My eyes are always red on waking up. Is it related to blepharitis?

Question

Hello doctor,

I could see prominent blood vessels in my eyes. Since my teenage, my eyes have been dull, tired, and red. They are never itchy or irritated. I eat healthily, drink a lot of water, and sleep for eight hours. Though I am using preservative-free eye drops, my eyes are red on waking up every morning. I possibly sleep with my eyes open, but no one has ever told me that. My mother suffers from blepharitis. Are my eye issues related to that? Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I saw the images you posted (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity). There is a loss of sheen on the surface of your cornea and sclera with increased tear meniscus height. Your symptoms are typical of dry eye disease. You might not be feeling the dryness but your tear film is unhealthy. Redness is one of the main symptoms of dry eyes. I would recommend the following: Reduce your screen time. While using a laptop or mobile, always follow the 20-20-20 rule. Take a break for 20 seconds every 20 minutes, and look at a distance of 20 feet to relax your eyes. Start tablet Doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for two weeks. Take tablet vitamin C 200 mg thrice daily for one month and Omega 3 fatty acids once daily for ten days. Use eye drop containing HPMC (Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose) and Hyaluronic acid thrice daily. Take care.