The Whites of Your Eyes --- Causes and Top 10
Natural Remedies for Red, Yellow and Gray Eyes
Related Links
How High Blood Pressure Affects Your Eyes
What to Eat to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
Stop Night Blindness-Vitamin A Deficiency and The Foods That Help!
How to Remove Dark Circles Under Your Eyes
Eye Floaters - Causes and Cures
Jaundice -Causes and Cures
Eat for Eye Health
Stye In Your Eyes-Natural Remedies
Why Are My Eyelids Swollen?--Causes and Top 10 Natural Remedies
Why Are My Eyes Dry?_Causes and Top 10 Remedies
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes-Lingering Health Dangers from Volcanic Ash
Sugar --The Disease Connection
Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics
How Much Sugar Is In Your Food?
How Much Is Too Much Salt?
Can't Find an Article?- Index of Conditions
February 22, 2011, last updated June 15, 2012
By Louise Carr, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
The whites of your eyes -- that sea of white surrounding your
beautiful hazel, baby blue or big brown eyes-- can give you
pretty good clues about your health. The whites of your eyes,
technically called the "sclera", start off in life as pure white.
Over time, age and various conditions assault the whites of our
eyes, leaving them red, yellow, gray, cloudy or even brown.
Are there any natural remedies to restore the whites of your
eyes? Can changing your diet turn the whites of your eyes
white again? When is eye discoloration a serious medical
condition?
Many conditions can cause red, yellow and gray eyes. Some are
serious and others are easily treatable.
The most common unusual eye color is red. Red eyes occur
when the blood vessels near the surface of the eye become
dilated and enlarged. One of the most likely reasons for your
red eyes is conjunctivitis. Another common cause is eye strain
caused when your eyes try too hard to focus or when they are
overused from hours of driving, reading or simply using the
computer. Even high blood pressure can turn your eyes red.
According to The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,
conjunctivitis is responsible for 30 percent of all our eye
complaints in America – and around 15 percent of us will suffer
an attack of red eye conjunctivitis at some point in our lives.
But conjunctivitis is not the end of the story – read on for more
red eye culprits and why your eyes are yellow, brown, white or
gray.
Common Causes for Red Eyes
Red eyes are often caused by a condition called "blepharitis",
an inflammation of the eyelash follicles.
Blepharitis is caused by an overabundance of bacteria due to
an infection, dermatitis or allergies. With blepharitis you may
feel like you’ve got dust or sand in your eye. Your eyes are red
and irritated, the eyelids crusted and swollen. You may
experience itching and burning.
Red eyes are also caused by uveitis, an inflammation of the
uvea, the middle layer of your eye beneath the white.
Symptoms also include blurred vision, floaters and light
sensitivity.
Conjunctivitis is also known as pink eye although the condition
actually makes your eyes red. Conjunctivitis is also an
inflammation, this time of the clear layer that protects the front
of the eye. Conjunctivitis may be caused by many things –
allergies, viruses, bacteria or toxic substances.
When you don’t produce enough tears to lubricate the surface
of the eye it can become scratched, inflamed and red. This is
called dry eye. Sometimes wearing contact lenses can make
your eyes so dry they become red.
A subconjunctival hemorrhage – a burst blood vessel – can be
brought on by a bad sneezing or coughing fit, intense straining,
vomiting, or high blood pressure and diabetes. Injury can also
cause red eyes. More seriously, acute angle-closure glaucoma is
often characterized by a painful redness that usually occurs in
one eye only. Red eyes could be a sign of an ulcer or infection
in the cornea, the dome-like lens of the eye.
Common Causes for Yellow Eyes
If your eyes are a yellow color, you could have jaundice.
Jaundice produces yellow-colored skin, membranes and eyes.
Jaundice is also a symptom of other disorders such as liver
damage. It is caused by a build-up of bilirubin – yellow pigment
from old blood cells – due to the liver being overloaded or
damaged or having too many red blood cells to process. Yellow
eyes are almost always a sign of jaundice so you need to get
checked out. (Read more about causes and remedies for
jaundice.)
Causes of Brown Spots on the Eye
If you’re seeing a brown spot on your eye, flashes of light or
have distorted vision visit your doctor as it may be a sign of
choroidal melanoma.
