Red Eye

Overview

A red eye is usually nothing to worry about and often gets better on its own. But sometimes it can be serious and you'll need to get medical help.

Common Causes

Lots of different things can cause a red eye.

Your symptoms might give you an idea of what's causing it. Below is a list of some common conditions with a brief summary of their symptoms. This is not a comprehensive list. 

Immediate First Aid Steps

If your eye does not hurt and your sight is not affected, it's probably nothing serious. It may get better on its own in a few days.

Until it has got better:

• try not to touch or rub your eye
• do not wear contact lenses

When To Seek Medical Help

Call an ambulance or seek immediate medical help (e.g. Emergency Department) if you have a red eye and:

• you have any changes to your sight, like wavy lines, flashing or loss of vision
• it hurts to look at light
• you have a severe headache and feel sick
• your eye or eyes are very dark red
• you have injured or pierced your eye
• 1 pupil is bigger than the other
• something is stuck in your eye (like a piece of glass or grit)

Do not drive yourself to the Emergency Department. Ask someone to drive you or call an ambulance instead.

Urgently see a GP or seek medical help if:

• your baby has red eyes and they're less than 28 days old
• your eye is painful and red
• you have a red eye and wear contact lenses – you could have an eye infection

See a GP if:

• you have a red eye for more than a few days
• your child is under 2 years old and has a red eye

If your GP cannot find what's causing your red eye, they may refer you to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) for tests.​

Other Eye Injuries

There are separate information pages about:

• what to do if you have an eye injury
• what to do if you have a black eye