Q Dear Auntie Pearl, I woke up two days ago with a red eye – I mean, I look like a zombie.
I am 20 years old and this thing is bothering me.
So basically my one eye is red where it’s usually white, I hope you can understand, Auntie. It’s not sore or anything, it just looks bad.
I didn’t do anything weird even. I am healthy except for some hayfever, so why is this happening to me?
My one friend says it’s from stressing. Please help, I can’t walk around like this.
From Red Eye.
A Shame, man, Red Eye, don't paap you’ll just make matters worse.
Auntie can understand what you are saying and trying to explain yes, and of course you are feeling a bietjie self-conscious and arrig about the eye.
Now remember, Auntie’s no doctor, so Auntie will just share with you her little pearls of wisdom, but as Auntie always says, it’s a kwaai gedagte to talk to a REAL medical professional.
That being said, let Auntie guide you. The kind of situation you are describing sounds to Auntie like it could be allergic conjunctivitis – that means you’ve got an eye inflammation, hartjie. Your eye is fighting against something like an infection, injury or so on.
Because you mentioned you have hayfever, that got Auntie thinking, which is why Auntie skeem it could be this thing.
Allergic conjunctivitis can be caused by an allergic reaction to something like pollen or mould spores that would also give you hayfever.
The most tell-tale signs of conjunctivitis are exactly what you are describing – the redness in the white of your eye, and some mense even have small bumps inside their eyelids.
Now dearest Red Eye, you don't need to worry so much, because it’s not that serious.
Now Auntie knows it looks horrible and you feel like a zombie who escaped from a scary movie, but stressing about it will only make matters worse and won’t help you one bit.
So what can you do that can help the healing?
Soak a towel or lappie in some hot water and place it on your eyes for about 10 minutes.
Daai’s called a warm compress.
The heat from the warm towel can increase the blood flow to the eye area and help speed up healing.
If the warm lappie isn't doing the trick, then try a cold compress.
Do the exact same thing, but with cold water.
Get some ‘artificial tears’ or as we usually call it eye drops
If it’s a week later and you’re still sitting with your zombie eye, or if things get worse, for example, you can’t see so lekker, have any pain, discharge, or become sensitive to light, then it’s time to go to see your doctor.
And don't play around. You only get one pair of eyes, so take good care of them!