Bloodshot Eyes and High Blood Pressure

Bloodshot eyes, also known as red eyes, can occur due to many reasons. These include illnesses, injury, or due to other such reasons. Sometimes, they can also occur due to a systemic condition or disease. The connection between bloodshot eyes and high blood pressure is one that is indisputable. If left untreated, this could eventually lead to severe consequences that could culminate in permanent blindness.

What Causes Bloodshot Eyes?
There are many causes for bloodshot eyes. It normally occurs due to hyperemia of the superficial blood vessels of the conjunctiva, sclera or the episclera. It may also be caused due to other diseases and disorders as well. Other causes of red eyes include conjunctivitis, blepharitis, glaucoma, injury, dry eye syndrome, stress, etc. However, when it comes to high blood pressure and red eyes there can be only one reason for this, that is, a subconjunctival hemorrhage. A subconjunctival hemorrhage is a condition where there is bleeding below the conjunctival layer. The conjunctiva contains many small and fragile blood vessels that can easily get ruptured. When this happens, the blood tends to leak into the space between the conjunctiva and the sclera. A subconjunctival hemorrhage may occur due to any kind of physical trauma to the eye as well. However, when it occurs due to high blood pressure, it indicates that the force with which the blood is flowing in the fragile capillaries is beyond the capacity of the lining cells. This leads to rupture of the capillaries, which leads to leakage of blood and the appearance of bloodshot eyes. This condition is normally self-limiting, although the person must try to bring down his blood pressure as soon as possible so as to rule out the chances of any kind of permanent damage.

Home Remedies for Bloodshot Eyes
The only way to actually get rid of the redness in the eye is by bringing down the blood pressure. For this, the person will need to take hypertension medications to bring down the blood pressure as soon as possible. By lowering the blood pressure, the redness should disappear. However, if the redness still persists then one can use the following home remedies to deal with bloodshot eyes:

• Taking vitamin A and vitamin B complex capsules can help to restore vision, as it is an essential vitamin for proper vision.
• Eat spinach and take lutein, as this contains carotenoid which is needed for normal functioning of the retina and eye tissue.
• Use raspberry leaves to make tea and when cool, soak a piece of cotton and apply it to the eye.
• Take Ginkgo bilboa, as this increases the oxygen that is available to the eye.

Although red eyes may signify other diseases or disorders as well, it is best to get yourself checked for the possibility of high blood pressure. This is because, there is a condition known as hypertensive retinopathy which may occur. This is a condition that does not show any outwardly visible symptoms till the last stages of the disease. In this condition, the blood vessels of the retina of the eye get damaged, thickened, bulge and start leaking. Eventually, it could lead to vision disturbances which may eventually lead to permanent blindness.