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Original poster

Eye red around iris

27 replies

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 11:59

I've just gotten home and noticed my right eye is red all around my iris and coming into the white of my eye.
It's sort of itchy now too. It wasn't like that this morning.
Any know what it could be??
Fwiw I was poorly at the beginning of last week and only felt better by yesterday so not sure if it's to do with that. I've been feeling pretty spaced today though.
Thanks

OP posts:

grannycab · 16/03/2019 12:06

Go to the optician today.

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 12:08

I'm not with one and my gps doesnt open until Monday.

Would it be worth ringing 111??
I don't want to bother anyone if it's nothing major.

OP posts:

PorterBella · 16/03/2019 12:11

Go to any optician and explain and ask if they can fit you in today. You don't need to be registered with an optician. I don't want to alarm you but this could be a sign of pressure in your eye which is a medical emergency - don't wait.

Torvi · 16/03/2019 12:16

I'd be getting an appointment with an optician sharpish. Don't take chances where eyes are concerned. Hopefully it's nothing major.

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 12:25

Well I just rang 111 and explained it all the them.
She said I need to see my gp within 3 working days so I can go there on Monday.

OP posts:

CherryBlossom23 · 16/03/2019 12:26

111 call handlers are not medically trained, and are a lot of times totally useless. Go to any Specsavers or boots opticians and ask to be seen. They won't turn you away.

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 12:49

Ok so I rang the opticians (Sorry if I seem reluctant to just go straight to one but I live in the middle of nowhere so if I can avoid a huge treck +a long drive with a 4 year old in tow then I'm going to)
I was triaged thought to the optician who has made me an 'emergency' appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

What could it be?? I'm worried now and my head is banging 😖

OP posts:

CherryBlossom23 · 16/03/2019 12:52

It could be uveitis which is inflammation of your iris. If it is the optician will likely give you steroid drops to control the inflammation. Do you have any sensitivity to light?

CherryBlossom23 · 16/03/2019 12:53

It could also be something benign like a burst blood vessel or something. Try not to mention worry and don't Google too much you'll just drive yourself crazy.

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 12:55

No no light sensitivity it's just itchy.
It came on so fast it was fine this morning!

OP posts:

CherryBlossom23 · 16/03/2019 12:57

Could also be conjunctivitis. You could try wiping your eye with cool boiled water and cotton wool, and don't rub it with your fingers. Hope it's nothing serious

missmouse101 · 16/03/2019 12:59

Worth trying a pharmacist?

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 13:07

It's not gunky or anything yet, just red and itchy.. feels like it's gradually getting worse though.. hopefully it's nothing and will just need some drops.. or better still I'll wake up in the morning to a normal eye!

OP posts:

grannycab · 16/03/2019 13:41

It might be uveitis as suggested above, it is important to be seen as soon as possible at it can lead to damaged eyesight if left untreated. If that is what it is they will dilate your pupils to look and prescribe steroid eye drops. Then you will be given an appointment with an eye consultant. The optician can't prescribe but they may send you to hospital to see an eye person quickly, or get a prescription from a OOH doctor.

It does sound like that tbh.

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 14:48

Thanks everyone I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

OP posts:

underneaththeash · 16/03/2019 14:55

OP can you do a couple of things? Look at something in the distance and see if one eye is more blurred than the other.

Also have a look at the red eye in the mirror, is the pupil smaller than the pupil in the other eye, or misshapen in any way. Also see if you can see a white spot over the coloured part of the eye.

It could be iritis or alternatively a mild infection of the cornea, which you can occasionally get after a viral infection. These are usually intensively painful, but you can get a sterile version which just causes irritation and itchiness.

If you do have blurring in the eye, or the pupil is smaller/mis-shapen or if there is a white spot on the eye, I would just go to eye casualty now.
Otherwise, it's fine to wait to see the Optometrist tomorrow. No point seeing the pharmacist, they don't have the equipment to look at the eye properly.

If you do wear contact lenses, its very important to remove them.

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 15:54

Thanks underneath

It's hard to get a good look at my pupils because my eyes are so dark, if I'm in any light the light just shines off them so all I can see is reflections of the light (like the window behind me or something) and I can't see them at all when it's dark 🙄
I did shine a light next to them but the pupils contracted, when they did they were both an odd shape, still a circle but not perfectly round. I don't know if this is normal for fully contracted pupils though.
The main difference is that the black circle that is around my iris on the effected eye looks murky.. sort of in the way someones with cataract does but just in the black part. That could just be to do with it being sore though?? It's just next to the part that's red.

One thing, that I can't be sure of because I can't get a real good look at them is that the pupil in the affected eye looks bigger than the good one. But again that could just down to the lighting.

My vision in the red eye is slightly more blury but it feels more like it's because there's a layer of gunk (that I can't see on there..) over it.

OP posts:

underneaththeash · 16/03/2019 16:51

Okay, thats good. I'm fairly sure (although obviously not having seen you I can't be 100%) that you're okay to wait until tomorrow to see the Optician, although if the pain or vision worsens significantly then you should re-assess.

The area around the cornea looking murky is probably just due to a bit of conjunctival swelling in that area.

Hope it goes okay tomorrow.

Original poster

Newadventure · 16/03/2019 17:00

Ahh good thank you

OP posts:

Original poster

Newadventure · 17/03/2019 10:06

Update: i haven't been to the opticians yet, appointment is this afternoon but im considering cancelling it and just seeing the gp tomorrow..

So yesterday the whole eye turned red, I woke up this morning to it looking better and it's gradually turning back to white (the bit that should be white) and it's looking better by the hour.. the red ring is no longer visible the eye just looks blood shot in places.

OP posts:

DecayingOrbit · 17/03/2019 10:19

I would go to the optician today. Your GP will probably just tell you to see an optician anyway as they have the tools to properly check out your eyes

Mememeplease · 17/03/2019 10:23

Mine was really red and I was weighing up whether to go to the optician or doctor. I chose the optician. It was a tiny, tiny bit of fibre in it. It was removed and I was relieved I'd chosen the right option. The doctor wouldn't have had the right tools or experience to do it so easily and if it had been more serious, they are the experts.

grannycab · 17/03/2019 11:35

Keep the appointment, just in case.

Original poster

Newadventure · 17/03/2019 13:22

Yeah I'm going to go the appointment. I managed to take a picture of the side of my eye and there's a mark there, it feels irritated too.
I think I've scratched it or there's something stuck in it. I'm guessing the red ring was blood pooling around it from this mark.
It's funny but I didn't feel anything go in it at the time.

OP posts:

underneaththeash · 17/03/2019 15:58

OP - that just looks like a nodular episcleritis (which is nothing to worry about), but that doesn't usually start with the signs you described, so you need to get it checked out with the optician to rule out any inflammation of the other ocular structures.

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