Subconjunctival Hemorrhage (Broken Blood Vessel In Eye)

A subconjunctival hemorrhage happens when a tiny blood vessel in your eye bursts. This is similar to getting a bruise on your skin. The thin, clear layer covering the white part of your eye (the conjunctiva) can't quickly absorb the blood, so it pools there. You might not notice it until you look in the mirror and see a bright red patch on the white part of your eye.

A small, bright red area on the white part of your eye (the sclera) is the most noticeable sign of a subconjunctival hemorrhage.

This red spot might look alarming, but it's usually not serious. A subconjunctival hemorrhage is often harmless and shouldn't affect your vision, cause any eye discharge, or make your eye hurt. You might feel a slight irritation or scratchiness on your eye, but that's typically the only discomfort.

If you frequently have tiny blood spots in the whites of your eyes (subconjunctival hemorrhages), or any other unusual bleeding, it's important to see your doctor. This type of bleeding, or any persistent bleeding, could be a sign of a more serious underlying health problem. Don't hesitate to discuss it with your doctor.

Sometimes, a small blood vessel in your eye bursts, causing a subconjunctival hemorrhage. We don't always know why this happens. However, some activities can put extra pressure on the blood vessels in your eye, increasing the risk of a rupture. These include:

• Coughing hard: A forceful cough can put a lot of pressure on your body, including your eyes.
• Sneezing forcefully: Similar to coughing, a powerful sneeze can strain the delicate blood vessels in your eye.
• Straining during a bowel movement or lifting something heavy: When you strain, you increase the pressure throughout your body, including your eyes.
• Vomiting: The intense pressure and effort involved in vomiting can sometimes cause a blood vessel to break.

In other cases, a subconjunctival hemorrhage is caused by physical injury to the eye. This could be:

• Rubbing your eye too hard: Vigorous rubbing can damage the delicate blood vessels in the white part of your eye.
• Eye injury from something hitting your eye: A foreign object, or even a bump, can injure the blood vessels and cause bleeding.

This bleeding usually isn't serious and often goes away on its own within a few weeks. If you're concerned about any eye injury or unusual eye symptoms, it's always best to see a doctor.

A subconjunctival hemorrhage is a small burst blood vessel in the eye. Several things can increase your chances of this happening.

These risk factors include:

• Diabetes: Having diabetes can weaken blood vessels, making them more likely to break. High blood sugar levels can also affect blood vessel health.

• High blood pressure (hypertension): High blood pressure puts extra pressure on blood vessels throughout your body, including those in your eye. This increased pressure can make them more prone to rupturing.

• Blood-thinning medications: Some medications, like warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) and aspirin, prevent blood clots. While this is helpful for some conditions, they also make it easier for blood vessels to bleed. This is because these medications reduce the ability of your blood to clot quickly.

• Blood-clotting disorders: If you have a condition that affects your blood's ability to clot normally, you might be more susceptible to a subconjunctival hemorrhage. This is because your blood might not be able to stop bleeding from a small blood vessel break as effectively.

Understanding these risk factors can help you talk to your doctor about ways to manage them and potentially lower your risk of a subconjunctival hemorrhage.

Subconjunctival hemorrhages, where blood pools under the whites of your eyes, usually don't cause serious health problems. Most of the time, these are harmless and go away on their own within a few weeks.

However, if the bleeding is due to an injury, a doctor will likely examine your eye closely. This is to make sure there aren't any other problems, like damage to the eye itself, that need attention.

If you have a bloodshot eye with a known reason, like a blood disorder or blood thinner medication, talk to your doctor about ways to lower the risk of a subconjunctival hemorrhage. This is a small bleed under the surface of your eye.

If you need to wipe or rub your eyes, do it gently. Rough rubbing can hurt your eyes a little. This small injury could cause the tiny blood vessels in your eye to break and lead to a bloodshot appearance.

A subconjunctival hemorrhage (a blood spot on the white part of your eye) is usually diagnosed just by your doctor or eye doctor looking at your eye. Most of the time, no other tests are needed.

However, if you have these blood spots happening over and over again, your doctor might want to do a few more things to find out why. They might:

• Ask you about your health: They'll want to know about your general health, any other symptoms you're having, and your family history, since some health conditions can increase the risk of bleeding.
• Examine your eye again: A thorough eye exam will help them look for any other problems connected to the bleeding.
• Check your blood pressure: High blood pressure can sometimes make blood vessels more fragile and lead to bleeding.
• Order some blood tests: These tests are done to check for any underlying bleeding disorders. These disorders can cause your blood to not clot properly, making you more prone to bleeding. A simple blood test can help your doctor rule out these conditions.

If your eye feels scratchy, using artificial tears (eye drops) might help. After that, the blood will usually clear up on its own within a couple of weeks. No further treatment is usually needed.