Conjunctival redness, also called ocular redness or hyperemia, is a common symptom of eye injury, allergy, and infection, as well as contact lens use. It is also a symptom of certain eye conditions, such as glaucoma, conjunctivitis, and dry eye. Despite its commonness, however, ocular redness can have potentially serious health consequences—particularly when it comes to home treatment regimens. 

According to a Nov. 2020 study in the European Journal of Ophthalmology, “In patients with glaucoma, conjunctival hyperemia is not only a cosmetic problem but may also reduce patients’ adherence to therapy, thus facilitating disease progression.” The study found that glaucoma patients had significantly higher ocular redness than glaucoma-free participants.*

What they did

Researchers conducted an observational, cross-sectional study that involved 102 glaucoma patients and 32 control participants. Measurements were taken and compared concerning:

• Overall (global) redness
• Redness in various regions of the conjunctiva (tissue that lines and protects inside of the eyelid and covers the sclera, or the white part of the eye)

The redness scores for the glaucoma patients were compared with those of the control patients. They were also evaluated for associations with active agents in different glaucoma medications.

What they found

The analysis results showed ocular redness scores were:

• Higher in the glaucoma group than in the control group
• Associated with the number of active agents in the medications 

The medications that best predicted overall redness included:

• Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors 
• Prostaglandin analogs
• Alpha-adrenergic agonists 

Overall redness was significantly lower in patients who used tafluprost and latanoprost than in those who used travoprost and bimatoprost.

What it means

These findings suggest further research paths to help find ways to reduce ocular redness in glaucoma patients who use topical medications to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) and to improve patient treatment adherence.

*Burba, K., & Jacobsen, C. H. (2021, Jan. 5). Higher Ocular Redness Scores Found in Patients with Glaucoma. Healio: Primary Care Optometry News. https://www.healio.com/news/optometry/20210105/higher-ocular-redness-scores-found-in-patients-with-glaucoma 

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