Itchy and red eyes are often uncomfortable.

When your eyes become itchy and red, you’ll do anything to relieve the irritation.

But knowing the cause of your itchy eyes can help you find the right treatment and get some relief.

The differences between symptoms of allergy and infection, for example, is important to understand so you don’t make your condition worse.

Red eyes, or red eye is a condition where the white part of the eye (the sclera) become reddened or “bloodshot.”

The appearance of red eye can vary widely. It can look like there are several squiggly pink or red lines on the sclera or the entire sclera may appear diffusely pink or red.

Red eye can occur in one or both eyes, and it can be associated with several symptoms, including: irritation, aching and itching of the eyes, dryness in the eyes, watery eyes, sensitivity to light, blurry vision, etc.

However, in some cases, red eyes may have no symptoms other than redness. Red eyes are very common and have many causes.

It is usually a symptom of other eye conditions that can range from benign to serious.

Red eyes usually are caused by allergy, eye fatigue, over-wearing contact lenses or common eye infections such as pink eye (conjunctivitis).

However, redness of the eye sometimes can signal a more serious eye condition or disease, such as uveitis or glaucoma.

Itchy eyes, also known as ocular pruritis, are a very common problem.

Itchy eyes are usually caused by an allergy or by a condition called dry eye syndrome.

You might also have itchy eyelids, usually at the base of the eyelashes, and your eyes or eyelids might be swollen.

The most common cause of itchy eyes is an allergy. Itchy eyes can be triggered by exposure to pollen, animal fur, mould, dust mites, make-up or eye drops.

The body reacts to the trigger by releasing histamine, causing the blood vessels in the eye to dilate and irritating the nerve endings so the eyes water.

When the eyes get red because of an allergy, it is known as allergic conjunctivitis (also called pink eye or red eye).

Allergic conjunctivitis is more common at certain times of the year, although you can still have it all year round. It also causes a runny nose, scratchy throat and sneezing.

If you suddenly develop red or itchy eye over a long period of time, visit an eye doctor to determine the cause and best way to get rid of it.