Dr. Qasiem Nasser

[:en]Qasiem
MD, MRCOphth, FEBO, FRCS(Ed)
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Specialist in Oculoplastic Surgery
Specialist in Cataract and Refractive Vision Correction Surgery
Dr. Nasser has dual Fellowship training in Oculoplastic Surgery as well as Cornea, Cataract and Anterior Segment Surgery. His area of expertise is in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery which includes surgery on the eyelids, the orbit, and the tear drainage system, for adults and children. In addition, he is also a specialist in Laser Assisted Cataract and Refractive Surgery including LASIK, LASEK, Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE), Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) and Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) for Keratoconous.
Dr. Nasser grew up in Amman, Jordan. He attended medical school at The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland after which he completed his Residency in Ophthalmology at The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin. He then moved to the United States where he completed a 2-year Ophthalmic Plastic and Orbital Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Texas Oculoplastic Consultants in Austin. Dr. Nasser then persuaded another Fellowship in Cornea, Cataract and Anterior Segment Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
He is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in London as well as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.
Dr. Nasser has been an active researcher and has published many manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He has given lectures at national and international meetings including The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Ophthalmology and World Ophthalmology Congress.
Click here to read more on Common Eye Conditions.
Return to Ophthalmologisits Homepage[:ar]Qasiem
دكتور في الطب ، عضو الكلية الملكية لأطباء العيون، زميل المجلس الأوروبي لأطباء العيون، زميل الكلية الملكية للجراح-إدنبره
استشاري جراحة العيون
أخصائي في طب وجراحة العين التجميلية
أخصائي جراحة إعتام عدسة العين وتصحيح البصر بالليزر

حاز د. ناصر على الزمالة في مجالي جراحة العيون التجميلية، وجراحة القرنية وإعتام عدسة العين والجزء الأمامي للعين. أما مجال اختصاصه فيتركز في جراحة العيون التجميلية وجراحة الترميم للأطفال والراشدين، والتي تشمل جراحة جفن العين ومحجر العين ونظام تصريف الدمع. كما أنه أخصائي في جراحة إعتام عدسة العين بمساعدة الليزر، وجراحات تصحيح البصر بالليزر بما في ذلك جراحة LASIK وLASEK واستبدال العدسة (RLE) والعدسات القابلة للزراعة (ICL) وجراحة تثبيت (أو تصليب) القرنية (CXL) لعلاج حالة القرنية المخروطية.
نشأ الدكتور ناصر في عمّان، الأردن. وتلقى شهادة الطب في الكلية الملكية للجراحين في ايرلندا، ثم أكمل اختصاصه بمجال طب العيون في مستشفى رويال فيكتوريا للعيون والأذنين في دبلن. لاحقاً انتقل إلى الولايات المتحدة حيث أنهى زمالته في مجال جراحة ترميم محجر العين وجراحة العيون التجميلية من جامعة تكساس، مركز م.د. اندرسون للسرطان في هيوستن واستشاريي تكساس لجراحة العين التجميلية في اوستن. و قد انهى د. ناصر زمالة أخرى في مجال جراحة القرنية وإعتام عدسة العين والجزء الأمامي للعين، من مستشفى مورفيلدز للعيون بلندن.
د. ناصر عضو في الكلية الملكية لأطباء العيون في لندن، وزميل الكلية الملكية للجراحين في إدنبره.
للدكتور ناصر مساهمات ومشاركات متعددة في مجال الأبحاث الطبية وقد ساهم بنشر الكثير من المقالات الطبية في مختلف أنواع المجلات والدوريات الطبية المشهورة. وقد ألقى الدكتور محاضرات متعددة في اجتماعات محلية وعالمية منها المجتمع الأمريكي لجراحة العيون التجميلية وجراحة الترميم والأكاديمية الأمريكية لطب العيون ومؤتمر طب العيون العالمي.
انقر هنا لقراءة المزيد عن حالات العين الشائعة.
العودة إلى صفحة أطباء العيون [:]

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai performs a complex eye surgery to remove massive orbital tumour

