condition can be a variety of factors, while the redness of the eyes may disappear on its own soon after the cessation of exposure to the factor that caused it, and may require long-term treatment, incl. with the involvement of related specialists (allergist, immunologist, infectious disease specialist, etc.).
Causes of red eyes
The main reasons that can cause red eyes are:
- Exposure to physical factors (wind, dust, smoke, foreign bodies)
- Infectious and inflammatory eye diseases (conjunctivitis, keratitis, uveitis, blepharitis)
- High visual stress, prolonged work at the computer, chronic fatigue
- Violation of the use of contact lenses
- Individual reaction of the body to all kinds of allergens (medicines, dust, animal hair, cosmetics, etc.)
- Some common diseases (ARVI, influenza, etc.)
Causes of pneumonia
Pneumonia develops when bacteria and viruses, as well as foreign agents, enter the lungs and affect part or all of the lung tissue. Pathological agents enter the human body through the respiratory route, and rarely through the blood.
Why does the disease develop quickly in the body of a person with reduced immunity? Bacteria are constantly present in our body, but protective mechanisms do not allow them to multiply, causing pathology. But if the immune system is weakened, harmful microflora increases in population, which leads to the appearance of an inflammatory process.
Viral pneumonia also often develops against the background of the spread of colds of the upper respiratory tract (bronchitis, tracheitis). Pneumonia can also be caused by hypothermia, stress, overwork, or smoking abuse. The risk of developing the disease increases in people with chronic diseases and obesity.
Treatment
Depending on the cause that caused the redness of the eyes, the treatment approach will be different. So, if redness is a consequence of overwork or eye fatigue, the best treatment method would be proper rest and normalization of the daily routine to prevent the occurrence of this complaint in the future. Eye gymnastics and a short-term (5-10 minutes) cold compress on the eye area are suitable as first aid for tired eyes.
If redness of the eyes is caused by physical factors, eye drops from the “artificial tears” group (Systane, Lycontin Comfort, Hilo-Komodo) can be an excellent way to reduce eye irritation and discomfort. The composition of drugs in this group includes hyaluronic acid, which promotes the formation of a protective film on the surface of the mucous membrane of the eye, protecting the eyes from damage.
Anyone who uses contact lenses would do well to remind them of the need to strictly adhere to the wearing regimen recommended by their doctor. Incorrect selection of lenses, failure to comply with hygiene requirements, and the use of expired or worn contact lenses can cause serious eye damage and vision impairment. Soothing and moisturizing eye drops will help mitigate the consequences for the eyes, as well as temporarily stopping the use of contact lenses to allow the mucous membrane of the eyes to fully recover.
Eye inflammation caused by pathogens always requires appropriate treatment. The sooner such treatment is started, the faster the recovery will occur. For a complete cure, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the attending physician (frequency of use of medications, duration of therapy). The prescribed treatment should be continued even if the unpleasant symptoms are eliminated, since an untreated infection is prone to relapse. Without adequate treatment, eye inflammation can become chronic, which can lead to vision impairment.
If the cause of red eyes is an allergy, you should, if possible, identify its source and try to avoid contact with the allergen in the future. Antihistamines in the form of eye drops (cromohexal, opatanol) or tablets (erius, cetirizine) will help eliminate allergy symptoms.
Signs of pneumonia in an adult
When the disease appears, a person’s body temperature rises, which can reach 38°, there is general weakness throughout the body, a headache, the patient wants to lie down and relax. After a few days, a strong paroxysmal cough appears and sputum appears.
Pain in the chest, especially at the site of inflammation, as well as the appearance of shortness of breath indicate the seriousness of the situation and clearly indicate pneumonia.
General signs are listed here, but the nature and timing of their manifestation may differ depending on the type of pneumonia. With viral pneumonia, the first symptoms appear quickly and the patient feels a sharp deterioration in health. From the very beginning of the disease, muscle pain, high body temperature, severe headache, and a painful dry cough are observed.
