Diagnostic Tests for Red eye

Diagnostic Test list for Red eye:

The list of diagnostic tests mentioned in various sources as used in the diagnosis of Red eye includes:

• Eye inspection
  • Note the nature of the red eyes i.e. localized or diffuse redness - e.g. conjunctivitis has clearly defined vessels that covers the entire sclera (white of the eye); episcleritis and scleritis have larger blood shot vessels and are concentrated towards the cornea (coloured area of the eye); iritis has a parallel arrangement of vessels around the periphery of the cornea that are not clearly defined; subconjunctival hemorrhage is a beefy red localized hemorrhage with a definite margin.
  • If pain is present and is relieved by local anesthetic drops, this suggests a surface problem such as a corneal ulcer. If eye pain is unrelieved by the anesthetic drops, a deeper problem must be suspected such as iritis
  • View iris for any irregularity which may suggest intraocular foreign body
  • Stain the surface of the eye with fluorescein eye drops to view the cornea for any foreign bodies and defects. Note any dendritic (branching) ulceration typical of herpes simplex infection
  • Evert the eyelids searching for any foreign bodies, for fine follicles of viral infection or cobblestone follicles indicating viral conjunctivitis
  • Slit lamp examination of the eye - is ideal.
  • Swab of any eye discharge for culture - if discharge is very acute or severe, if infection is prolonged or infection is in neonates.
• Examination for enlarged lymph nodes just in front of the ears (pre-auricular) - characteristic of viral conjunctivitis.
• Tonometry (measure of the eye pressure) - if suspect glaucoma.
• Blood tests
  • If iritis is diagnosed find underlying cause - e.g. syphilis serology, HLA- B27 typing for Ankylosing spondylitis, blood sugar for diabetes.

Home Diagnostic Testing

These home medical tests may be relevant to Red eye causes:

• Allergies -- Related Home Tests
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• Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing:
  • Home Food Allergy Tests
  • Home Food Intolerance Testing
  • Home Water Testing
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• Vision & Eye Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Eye Tests
  • Home Vision Tests

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