Malignant choroidal melanomas are very rare – according to
The Eye Cancer Network six out of every million people get a
choroidal melanoma each year in the United States – and very
serious as they can spread to other parts of the body.
Brown spots may also be caused by harmless productions of
melatonin, like freckles, and can be prevented by wearing
sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to protect the eyes from
the sun.
Many people notice a gray or white spot on the eye, or see that
the eye is white or cloudy. What does this mean? Leukocoria is
a condition where the pupil appears white instead of black.
Other conditions cause a cloudy cornea and make your eye look
discolored and “dirty”. These include cataracts, Coats' disease,
coloboma, Sjogren's syndrome, poor nutrition and burns to the
cornea.
If you’re worried about yellow eyes, cloudy eyes or brown
spots you must visit a physician as the conditions that cause
these colored eyes can not usually be treated with natural
remedies. If your eyes are red, read on. We’ve had a good look
around all the literature about red and irritated eyes and come
up with the following 10 natural remedies.
Top 10 Natural Remedies for Your Discolored Eyes
1. Gentle Cleansing Helps Clear Red Eyes
Sometime the simple remedies are the best. According to a
2005 review by Sheikh and Hurwitz published in the British
Journal of General Practice, 6% of conjunctivitis cases clear up
on their own after a few days.
But you can help the process along by gently cleaning around
the eye area with special cleanser or a simple warm water and
baby shampoo solution with a cotton swab.
Don’t use make up or contact lenses and wash your hands
frequently to avoid spreading the infection.
Red eyes caused by blepharitis also respond to daily cleansing
to remove skin oils that allow bacteria to grow on the edges of
your eyelids, according to a report by Ganatra and Goldstein in
the 3rd Edition of “Ophthalmology”.
2. Herbal Teas Help Red Eyes Caused by Conjunctivitis
For irritated or red eyes caused by conjunctivitis, try the
following herbal teas. But leave the mug on the shelf and put
the tea to work directly on the problem. Apply herbal tea to the
eyes using a compress or poultice.
- Eyebright. With a name like "eyebright", you’d think this
herb could help clear red eyes and it has been traditionally
used as a herbal treatment in a tea preparation.
- Calendula and chamomile. These herbs are said to have
anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
- Barberry, oregon grape and goldenseal. Herbs like
barberry, Oregon grape and goldenseal all contain
berberine, which has antimicrobial and antibacterial
properties and is used as treatment for conjunctivitis in
Germany.
Be careful about the sterility of the herbal tea compress you
use. If your compress isn’t sterile, you risk further infection.
3. Bee Propolis Clears Your Eyes?
According to a 1985 study from Romania (led by Popescu,
Palos, and others) bee propolis, a sticky substance bees gather
up from trees, sap and other plant sources, is a helpful
treatment for red eyes from conjunctivitis. However, with
limited additional evidence and concerns about sterility when
applying the substance to the eye, this bee-assisted treatment
may not be the best for your red eyes.
4. Vitamins C and E Are a Helpful Treatment for Red Eyes
When the vitamins C and E are taken together with standard
treatment they can pack a powerful punch against uveitis. This
is according to 1999 research from the Eye Hospital,
Rotterdam, Netherlands which carried out a double-blind trial
of 145 people who took either a placebo or vitamin C (500mg
twice daily) and vitamin E (100mg twice daily) in addition to
their regular treatment. Those taking the antioxidant vitamins
had better visual acuity at the end of the eight-week study –
researchers think the antioxidants increase eye health while
they recover from uveitis. Whether other antioxidants will also
help clear your red eyes, like beta-carotene, citrus
bioflavonoids, selenium and vitamin A, is debatable.
5. Turmeric Treats Red Eyes Associated with Uveitis
One 1999 study from the Department of Ophthalmology, K.G.
Medical College, India made a surprising discovery, considering
the spiciness of the herb in question. Researchers found an
antioxidant made from turmeric was useful in treating red eyes
associated with uveitis. Although the study lacked a placebo
test group, the herb is worth considering in a preparation (not
applied directly to the eye).
6. Omega-6 Fatty Acids Help Treat Red Eyes
Sjögren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune condition where the
immune system negatively affects the tear glands and salivary
glands.