Bacterial pneumonia, on the contrary, develops gradually. The disease begins only 2 weeks after the first symptoms appear. After this, there is a sharp relief, an improvement in the general condition of the patient, then the temperature rises sharply again, a headache occurs, the cough intensifies, and purulent sputum appears.
One of the serious types of the disease is atypical bilateral pneumonia, which extensively affects the lung tissue and develops respiratory failure. In terms of its symptoms, bilateral pneumonia resembles a cold viral infection, and the characteristic wheezing is not yet heard in the lungs. Many begin to treat themselves, which aggravates the condition.
At first, the sick person thinks that his condition has improved, the symptoms of the pathology begin to go away. But then the cough worsens and the second wave of the disease begins.
Symptoms may vary slightly in older people. First of all, a dry cough and shortness of breath appear during minor physical exertion on the body or even at rest. Often the disease occurs without fever in older people.
When to see a doctor
If you have any of the complaints listed below, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible:
- headache, pain in or around the eyes
- discharge from the eyes, lacrimation, photophobia
- nausea or vomiting
- visual impairment
These symptoms may indicate a serious illness that requires an immediate visit to the doctor. By contacting the Moscow Eye Clinic, you can be sure of a quick and reliable diagnosis of eye redness and its effective treatment. All questions you are interested in can be asked to specialists by calling 8 and 8 (499) 322-36-36 or online using the appropriate form on the website.
Fomenko Natalia Ivanovna
Is pneumonia contagious?
The inflammatory process in the pulmonary system most often appears due to the multiplication of the virus and as a complication of influenza or acute respiratory viral infection. In such cases, it is impossible to get sick from pneumonia itself, but it is easy to catch the disease that became the root cause. That is, pneumonia itself is not contagious, and the development of inflammation in the lungs is an independent complication that arose against the background of a weakened immune system and improper self-medication.
Can pneumonia go away on its own without treatment?
Pneumonia or pneumonia is one of the most dangerous and common diseases of the respiratory system. The danger is that specialists do not always have time to make a diagnosis in time. People do not go to the doctor with a cough and fever, but prefer to stay at home for a couple of days until the disease spreads. The condition can worsen to bilateral pneumonia, which carries severe consequences, long-term treatment or chronic diseases.
A hundred years ago, before the discovery of penicillin, pneumonia took the lives of those who fell ill. Science and medicine do not stand still - our lives have changed dramatically in a hundred years. People have antibiotics in every medicine cabinet, and hospitals carry out operations using modern equipment. However, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences, pneumonia is still on the list of the deadliest infectious diseases and should not be underestimated.
Pneumonia will not go away on its own. This disease can lead to death, so seeing a doctor is vital. Treatment for pneumonia should be prescribed by a doctor. It is he who determines whether antibiotics are needed and which ones, and also decides on the severity of the disease.
With pneumonia there is always a high temperature and a strong cough, is this true?
This is a very big and dangerous misconception. Errors in diagnosing the disease are one of the main causes of mortality from pneumonia. According to doctors, up to 30% of cases of pneumonia are not diagnosed or detected too late, since people do not see the need to see a doctor before a high temperature appears. As a result, this leads to a deterioration in the person’s condition and the development of severe complications. Asymptomatic, hidden, but real pneumonia often develops in children and the elderly. The main and most dangerous problem in diagnosing pneumonia in elderly patients is that the disease successfully disguises itself as various chronic diseases. In this case, it passes without the most important marker of the disease for us - without fever. How then do you understand that pneumonia is going away in an adult? - Monitor your body, and promptly consult a doctor if your health worsens.
If you have what signs you should consult a doctor?
- increased sweating;
- weakness;
- dyspnea.
By the way, the myth that pneumonia is necessarily accompanied by a severe cough is just a myth. This problem is mostly characteristic not of the older generation, but of children. There are often cases when pneumonia progresses, but there is no cough. If you do not consult a doctor in time and do not make a diagnosis, the child may experience chronic consequences.
