How to whiten your eyes

How can you whiten your eyes? How can you get relief for your red eyes?

If your eye redness is due to allergies, digital eye strain or sleepiness, you can quickly remedy the issue with eye drops. 

Eye drops are the quickest way to whiten your eyes, but you really should address the underlying problem as they often do not solve the problem, only mask it.

Let's take a closer at discoloured eyes — and how to make your eyes white again!

What causes discoloured eyes?

Eye redness can occur for a number of reasons. While eye strain, sleepiness and allergies are easy to self-diagnose and treat, other conditions could be the cause

Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis cause itchy, watery, red eyes.

If you constantly have the urge to use eye drops to moisten your eyes, you might have dry eye syndrome. Common among those with dry eye syndrome, a growth called a pinguecula can produce a yellowish lump on the white of your eye.

In some cases, a larger growth called a pterygium can develop on the sclera and grow onto the cornea of your eye.

Yellow eyes are often accompanied by a general yellowing of the skin called jaundice, and it can be caused by serious health conditions.

Anemia can lead to the breakdown of your red blood cells, which can cause your eyes to turn yellow. Malaria can also cause your red blood cells to mutate, one of the side effects of which is yellow eyes. 

Jaundice could also be a sign that you have cancer of the liver, pancreas or gallbladder.

How to make your eyes whiter

If you have allergies, steer clear of the allergen (if possible) and/or take an antihistamine.

To alleviate digital eye strain and the effect of blue light from your devices, limit your screen time.

If your eyes are red because they are tired but your body is awake, no amount of coffee will perk up your eyes. Get some sleep or try closed-eye meditation for a few minutes.

If you have discolored eyes, see your eye care professional to determine the cause and prescribe the best treatment to get your eyes white again (and treat any underlying condition).

How to make red eyes whiter naturally

Perhaps you don’t trust eye drops — maybe you’re afraid to put anything in your eye or you’ve had a bad experience in the past. Or it may simply be that you don’t have eye drops handy, and you need to whiten your eyes in a pinch.

If your concern is purely cosmetic, you can make your eyes look brighter by adding contrast: Put on mascara, use nude eyeliner or wear eyeglasses with dark frames. You also can try placing a cold spoon over your eyes to reduce inflammation that may be causing redness.

You also can whiten your eyes from the inside-out by eating more foods rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene. While this natural method is slow-acting, it’s also long-lasting, so be patient with the process.

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Page published on Monday, 14 March 2022