[:en]15 July 2016 (Dubai – United Arab Emirates): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, one of the Middle East’s leading eye hospitals and a branch of the world renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, has successfully performed a highly complex surgical procedure in which a team removed a large tumour from behind a 26 year old Arab woman’s eye. The tumour was causing the eye to bulge forward and was threatening her vision, by compressing the nerve at the back of the eye.
It was a large benign tumour measuring 2.2 X 2.1 X 1.2 cm and though it did not spread to other parts of the body it continuously increased in size to compress the surrounding tissues. The tumour was completely removed during the operation where a ‘window’ was cut through the bone at the outer side of the eye socket, a lateral orbitotomy, leaving the eye intact. She was discharged the following day, with her vision fully restored.
Dr. Yassir Abou-Rayyah, Consultant Ophthalmic & Oculoplastic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, who led the surgical team, commented: “This was a very severe case and a very complex surgical procedure to remove the massive tumour and relieve the pressure on the optic nerve and the forward bulging of the eye. In fact, the bulge was the symptom that revealed the presence of the tumour and so it was an important part of the diagnosis. The pressure on the optic nerve was more dangerous and a threat to the vision of the patient. We believe this is the first time that this procedure has been carried out in the UAE and we are delighted with the patient’s recovery and response.
Orbital tumours may present with a range of symptoms, from gradual, painless fogging or dimming of vision to bleeding that can cause sudden visual loss. If the tumour is large, there may be proptosis, or eye bulging with limitation of eye movements, as in this case. Benign tumours are only treated if there is a complication like vision loss and surgical excision of the tumour is only necessary for extreme cases. Tumours often go undiscovered unless or until they make the eye stick out or affect the vision.

Moorfields supports Dubai Healthcare City’s Festival of Health Diabetes Day November 10th

[:en]

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai highlights the importance of screening and physical exercise in preventing and treating diabetes on World Diabetes Day 2016

robert

9 November 2016 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Eye experts at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai are stressing the need for regular screening and physical exercise to help prevent and treat the effects of diabetes, that include eye complications that can cause blindness, if left uncontrolled. Exercise offers bio-chemical benefits beyond weight loss, which is helpful in combating diabetes and other health problems, as it helps the body use insulin more effectively. Research has shown that regular physical activity helps to reduce the risk of a range of diseases and health conditions, including diabetes and improves the overall quality of life.

To mark World Diabetes Day 2016, Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai is supporting Dubai Healthcare City’s Health Festival Diabetes Day public health screening campaign, to help educate the community about diabetes through consultations and health checks. A team of volunteers from the hospital will provide residents with a medical history review, intra-ocular pressure tests, visual acuity checks, and retinal imaging, using state-of-the-art technology that is available at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai.

The DHCC Health Festival Diabetes Day event will take place on Thursday November 10th 2016 from 4pm to 8pm, at Bay Avenue in Business Bay, Dubai.

Commenting on the importance of public education and screening, Professor Robert Scott, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Medical Director at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said: “Vision loss is one of the most common and frightening complications of diabetes and prevention starts with regular eye examinations with good diabetic and blood pressure control, but physical exercise can also play an important role. Once diagnosed, families need to try and build a healthy lifestyle and environment that includes a good diet with plenty of exercise for all family members, in order to help the patient manage the condition.”

Professor Scott added: “Many people with diabetes have no symptoms until the eye disease is advanced; this is why screening is so important and why we strongly advise the community to have regular eye checks. Regular eye screening should begin from an early age, regardless of whether there are vision symptoms or not.”

According to Moorfields, regular screening helps to diagnose the disease early and where vision has been lost, early medical treatment can help restore visual potential and prevent the requirement for more complex surgery later on.

Moorfields’ Sense of Sight art competition winners display their 3D works in UAE art galleries

[:en]

Moorfields’ exhibitions challenge visitors to ‘feel the art’ to appreciate the gift of sight

