What Causes Broken Blood Vessels in the Eyes?
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A broken blood vessel in the eye is correctly known as a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage. It can look pretty horrific (as in the above image), but will not cause any damage to your eyesight and is purely cosmetically unpleasant.
Normally the first thing you will notice is an unsightly red patch over part or all of the white of your eye. Most of the time they will appear with no apparent cause, (although they can be triggered by trauma to the eye itself amongst other things I shall cover within this article). More often than not you will not feel any pain or sensation when you have experienced a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage, although occasionally you might feel a slight stinging or irritation.
The leaked blood is held in place by the conjunctiva, (a thin membrane that covers the surface of your eye). The conjunctiva does not cover the iris of the eye though, so it is impossible for the leaked blood to interfere with your vision.
If your sub-conjunctival haemorrhage has been caused by trauma to the eye, such as a punch, a squash ball etc, then you should seek the advice of your doctor in case any other damage has also been caused.
Other causes for a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage include high blood pressure, constipation, stress, coughing or sneezing excessively, and on rare occasions they can even be associated with blood clotting problems such as in people taking aspirin, anticoagulents or people who already have a history of blood clotting disorders.
Most of the time you will not need to take any action to get rid of the broken blood vessel in your eye, as much like a bruise it will gradually change colour and vanish over the next few days or weeks (depending on the severity of the bleed). It may take a little longer than a normal bruise to disappear because the conjunctiva is so thin that a certain amount of oxygen can still get to the blood
High Blood Pressure
This is the most common cause of broken blood vessels in the eyes, as well as many other health problems such as heart attacks, strokes etc. It is crucial that you do everything in your power to keep your blood pressure down to healthy levels, and apart from the obvious factors such as eating a heart healthy diet and regular exercise you can also include some natural supplements in your diet, such as Garlic Capsules, Hawthorn or Folic Acid (always consult your Doctor before taking any supplements).
A heart healthy diet should include:
5 portions of any fruit or vegetables per day (canned, fresh frozen etc).
2 portions of fish per week, at least one of which should be oily such as mackerel, trout or salmon.
Cereal, Rice and Pasta.
Avoid:
Excessive alcohol.
Too much salt.
Saturated fats.
Chemical food additives such as MSG.
Dairy products.
Caffeine.
Smoking.
Constipation
Another common cause of subconjunctival hemorrhages is constipation. The straining involved in trying to pass a stubborn motion can cause blood vessels to rupture, not just in the eyes, but also in the anus (hence the red blood when you wipe, aka hemorrhoids).
To avoid constipation:
Always make sure you drink plenty of water.
Try to include plenty of fibre in your diet in the form of fruit and vegetables.
Regular exercise can also keep things "moving" so if nothing else try to take a brisk 10 minute walk every day.
Train yourself to go to the toilet and pass a bowel motion every morning, as the longer you leave the stool in the bowel, the harder it will be to ultimately pass it at all.
Try taking additives such as Triphala which consists of three herbs:
Amla (Emblica officinalis)
Harada (Terminalia chebula)
Behada (Terminalia belerica)
Avoid certain foods such as dairy products, red meats, fried foods, chips etc.
I found this hub gave particularly good advice on the subject of constipation.
Stress.
Stress is often difficult to avoid as we have to go through our day to day lives facing bills, sick relatives, pressures at work etc, but you can help to minimise the stress this causes you in a number of ways.
How to deal with stressful situations:
a) Avoid the situation.
b) Adapt to the situation.
c) Alter the situation.
d) Accept the situation.
I found the best advice on how to achieve this within the following article: http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
Coughing and Sneezing.
Needless to say we all cough and sneeze at one time or another, and it is not something you can really do much about unless it is happening to an inappropriate degree, (in which case you should consult your GP). Obviously if you do have a bad cold then you are going to snuffle, sneeze and cough, so the best thing you can do is try to take lots of Vitamin C, wrap up warm and if possible take some cough medicine or a capsule that will reduce the symptoms of a cold until you have fully recovered.
Above All
Don't panic! This is not something that means you are in imminent danger of a stroke or that you have developed a brain tumour. It is in fact very common indeed and can happen for no apparent reason whatsoever. It might look a bit unsightly for a while, but it will soon vanish leaving you none the worse for your experience.
Picture courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-i-k-e/3643298399/
This sequence of photos was kindly donated by reader Marlon Dorado.
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Hi Suiiki, well at least she was okay and it was nothing too serious or long lasting. Thanks for the feedback :)
Watched one day as three of us were sitting having coffee, one fellow had a eye which started bleeding, cause unknown but something that certainly caught our attention...Great hub and very informative.
Blessings
Several months ago, I got it when I was negotiating bussiness partnership with one colleague of mine. I immediately stopped negotitations, because at first I was in worry because of BP, but my BP is almost always normal or even low... Heh, the real reason was stress which would partnership brought, so my body noticed it before and worned me on possible danger...
Excellent Hub, Cindy...
I have learned something there, I never knew anything about. Thank you for the information.
I had one of these about 6 months ago; they take a while to clear up and you feel like a vampire in the meantime!... Bob
Hi Quill, pleased you enjoyed this and thanks for your feedback :)
Thanks Tatjana, glad to hear that this warning helped you to deal with the stress that caused it :)
Hi Hello Hello, I thought this might be useful as my Mum just got one of these in the last day or two and was worried as to what had caused it and what it meant.
Hi Bob, I must admit looking at the pictures is a bit like looking at a vampire in a horror movie :)
God, those pictures! Gave me the willies, but I read the article. Very articulate, informative and well-written. Good job!
