There are a few causes that can cause your eye to be irritated. It includes dry eyes, stress, or harsh light conditions. Eyes will appear red when they suffer some irritation, wing to your blood vessels in your eyes will full of blood than them used to be. Eye irritation has also been associated with high caffeine intake, fatigue. It can also occur after reading or working on a computer for prolonged periods of time. So when your eyes are irritated, it's a sign to have a break. Sometimes a irritation will go away following a good night's sleep, but a stubborn irritation may last as long as three weeks. Anyway, it all depends on your situation. If your eyes' symptom last for a long time or even get worse, maybe you should go and see a doctor as soon as possible.