sense
8th November 2016 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Moorfields has exhibited the seven winners of the UAE Sense of Sight art competition marking World Sight Day 2016. The winning artworks were displayed first as white 3D panels with just the contours of the picture challenging visitors to ‘feel’ the picture, before the real image was revealed and appreciated through the sense of sight. The two exhibitions were hosted at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai and Salwa Zeidan Gallery in Abu Dhabi.
Visitors to Moorfields’ Sense of Sight gallery shows in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were first blindfolded and then guided around the exhibition gallery to each of the seven winning 3D artworks, they first felt the 3D artworks before they saw the real 2D artworks. From shapes and images of the Burj Khalifa to the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, from animal forms to human figures and more complex combinations, visitors tested their sense of touch before sense of sight.
The Sense of Sight competition and exhibitions were designed to highlight and appreciate the gift of sight, to mark World Sight Day 2016. Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and Moorfields Eye Hospital Centre Abu Dhabi invited the UAE professional design and arts community and budding young artists to share their new and original artworks, images, and photographs, in celebration of the sense of sight. Artists and photographers were asked to look at the world in its full three dimensions and think about how to express this visually and in a way that would intrigue viewers first by touch and then sight.
Moorfields received hundreds of entries comprising photographs, designs and paintings – portraits, landscapes and abstracts. Seven selected winners had their work produced by Moorfields in 3D, and displayed in unique tactile art shows which were free of charge and open to the public, held at Ayyam Gallery, Al Quoz in Dubai for three days (October 27-29), and Salwa Zeidan Gallery in Abu Dhabi, (November 5-6).
One of the winners – an engineer based in Dubai – had submitted his dramatic nightscape photograph of the Grand Mosque, one of the easier 3D renderings for visitors to feel their way around, given the iconic shape and form of the Mosque.
“We were thrilled with the response to the competition and with the reaction to both the shows,” said Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai’s Business Development and Marketing Director, Maha Aboughali. “Visitors were quick to enter into the spirit of the gallery exhibitions putting on the blindfold and testing their ability to feel and identify a 3D image; it was surprisingly difficult for them to feel the image and the appreciation for the sense of sight – the basic message of the entire project – was very clear. We all rely on our senses and the gift of sight is often taken for granted; we sometimes need reminding about the importance of good eyesight and to maintaining this vital sense.”
The Sense of Sight competition winners were:
Dana Zarafili Zureikat – ‘Dancing Ballerina’
Marcky Mark – ‘Girl with Leaf’
Don Moraes – ‘The Beautiful Mosque’
Siddharth Prem – ‘Reflections of a Gorgeous Sunset’
Liza Ayash – ‘The Powerful Gaze’
Dana Salmeh – ‘Soul Mirror’
Samy Essam Nasr – ‘Wild Beauty’
For details visit https://www.facebook.com/MoorfieldsUAE

The importance of regular eye examinations

[:en]Ask yourself three questions about the state of your eyes.

Why examine the eyes?

Routine eye examinations are an important part of maintaining healthy eyes and preventing potential eye diseases from developing. Some eye diseases do not cause symptoms and therefore it can be difficult for patients to realise they have a problem.

What can eye examinations find?

Eye examinations can detect eye diseases that develop, sometimes unnoticeably and without vision problems. Such common diseases that develop without symptoms include lazy eyes (common in children) and glaucoma in adults. Unfortunately, in most cases patients are unaware they have glaucoma until it is found in the later phases.

Who should get examined?

The recommendation is that any child should have an eye examination at around two and a half to three years of age, even if there is no family history of eye disease.
All adults should have a checkup at the age of 40 and then on a regular basis. Some people shouldn’t wait until they are 40 to have a comprehensive eye exam.
If you have an eye disease or if you have a risk factor for developing one, such as myopia (short sightless), diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of eye disease, you should see an ophthalmologist even if you are younger than 40.
As you age, it’s especially important that you have your eyes checked regularly because your risk for eye diseases increases.
If you are 65 or older, make sure you have your eyes checked every year or two for detecting signs of the most common age-related eye diseases such as cataractsage-related macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Our complete Eye Test in Dubai

A comprehensive eye exam is relatively simple and comfortable and usually takes between 45 to 90 minutes. The exam should include checks on the following:

  • Your medical history
  • Your visual acuity
  • Your pupil
  • Your peripheral (side) vision
  • Your eye movement
  • Your prescription for corrective lenses
  • Your eye pressure
  • The front part of your eye (cornea)
  • The back part of your eye (retina and optic nerve)

What does an eye test cost in Dubai?

The cost of an eye check-up in Dubai will depend on where you have your tests, which tests are done and who carries them out.
Speak to your eye hospital or doctor for advice and information.[:ar]اسأل نفسك هذه الأسئلة الثلاثة حول حالة عيونك.

لماذ أحتاج لفحص العيون؟

تعتبر فحوصات العين الروتينية أو الدورية جزءاً هاماً ضمن ممارسات الحفاظ على صحة العيون وتجنب تطور بعض الأمراض المحتملة. فبعض أمراض العيون لا تسبب أية أعراض ظاهرة، لذا فقد يصعب على المريض إدراك ماهية المشكلة.

