MariaIC

Dear Blue76

I had similar problems to you- red veins appearing suddenly in my eyes. I was making the mistake of treating it like a cosmetic issue, and like you, researching eye whitening procedures. In the meantime I neglected seeking medical reasons for why this was happening in the first place. Mostly because the opthalmologists and opticians I went to insisted my eyes are normal and healthy. Unfortunately, at the time I didn't realise that they were not qualified enough to diagnose me. I was often talked down to, because they thought I was being vain about my eyes (no pun intended). Now I know it was the right thing to be concerned about changes happening in my eyes!

Red veins appearing in the eyes are often caused by inflammation in the eyelids and eye. Most common conditions which go along with inflammation (and therefore veins) are dry eye and ocular rosacea.
The most common cause type of dry eye is meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). I have this. Dry eyes in the morning, like you mention, is a symptom of meibomian gland dysfunction.

When the problem is treated, your existing red veins will be less red and visible, and more importantly, you will stop new ones from coming. But the main priority is your eye health.

I wish I had known this 2 years ago. I was so worried about my eyes' appearance, but wasted time on opticians and opthalmologists who didn't take me seriously. In the end I found a dry eye specialist who diagnosed me properly. With treatment for my dry eye, I had very quick improvement.

Please, if you can find a dry eye specialist near you, or if not, a corneal specialist will do. General opthalmologists often prioritise serious diseases and are not concerned with redness/veins and surface problems. But inflammation can become serious, so please, don't stop taking your problems seriously, just because no one else does!

If your doctor does not at the very least test your tear quantity, with a schirmer test, or TearLab device, AND press against your meibomian glands with their finger to see if you're producing meibum, then this person is not qualified enough to address your problems.

You asked for a success story- although I am battling dry eye disease, I have succeeded in stopping new veins appearing. And the healthier my eyes are, the whiter they are. I think Ibrite and other procedures should absolutely not be performed unless inflammation has been ruled out.
Also ocular rosacea.

Good luck and hope you got something useful out of all this!