Pneumonia in children can be identified by the following symptoms:
- shortness of breath and chest pain when moving;
- pain when turning the body
- inability to take a deep breath;
- tachycardia;
- exercise intolerance;
- fast fatiguability;
- weakness;
- the person looks pale, but with a bright, unhealthy blush.
How is pneumonia transmitted?
The disease can be transmitted in different ways, including:
- Airborne method. During the disease, droplets form on the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose, which spread through the air during sneezing and coughing. You can become infected by airborne droplets in any public place: hospital, store, public transport. The pathogenic agent spreads through the air along with particles of mucus, sputum, and saliva.
- Contact. The infection is also transmitted through contact - shaking hands, hugging, kissing. People become infected when they touch contaminated objects or when they touch their mouth, eyes, or nose with dirty hands.
- Domestic. The infection can be transmitted through shared towels, dishes and bedding. Therefore, the patient needs to be provided with personal hygiene items, and, if possible, change and wash them more often.
- Fecal. The virus survives up to two days in fecal matter with normal bowel movements. You can easily acquire the disease from improper toilet cleaning or personal hygiene. To prevent infection, especially from young children, it is important to constantly wash your hands after cleaning the child's potty, change diapers frequently and thoroughly wash the area where bowel movements occur.
However, personal hygiene items must be handled very carefully. It has been proven that the viral microorganism can survive up to 4 hours on any surface. Morbid bacteria are not afraid of frost; even with bleach it can be destroyed only five minutes after direct treatment.
Causes of blepharitis
Why does this inflammation occur? Often this is a consequence of age-related changes, the presence in patients of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea, diabetes mellitus, Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, rosacea and hormonal changes. Systemic intake of retinoic acid drugs (for the treatment of acne), hormone replacement therapy used by women during menopause, antihistamines, and antidepressants also contributes to the development of blepharitis. Violation of local immunity, the presence of immunodeficiency states and frequent use of cosmetics (especially high-density foundation) are provoking factors for this pathology.
Also, according to Russian and foreign publications, a common cause of inflammation is uncorrected or incorrectly corrected refractive errors (farsightedness, astigmatism, less often myopia). Therefore, when correcting vision, it is very important to find a competent specialist who selects glasses according to clinical standards.
Tips for those who use contact lenses
If you wear contacts, give them up for a while in favor of glasses. During the forced break, the eyes will recover. Microdamages that could appear due to a violation of the integrity of the lens or incorrect fitting technique will heal.
Before the redness goes away, change your lenses to glasses
At the same time, the condition of the tear film will improve and the oxygen balance will be restored, but only if the condition of your eyes is not neglected. Otherwise, giving up contact lenses alone will not be enough.
If for some reason you cannot switch to glasses, even temporarily, give up long-term wear lenses in favor of daily wear products. Also, if possible, try to reduce your lens wear during the day, for example, if you wear lenses for 8 hours or more, try to switch to 6 hours of contact lenses.
Pneumonia and bronchitis: what is the difference?
Both diseases affect the human respiratory system, which means they have similar symptoms. It is often difficult to distinguish the two pathologies from each other.
| Pneumonia | Bronchitis |
| In most cases, it is accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature to 38-39° and a feverish state. There is a slight increase in temperature. | Accompanied by a strong dry cough. In some cases, sputum may appear greenish or streaked with blood. Wet cough, sputum is light in color. |
| When listening to the chest, “wet” rales are heard. | When listening to the chest, “dry” wheezing is heard. |
How is pneumonia diagnosed?
If a child suffers from the disease, you should seek examination from a pediatrician. If you are an adult, make an appointment with a therapist who will refer you to a specialist if necessary. The doctor will conduct an external examination, collect anamnesis, study the medical history and learn about the symptoms of the disease.
You will be sent for laboratory tests:
- General blood analysis;
- General urine analysis;
- Sputum analysis is carried out to determine the inflammatory process in the body, as well as the causative agent of pneumonia and its sensitivity to antibiotics.
Among the diagnostic research methods you will be prescribed:
- Chest X-ray - shadows appear in the images in areas of tissue damage;
- Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are used as additional measures when other methods do not allow an accurate diagnosis.
