Red "lines" going across both eyes

Ever since I gave birth to my first child 8 months ago I have had chronic blood-shot eyes.  Over time, I have noticed that the bright red coloration on my eyes seems to be going in a horizontal line across the middle of both eyes.  Near the iris of my left eye the redness gets larger, looking more like a flat blister, if that makes sense.  The redness never goes away, just looks a little better earlier in the day and a little worse towards the afternoon.

I am beginning to wonder if the pressure of giving birth may have caused some injury to my eyes - I never suffered from these issues before.  Could this be a sign of bigger problems with my eyes?  I sleep well, exercise and have a fairly healthy diet - and stress isn't an issue either.  Any ideas?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Don't blame your child or childbirth.  You need an exam by an Eye MD ophthalmologist. There are many things that could cause chronic redness: dry eyes, blepharitis, needing glasses, thyroid disease, episcleritis, pinguecula, pterygium.

Find an Eye MD at www.aao.org

JCH MD