RED EYE
Red eye is a very frequent condition, which is related to a wide Group of eye diseases, some of which may severely compromise eyesight. The common characteristic is that the conjunctiva, the thin layer that covers the sclera (white of the eye), appears reddish.
It may appear together with pain, secretion or bleary eyes, intolerance to light (photophobia), feeling of sand in the eye, etc.
The majority of these diseases require specific treatment, for which MEDICAL ADVICE VIA RADIO . There are two exceptions:
- EYE BLEEDING (HYPHOSPHAGMA) (see picture 8-14). An eye becomes strikingly "bright red", with the bleeding occupying the bleeding a great part of the sclera. It is due to the breakage of a blood vessel. It is not painful, does not alter sight and is not associated with other symptoms. It eases after a few days without treatment.
Picture 8-14: Hyphosphagma.
- CONJUNCTIVAL PTERYGIUM ("palm, nail…") (see picture 8-15). The sclera closest to the nose appears reddish and swollen, and the lesion advances towards the centre of the eye; there are no other symptoms. It is not painful and does not require urgent treatment.
Figura 8-15: Pterygium.
However, signs and symptoms such as pain, loss of sight or blurred vision, cloudy cornea (transparent semi-sphere of the eye), colour halo around the objects, vomiting…, signal us to ask for urgent help.
Some of the diseases that cause red eye spread rapidly throughout the crewmembers. This is the case of conjunctivitis, which is the most frequent cause of red eye (refer to Chapter 13, HYGIENE MEASURES).
It is completely unadvisable to use an anaesthetic eye drop or any other medication on a "red eye" without medical advice.
In all cases, and as a first measure, a thorough cleaning must be done, following the method explained on Chapter 7.9, FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EYE.
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