General & Urgent Ophthalmology
Areas of concern
Red Eyes
What are red eyes?
Eye redness from irritated or inflamed blood vessels on the surface of the white part of the eye, commonly called bloodshot eyes.
Symptoms of red eyes
Depending on the cause different types of red eyes can vary but usually the main symptom is self-explanatory: bloodshot pink to reddish tinged eyes.
Treatment of red eyes
Treatment will depend on the cause, but it can range from resting or washing the eyes regularly to needing over the counter or prescription eyedrops. Your ophthalmologist will need to do a thorough examination to determine which course of action would be best.
Ocular foreign bodies
What are ocular foreign bodies?
A foreign body is an object in your eye that shouldn’t be there, such as a speck of dust, a wood chip, a metal shaving, an insect or a piece of glass. The common places to find a foreign body are under the eyelid or on the surface of your eye.
Symptoms of ocular foreign bodies
- Sharp pain
- Burning
- Scratchy feeling
- Excessive tearing
- Blurred vision or vision loss
- Redness of the eye
- Blood on the white of the eye
- Sensitivity to light
Treatment of ocular foreign bodies
Removal of the foreign body is done by your ophthalmologist under anaesthetic eyedrops. Depending on the type of foreign body, this can be in the form of saline flushing or removing with forceps or a burr. For deeply embedded foreign bodies, removal will need to be done under sedation. The eye is then given antibiotic ointment and patched overnight to allow for healing.
