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Contact Lens Acute Red Eye Signs

• PDF Version

Contact Lens Acute Red Eye (CLARE)

Common causes of a red eye include conjunctivitis (viral, bacterial, allergic or chemical), foreign body, corneal ulceration and subconjunctival hemorrhage.

Conjunctivitis refers to any inflammatory condition of the membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the exposed surface of the sclera. It is the most common cause of "red eye."

Signs and Symptoms

Because of the acute onset of onset of symptoms, patients are often awakened from sleep with severe pain, copious tearing, extreme photophobia, and intense injection. A call to a practitioner soon follows with the description of symptoms sounding strikingly similar to the symptoms of infectious keratitis. The distressed patient presents with head bowed, sunglasses on, and a handful of tissues close at hand.