Fitness Files: A red eye could be a simple blood vessel problem

My dentist is a nice-looking guy, hair parted on the side, regular features and sparkly blue eyes.

Except last time I went in for a wisdom tooth cavity and temporary cap, one of his sparkly blue eyes was blood red.

The iris remained blue, but the sclera (white of the eye) was scarlet.

Werewolf, zombie, monster.

I kept my own eyes shut when he leaned over me, and assured myself that he could still see out of that ruby red eye.

He didn’t explain, so I played it straight, said nothing. When he left the room, I asked his dental technician, “What happened?”

“Broken blood vessel,” she explained.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage is what it’s called.

Healthline.com explains that we have many “tiny blood vessels located in the conjunctiva, and in the space between the conjunctiva and the sclera.” All it takes is one burst vessel for blood to spread out and “make the condition appear quite alarming.” However, it does not affect the cornea, so vision is fine.

Burst conjunctivae, which are common, are often caused by a mindless eye-rub, minor head bump or strong sneeze. The redness dissipates in a week to 10 days. Mayoclinic.org says the “bloody look” stays around so long because the conjunctiva is slow to absorb the blood.

Contact lens irritation or poor lens hygiene are other causes of subconjunctival hemorrhage.

People with high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease and those on some blood thinners are more likely to suffer a subconjunctival hemorrhage.

Healthline.com adds that less-often-cited causes include fever, flu, malaria, lupus, parasite infestation and vitamin deficiency.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage appears most often in seniors.

Bottom line is that treatment is rarely necessary unless the condition occurs in both eyes or reoccurs frequently. Another serious concern is red-eye along with a recent skull injury, which could indicate a brain bleed. In that case, a doctor visit is a must.

So how do you prevent this unsightly problem? Resist the eye-rub impulse, be hygienic with contact lenses, maintain normal blood pressure levels and cardiac health, get a flu shot, be lucky enough to skip a lupus diagnosis, and stay under 50. James Dean never had a subconjunctival hemorrhage.

When I returned to my dentist two weeks later for the permanent cap, his eye was as bright and white as ever. However, he retired shortly after he put my wisdom tooth back together. He was the correct age for subconjunctival hemorrhage, and for spending more time with his grandkids.

Newport Beach resident CARRIE LUGER SLAYBACK is a retired teacher who ran the Los Angeles Marathon at age 70, winning first place in her age group. Her blog is lazyracer@blogspot.com.