ما هي الأمور التي قد يكشف عنها فحص العيون؟
قد يكشف فحص العيون عن أمراض العيون التي قد تقع دون وجود أعراض ظاهرة أحياناً ودون التأثير على قدرة الإبصار. ومن هذه الأمراض الشائعة مشكلة العين الكسولة (وهي شائعة لدى الأطفال) والجلوكوما لدى الكبار. وللأسف فإن المرضى في معظم الحالات لا يدركون أنهم مصابون بالجلوكوما إلا عند تشخيص الحالة في مراحلها الأخيرة.

من يحتاج لإجراء فحص العيون؟

يوصي الأطباء بإجراء فحص العيون للأطفال بعمر عامين ونصف إلى ثلاثة أعوام، حتى إن لم يكن لدى العائلة أي تاريخ للإصابة بأمراض العيون.
وينبغي على البالغين إجراء فحص العيون بعمر 40 سنة وبشكل دوري بعد ذلك. والبعص لا ينتظر حتى بلوغ سن الأربعين لإجراء فحص عيون شامل.
إذا كنت تعاني من أحد أمراض أو مشاكل العيون أو كنت معرضاً للإصابة بأحدها، مثل قصر النظر أو السكري أو ارتفاع ضغط الدم، أو إذا كان لديك تاريخ عائلي للإصابة بأحد أمراض العيون، فإن عليك مراجعة أخصائي طب العيون حتى قبل وصولك سن الأربعين.
ومع تقدمك في السن، فإن من المهم للغاية فحص العيون بشكل دوري نظراً لزيادة احتمالية الإصابة بأمراض العيون.
إذا كان عمرك أكثر من 65 سنة، فاحرص على فحص العيون كل سنة أو سنتين للكشف عن علامات أي من أمراض العيون المرتبطة بالسن مثل إعتام عدسة العين والتنكس البقعي المرتبط بالعمر والجلوكوما.

فحوص العيون الشاملة لدينا في مستشفى مورفيلدز دبي للعيون

فحص العيون الشامل هو إجراء بسيط نسبياً ومريح، يستغرق عادة ما بين 45 و90 دقيقة. ويجب أن يتناول الفحص الجوانب التالية:

  • التاريخ الصحي للمريض
  • دقة الإبصار
  • بؤبؤ العين
  • الرؤية الجانبية
  • حركة العين
  • وصفات عدسات تصحيح النظر
  • ضغط العين
  • الجزء الأمامي من العين (القرنية)
  • الجزء الخلفي من العين (الشبكية والعصب البصري)

ما هي تكلفة فحص العيون في دبي؟

تعتمد تكلفة فحص العيون في دبي على المكان الذي تجري فيه الفحوصات وعلى نوعية الفحوصات التي يتم إجراؤها وعلى الشخص الذي ينفذها.
لنصائح ومزيد من المعلومات في هذا الصدد، راجع مستشفى العيون أو طبيبك المختص بصحة العيون.[:]

Importance of regular eye checks

[:en]It is recommended that you have an eye examination once every two years unless advised otherwise by your Optometrist. An eye examination will not only detect problems with your vision, but it can also uncover a number of other underlying health problems. An eye examination is an essential health check and helps to keep you and your eyes healthy.[:ar]ينصح بإجراء فحص للعيون مرة كل عامين، إلا إذا أوصى أخصائي فحص العيون بغير ذلك. ففحص العيون لا يقتصر على الكشف عن أي مشاكل نظر قد تعاني منها، بل يساعد أيضاً في كشف بعض المشاكل الصحية الأخرى التي قد ترتبط بصحة العيون. ويعتبر فحص العيون أحد أساسيات الاختبارات الصحية ويساعد في الحفاظ على صحتك وصحة إبصارك.[:]

Eye Test Dubai

[:en]It’s time to have an eyesight test, so let’s visit the eye Doctor.
Some of us may have wondered what it means exactly to have an eye examination and who actually performs it.
Many of us believe there is a single Specialist who does it all, examines our eyes for problems, prescribes glasses/contact lenses and performs surgery, if needed.
Contrary to popular belief, there are different specialists within the eye department who perform the varied roles when it comes to eye care:
Orthoptic, optometric and ophthalmic eye examinations are each used for different purposes depending on the patient case.
So, who does what, when it comes to examinations?[:ar]حان وقت فحص النظر، هيا بنا لزيارة طبيب العيون.
لعل بعضنا قد تساءل عن ماهية فحص العيون بالضبط، وعن الشخص الذي يجري هذا الفحص.
يظن الكثيرون منا ان هناك أخصائياً واحداً هو المسؤول عن كل ما يختص بفحص النظر، فيقوم بفحص عيوننا للتحقق من عدم وجود مشاكل، ويقوم بوصف النظارات/العدسات اللاصقة ويتولى تنفيذ الجراحة إن لزم الأمر.
 
