Blood-shot eyes even after recovering from eye flu? Here’s what it means

financialexpress.com:

In recent months, there has been a surge in conjunctivitis cases, also known as eye flu or pink eye, in India. According to the Center for Disease and Control (CDC), although the symptoms of eye flu vary from person to person, redness or swelling of the white of the eye is the main sign.

In most cases, eye flu will usually clear up in 7 to 14 days without treatment and without any long-term consequences. However, sometimes after the infection, you may experience blood spots in your eyes.

“Blood shot eyes are seen sometimes in viral conjunctivitis where some bleeding occurs under the conjunctiva. It’s called subconjunctival haemorrhage. This may persist after recovery of acute infection as the body takes time to break up and absorb blood components. Hence “blood shot” eyes may persist for some time after eye flu,” Dr Neetu Sharma, Consultant, Ophthalmology, Fortis Hospital, Noida told Financial Express.com.

According to Dr. Shibal Bhartiya, Senior Consultant, Ophthalmology, Fortis memorial research Institute, gurugram, blood-shot eyes can persist even after recovering from eye flu due to several reasons:

Dryness: Even after the eye flu recovers, the eyes may produce fewer tears, leading to dryness and irritation. This is called post-viral dry eyes, and the eyes may therefore have a persistent redness and blood-shot appearance. This is the most common cause of persistent red eyes.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage: Adenovirus, the most common cause of eye flu, can also cause bleeding under the conjunctiva, this is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage. This can take up to four weeks to resolve (depending on amount of bleeding) and may be a reason for the persistent red eyes.

Drug overuse or allergy: Sometimes overuse of eyedrops