Hi! Red veins, help needed

[akai]

Hi, I'm new the forum so I'm not sure if I can ask questions in this thread, but I discovered this forum while searching for help. For the past few years I've been dealing with a persistent redness in my eyes, I'm not sure if this is due to them being dry or that I've been becoming more near-sighted. I've become seriously worried now though because I've had red veins near my tear ducts in the same spot for over a week now. It's not that I'm not new to red veins, I usually know when I'm going to get them when I feel that horrible stinging sensation when I'm up too late, but usually after another day or two of rest they go away. Not now.

I've been a typical eye drop user thus far, which I'm now regretting after hearing about how bad they can be. I haven't tried anything though beyond your basic Visine-type drops. I know I should see a doctor, which I do hope to do if I can gather the funds, but I was hoping this forum can maybe enlighten me on any steps I can take to help understand my situation. Are these veins permanent? Is that a normal thing? So far I've just been trying to drink lots of water and trying out hot/cold compresses and massages. I've been considering buying new eye drops but there are so many I don't even know where to start, should I be looking for a gel treatment or just anything without preservatives?

[No tears in ATL]

Now may be a good time to visit the opthamologist (an optometrist can do the test too) and get a full test for dry eye. You certainly don't want to cause any further damage and stay away from Visine or any other get-the-red-out drops. BAD NEWS. You'll end up with rebound redness.

Many on this forum like preservative-free drops, but it varies from person to person. Only you can make that decision. Your doc will likely have samples for you on your visit. Ask for a couple of different brands. But you will have to ask.

Hard to say if the veins will be permanent or not. I have a few that have remained over the years (been battling this since 08), although they got a bit lighter over time. Careful on computers and electronic devices, low humidity areas. There's probably way too much to discuss here, so I recommend you take a look at some of the info on this site. Good resources here.

Best of luck. I feel your pain. Truly.