إلا أنه خلافاً للمعتقدات السائدة، فإن هناك أنواعاً مختلفة من الأخصائيين في أقسام طب العيون يقومون بأدوار مختلفة في إطار صحة العيون:
فحوصات قياس النظر و تقويم النظر و العيون هي فحوصات تستخدم لغايات مختلفة بحسب حالة المريض.
إذا ما هي أدوار كل أخصائي في فحص النظر؟[:]

Moorfields Sense of Sight art competition winners display their 3D works in UAE art galleries

Moorfields’ exhibitions challenge visitors to ‘feel the art’ to appreciate the gift of sight

Moorfields has exhibited the seven winners of the UAE Sense of Sight art competition marking World Sight Day 2016. The winning artworks were displayed first as white 3D panels with just the contours of the picture challenging visitors to ‘feel’ the picture, before the real image was revealed and appreciated through the sense of sight. The two exhibitions were hosted at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai and Salwa Zeidan Gallery in Abu Dhabi.

Visitors to Moorfields’ Sense of Sight gallery shows in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were first blindfolded and then guided around the exhibition gallery to each of the seven winning 3D artworks, they first felt the 3D artworks before they saw the real 2D artworks. From shapes and images of the Burj Khalifa to the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, from animal forms to human figures and more complex combinations, visitors tested their sense of touch before sense of sight.

The Sense of Sight competition and exhibitions were designed to highlight and appreciate the gift of sight, to mark World Sight Day 2016. Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and Moorfields Eye Hospital Centre Abu Dhabi invited the UAE professional design and arts community and budding young artists to share their new and original artworks, images, and photographs, in celebration of the sense of sight. Artists and photographers were asked to look at the world in its full three dimensions and think about how to express this visually and in a way that would intrigue viewers first by touch and then sight.

Moorfields received hundreds of entries comprising photographs, designs and paintings – portraits, landscapes and abstracts. Seven selected winners had their work produced by Moorfields in 3D, and displayed in unique tactile art shows which were free of charge and open to the public, held at Ayyam Gallery, Al Quoz in Dubai for three days (October 27-29), and Salwa Zeidan Gallery in Abu Dhabi, (November 5-6).

One of the winners – an engineer based in Dubai – had submitted his dramatic nightscape photograph of the Grand Mosque, one of the easier 3D renderings for visitors to feel their way around, given the iconic shape and form of the Mosque.

“We were thrilled with the response to the competition and with the reaction to both the shows,” said Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai’s Business Development and Marketing Director, Maha Aboughali. “Visitors were quick to enter into the spirit of the gallery exhibitions putting on the blindfold and testing their ability to feel and identify a 3D image; it was surprisingly difficult for them to feel the image and the appreciation for the sense of sight – the basic message of the entire project – was very clear. We all rely on our senses and the gift of sight is often taken for granted; we sometimes need reminding about the importance of good eyesight and to maintaining this vital sense.”

The Sense of Sight competition winners were:

  • Dana Zarafili Zureikat – ‘Dancing Ballerina’
  • Marcky Mark – ‘Girl with Leaf’
  • Don Moraes – ‘The Beautiful Mosque’
  • Siddharth Prem – ‘Reflections of a Gorgeous Sunset’
  • Liza Ayash – ‘The Powerful Gaze’
  • Dana Salmeh – ‘Soul Mirror’
  • Samy Essam Nasr – ‘Wild Beauty’

For details visit www.facebook.com/MoorfieldsUAE

Corneal Transplant

Why do you need a corneal transplant?

