Red-eye, also known as photokeratitis, is a condition affecting the eyes when exposed to extended periods of bright light. It usually affects people who are taking photos in low light conditions. The redness occurs due to the reflection of the light on the retina, which has no pigment. This can be very painful and might even lead to temporary blindness. However, it will resolve itself over time with no permanent side effects. Here is why your eyes hurt when you look around and what you can do about it.
Why Do My Eyes Hurt When I Look Around?
There are many potential causes of eye pain, including eye infections, injuries, and allergies. In most cases, eye pain is not a serious problem and will go away on its own. However, if the pain is severe or does not go away, it is important to see a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.
What Causes Your Eyes To Hurt When You Look Around?
1. The retina is the light-sensitive layer of the eye that together with the lens forms the eye. The retina is responsible for sensing light and sending signals to the brain. The retina contains photoreceptor cells, which are responsible to sense light and sending signals to the brain.
2. When you look around, light reaches your retina through your pupil, which is a small opening in your iris. When you look around, a lot of this light is reflected back into your eye and onto the photoreceptor cells in your retina. This can cause them to become irritated because they are not designed to handle this amount of light. When they become irritated, they send signals that are interpreted by your brain as pain.
3. Photokeratitis can be caused by exposure to certain types of lights or flashes of lights such as those found in flash photography. It can also occur when you stare at something very brightly for too long. It can also occur when you lie down after being up for a long time without closing your eyes. It can also occur if you have an infection in your eyes or if there is damage to the tissue in front of or behind where you have an eye infection.
4. Photokeratitis is usually a temporary condition that will go away on its own. It may make your eyes feel dry or itchy and might even lead to temporary blindness. However, it will resolve itself over time with no permanent side effects.
5. You can help prevent photokeratitis from occurring by avoiding eye injuries, not rubbing your eyes, not staring at the sun for too long, wearing sunglasses when taking photos in low light conditions, and wearing protective eyewear when working around powerful lights.
6. If you experience red-eye after taking a photo in low light conditions or if you experience red-eye after staring at something very brightly for too long, then you should visit your optometrist for a checkup to make sure there is no damage to your retina or other underlying issues that are causing the red-eye condition. You should also avoid using flash photography until the issue has been resolved as this might be causing further irritation to your retina.
How To Get Rid Of The Eye Pain When Looking Around?
- Wear sunglasses and avoid prolonged exposure to bright lights.
- Wear your sunglasses when you are looking around, including when reading and driving.
- Avoid looking at the sun directly, especially if you have a history of red-eye. This might include looking at it through a telescope or binoculars or going outside to look at the sun without protection.
- If you are taking photos in low light conditions, wear a UV filter on your lens (such as UV400). This will help protect your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun and can also keep them from becoming irritated in the first place. The filter will also reduce glare on images taken by using a camera with an optical viewfinder or LCD screen.
- If you have been diagnosed with red eye, do not rub your eyes excessively or excessively blink them (this can lead to dry eyes). Instead, apply over-the-counter eye drops such as Restasis for red-eye relief. These products contain artificial tears that will help lubricate your eyes and relieve discomfort caused by dryness.
- If you have been diagnosed with erythema ab sign, which is commonly known as “sunburn” in skin ailments, apply aloe vera gel to affected areas for soothing relief. It is best applied immediately after exposure to sunlight but before symptoms appear like redness or burning sensation on the skin surface (I likewise heat rash). Aloe vera gel is also a great moisturizer for the skin.
- If you have been diagnosed with erythema ab igne, use an aftersun product like Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Gel. This will help reduce the redness and inflammation of the skin.
- For temporary relief, apply a cold compress to the area of redness and ice packs to relieve pain, discomfort, and swelling.
- Avoid looking at the sun directly when it is bright out, especially if you are in a place where there is no shade or protection from direct sunlight such as a car or office building window. This might include looking at it through a telescope or binoculars or going outside to look at the sun without protection.
Tips To Stop Your Eyes From Hurting When Looking Around
- The best way to prevent red-eye is to use a flash.
- If you are using a flash, make sure that you are using the right strength of light. A too strong flash will cause more damage than good, so use the lowest available setting.
- When taking photos, remember that the subject of your photo should be facing straight towards the camera or at least looking into its own reflection, which would not be red-eye. If you have to capture a photo of someone else’s face, make sure that they look into their own reflection and not straight into the camera lens.
- Keep in mind that it may take some time for your eyes to get used to low light levels and for your vision to get used to them as well (it takes about 2 hours for your eyes’ color vision to adapt and if you are wearing glasses or contacts, remove them after this period).
- Use sunglasses when taking photos in low light conditions (remember: bright lights hurt! You must protect yourself!).
- Do not sleep with your contacts in or wear glasses while sleeping! Your eyes will adjust more quickly if you keep them dry and clean!
- If possible, do not use a flash while taking photos of people who have red eyes.
Conclusion
The pain, swelling, and redness caused by red eyes will resolve themselves as soon as your pupils get back to normal size. So, you don’t need to worry about it. However, in some cases, the pain can be unbearable and might last for a few hours. If you experience any of these signs, follow the above tips to relieve the pain. If none of the above tips work, visit your ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