A 2005 study from the University of Messina in Italy found
treatment with omega-6 fatty acids increased the tear levels in
40 patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome, which improved the
signs and symptoms, including red eyes, of the condition.
7. Compresses Make Your Eyes Less Red
Calm down and get your red eyes back to normal with a cold
compress. This simple remedy helps redness disappear and also
reduces fluid retention around the eyes and swelling associated
with an eye infection.
Fill a clean bowl with ice and a little water, dip a washcloth into
the bowl and squeeze to remove the excess water. Sit back,
relax and apply your compress to closed eyes for five to 10
minutes, three or four times a day.
According to experts, if you have blepharitis, warm compresses
also help.
8. Dietary Amino Acids Help Red Eye
A modified form of the amino acid cysteine called "N-Acetyl
Cysteine (NAC)" is believed to help the body create an
antioxidant that loosens the secretions that block the eye and
cause redness in blepharitis.
A 2002 study from SSK Okmeydani Training Hospital in
Istanbul, Turkey found N-Acetyl Cysteine at a dose of 100mg,
three times a day for eight weeks brought significant benefits
to the quality of the tear film in 50 blepharitis patients.
9. Flaxseed Oil Helps Improve Dry and Red Eyes?
Can flaxseed oil help ease the red and dry eyes associated with
Sjogren’s syndrome? A 2007 study from the Universidade de
Brasília, Brazil says "yes".
Researchers looked at 38 patients with dry eyes and surface
inflammation and found therapy with one or two grams of oral
flaxseed oil capsules a day reduced inflammation around the
eye and redness.
10. Antihistamines Treat Red Eyes Due to Allergies
When the cause of your red eyes is an allergic reaction, your
relief could come from antihistamines. Over-the-counter
antihistamine eye drops are available which control the
irritation and itching associated with allergies.
Antihistamine eye drops also use a vasoconstrictor to shrink
swollen blood vessels, thereby reducing the redness. Be careful
– these “red eye reducers” can cause rebound redness. When
the effect of the drops wears off the blood vessels can dilate
much more. Don’t overuse and seek advice if your red eyes do
not clear up.
Comment on this article.
Related: How High Blood Pressure Affects Your Eyes/ Ideal
Diet for Healthy Eyes /Stop Night Blindness-Vitamin A
Deficiency and Foods That Help / Foods to Lower Your Blood
Pressure / Foods to Help You Control Your Blood Sugar / Ideal
Breakfast for Diabetes / Ideal Breakfast for Heart Health /How
to Stop Bad Breath / How to Kill the Bacteria Between Your
Teeth /Are Diet Sodas Bad forYour Health? /Foods That Lower
Your Blood Sugar /Thrush-Natural Remedies /Sugar-The
Disease Connection
More Related Links:
Snoring Linked to Stroke
Why Americans Read In Bathrooms-The Hidden Epidemic of
Constipation
Exercises That Increase Bowel Movements
Bowels -3 Keys to Normal Bowels
Diet and Exercise-A Simple Plan
Snoring Increases Your Risk of Stroke 67%
Six Pack Abs--Step By Step
Foods That Reduce Blood Pressure
Foods That Shrink Your Waist
Owning a Cat Reduces Risk of Stroke 40%
|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Home > Conditions > Eyes >> You Are Here |
| COLLECTIVE WIZDOM.COM Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Life |
About Us Register Privacy Policy Contact Us Disclaimer : All information on www.collectivewizdom.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, please consult your doctor. Privacy Policy. About Us Contact Us (c) copyright collectivewizdom.com 2007 -2012 and all prior years. All rights reserved |
Eat for Eye Health
Remove Dark Eye Circles
Stye In Your Eye-Top Remedies
Swollen Eyelids-Causes and Remedies
Whites of Your Eyes-Remedies for
Red,Yellow, Gray and Brown Eyes
How High Blood Pressure Affects Your
Eyes
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes-Lingering
Health Dangers from Volcanic Ash
Remove Dark Eye Circles
Stye In Your Eye-Top Remedies
Swollen Eyelids-Causes and Remedies
Whites of Your Eyes-Remedies for
Red,Yellow, Gray and Brown Eyes
How High Blood Pressure Affects Your
Eyes
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes-Lingering
Health Dangers from Volcanic Ash
| Rightly or wrongly, having clear white scleras has long been associated with health and beauty. |