The cornea is a window of transparent tissue at the front of the eyeball. It allows light to pass into the eye and provides focus so that images can be seen clearly. Various diseases or injury can make the cornea either cloudy or change shape. This prevents the normal passage of light into the eye and affects vision.
picture1
The cornea has 5 layers (two outer and inner thin layers and a thick middle layer)

Types of Corneal Transplants:

  • Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK)
  • Superficial Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (SALK)
  • Endothelial Keratoplasty ( DSAEK and DMEK)
  • Penetrating Keratoplasty

DALK removes the outer three layers of the cornea and replaces them with donor layers to give a partial-thickness corneal transplant. 90% of patients achieve driving standard of vision but glasses or lenses may be needed or even another surgery; full recovery may take up to 18 months. There are risks with DALK but serious complications are rare. Rejection of the transplanted cornea can also occur but in less than 10% of cases in the 2 years after surgery and it is easy to treat as the rejection does not affect the rear corneal layer (endothelium). DALK generally has a lower risk. However, DALK has a slightly lower chance of achieving 6/6 vision (excellent vision) than with full thickness grafts.
Endothelial Keratoplasty (EK) replaces the inside layer of the cornea with a donor layer inserted through a small incision without the need to suture the graft. Most patients achieve driving vision, sometimes with glasses, and it can take up to 6 months to see the full benefits. It is a new type of corneal graft and complications are less serious, these include rejection of the transplanted cornea, graft failure, glaucoma and graft dislocation, which may require the repositioning of the graft by using air, which can be done easily under topical anesthesia. EK offers faster recovery compared to full-thickness grafts, due to the smaller incision and no suture related problems such as astigmatism, broken suture or inflammation.
Penetrating Keratoplasty is a full thickness transplant and 75% of patients achieve driving vision, possibly needing vision aids or another surgery, and around 18 months for full improvement of vision. Risks are rare but can be serious and sight threatening including corneal transplant rejection, graft failure, glaucoma, cataract.
All the corneal transplant operations are performed under general or local anaesthetic and take about one hour. Patients are examined after surgery and generally go home the same day. They need to use steroid drops for about 1 year, or less for Endothelium Keratoplasty.

Eye Redness

Understanding red eye – the symptoms, causes, and red eye treatment

What is red eye?
A bloodshot ‘red eye’ may be worrying but is rarely serious or causes pain.
Symptoms often disappear within a few days, without treatment.
But if it does not improve within a few days, there may be a more serious problem.
Symptoms of red eye
You will need to see an eye specialist for a diagnosis and red eye treatment, if you have:

  • painful red eye
  • other symptoms including reduced vision, sensitivity to light, or a severe headache and sickness
  • recently had any injury to the eye – especially a blow with a sharp object

Common causes of red eye With a painless red eye, the most likely causes are conjunctivitis or a burst blood vessel, which don’t usually affect the vision.
Conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the thin layer of tissue covering the eyeball and inner surfaces of the eyelids.
The inflammation causes the blood vessels on the eye to become swollen, and a bloodshot look, along with a gritty feel.
There can be other symptoms with conjunctivitis – such as itchy eyes or watery eyes.
An eye specialist may recommend:

  • regularly clean away any crusting or discharge around the eye
  • temporarily stop using contact lenses until the eye is better
  • washing your hands regularly and avoiding sharing pillows/towels to help prevent the spread of infection
  • using antibiotic eye drops for bacterial infections of the eye or medications for allergies such as pollen

Burst blood vessel in the eye A burst blood vessel on the eye surface can cause a bright red blotch called a subconjunctival haemorrhage. It can look alarming, but it’s not usually serious and should clear up on its own within a few weeks.
What causes painful red eye? There are several possible reasons and they can be serious.
Iritis is inflammation of the iris (coloured part of the eye) – symptoms include red eye but there may be other symptoms such as sensitivity to light, blurred vision, or a headache. Red eye treatment with steroid medication reduces the inflammation. Iritis rarely leads to any severe problems but see an eye specialist.
Acute glaucoma
If your red eye is severe and painful, with nausea and seeing halos around lights, and your vision is blurred or cloudy, this may be acute glaucoma – a serious condition with a sudden increase in eye pressure and you must see an eye specialist immediately.
Corneal ulcer (ulcer on the cornea)
An ulcer on the cornea (the clear outer layer at the front of the eyeball) can cause the eye to become red and sensitive to light, with discomfort in your eye. Bacterial corneal ulcers are usually seen in people who wear contact lenses. Your ophthalmologist will advise on red eye treatment.
A scratch to the cornea or particle in the eye
A particle in the eye can also cause a painful red eye. The best option is to go to an accident and emergency department.