Red veins in eye

[Lynch03]

I recently had a bad reaction to a pair of contacts and the result was a bunch of excessive red veins that now cover my eye. My first question is whether or not these are permanent. I have been without contacts for weeks and they don't seem to be going away. My eyes are also unusually red when I wake up when - they weren't before. My question is if they're permanent, if so what is the best way to conceal these unsightly veins?? I have recently started wearing a different pair of contacts and my eyes feel fine, maybe a little dry, so at this point the only problem is the red veins, and it being a little irritated in the morning. What can I do to get rid of these veins!!  I try tears and solutions that reduce redness, but these don't really shield the viens.

[Sandy Feldman, MD, MS]

Dear Lynch03,

I would recommend that you seek the care of your eyeMD and have your eyes examined in the morning.  I might also suggest to see if the symptoms improve if the contact lenses are not worn.

Dr. Feldman

Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., M.S.
ClearView Eye and Laser Medical Center
San Diego, California

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

They won't necessarily go away but you can sometimes make them less engorged and inflamed by stopping the contact lenses and finding the underlying cause and treating that.  It could be excessive exposure to sun, environmental irritants, wind etc, or severe dry eyes, or allergies or another more serious condition.  So you can find some control for the excessive redness but don't expect a cure or a complete reversal.  Stopping the contacts and seeing an ophthalmologist would be your first step.

Michael Kutryb, MD