Cheers Paradise, the pictures are a bit freaky I agree, glad you enjoyed the article though :)
Thanks for the excellent hub. Those photographs are really very nice.
Thanks Kulsum, although I am not sure I would describe the photos as 'nice' LOL :)
Really good stuff! You've done a very nice job of explaining the condition.
Thanks Rachel, glad it helped :)
Those eye hemorrhages look downright spooky.
LOL electricsky, they do don't they :)
thanks for the pix, helped determine it wasn't pink eye
No problem, thanks fdf.
my grandmas eye when she was driving it had looked exactly like the first pic at the top of the page.
Interesting, thanks for commenting Hannah.
This article was so much more informative than others I read on the web. Informative, clear writing. Pics are great illustrations of the how a hemorrhage may appear.
Thanks WildIris, that is a lovely compliment and I am glad you found this so informative.
Wow, this article and pics were very helpful! The pics made me feel more at ease since the blood is going around the whole eye, and looks really gross. I'm still really trying to figure out how or why it really happened... Thank you so much for so much info and great pics!
Hi Julie, I am glad this helped to put your mind at ease :)
I got these from vomiting a few days ago. It was almost like two black eyes, not quite the severe purple/black bruising, but swollen eyelids with burst capillaries, which definitely looked noticeable! The swelling and broken capillaries in my eyelids went down after day 1, but I still have some broken capillaries, almost yellowish bruising at times and blood spots on my eye balls. The biggest blood spots are mostly only visible on parts of the eye that my eyelids cover, which is good. Vision didn't seem to be affected too much after the first day or so, so I'm not stressing too much. I'm hoping it heals in the next week (at the most) though! Thanks for the time lapse pics.
Hi GJF, wow, that is bad if it affected your eyelids too. I am sure the whites of your eyes will recover quickly though, most likely within the next week unless you are very badly damaged.
it happens to me alot, one time went to 3 drs. was really nothing wrong. thanks for sharing, when it happens to u,one tends to freak.
Hi Sue, thanks for commenting and reassuring more people that it looks far worse that it actually is.
It looks horrific indeed. Very useful hub! -- Thanks
Cheers ss sneh :)
My mom just experienced this. She was quite shocked to see it! She now looks like she has a black eye in addition to having the blood red eye! I haven't seen anyone mention the movement of blood into the skin tissue...is this also common? She is on dialysis for renal failure.
Hi casey, I can't really see how it could get into the skin tissue too, unless she had experienced a direct trauma to the entire eye area, e.g. a punch, walking into an object such as the end of a scaffold pole etc. However, a good friend of mine has just had a kidney transplant, and he bruises ever so easily, so it is possible that if her initial injury to the eye area was caused by an impact, even a mild one, then she could experience the sub-conjunctival haemorrhage as well as nasty bruising. Having said all of that I am not an expert, and this article was based on research at the time.
Thank you! Mom said she had a bad headache before the blood vessel burst. She got checked out...everything appeared to be fine. However, today she mentioned the 'black eye'. We'll see what tomorrow brings. She doesn't report having any eye pain.
In her condition even rubbing the eye when tired might cause bruising, and it could just be coincidental to the burst blood vessel which may just be linked to the severe headache. Certain medications she may be on for her renal failure could have helped to cause both the bruising and the broken blood vessel. I am sure she will be fine though so don't worry.
Thank you so much for the information and pics listed on this site! I'd experienced my first broken blood vessel in my left eye yesterday. I'm pretty sure it occurred either by lifting a few heavy boxes at work a couple of days prior (over my shoulder/above filing cabinet)or it may have occurred during a quick sneezefest recently. It freaked me out initially upon looking in the mirror, as the vessel burst while I sleeping the night before.
IMPORTANT: I'd like to note that, on the day prior to the vessel bursting, I'd noticed a distinct pink, straight line within my eye. Normally, strained eyes have a pink wave-like pattern in appearance. Even though the pics are a bit unsightly, there is no pain involved whatsoever, unless trauma is involved in the eye. Just hope the redness disappears in a couple of weeks! :>) Warm compresses (in five minute increments) really help to break up the red spots. It is important to have your eyes checked afterwards, just in case an artery is involved or potential internal bleeding has taken place. Be prepared to have your eyes dilated if you visit a dr. or hospital.
Good information Pamela, thanks for sharing it here. I hope your eye returns to normal soon.
Misty,
Super quick healing time! 7 days post blood vessel burst: I only have a thin, red line around the inner portion of my iris. Realized the warm compresses are the secret ingredient in healing faster + I've taken aspirin once a day for the past 3 days which seemed to speed up the process. -Pam
Excellent news Pamela, I am so glad your eye is virtually back to normal. Thanks so much for posting back here to let us know your progress too. It is not abnormal for it to only take a matter of a few days for the broken blood vessels visible effects to vanish, so I wouldn't imagine the warm compresses were necessarily significant, (or the aspirin), in your healing time, but I doubt they have done any harm either :)
Also, worth noting this quote from my Hub above: "and on rare occasions they can even be associated with blood clotting problems such as in people taking aspirin, anticoagulents or people who already have a history of blood clotting disorders."
So the aspirin may possibly have helped if you did have any history of blood clotting previously!
Good evening, Misty.
No, I've never had any history of bloood clotting and my blood pressure has been normal. My eye is virtually 99% normal now. :>) Hope this doesn't happen again or anytime soon. I really feel for others going thru this. Thanks again for all of your helpful comments.
Sounds like you simply went through the natural healing process then Pamela, but at least you are virtually back to normal now. These are very rare for most of us, so I doubt you will see one again (if ever) for a very long time if you have no history of blood clotting or high blood pressure. Good news all in all.
Thanks for posting back here :)
Thank you for your help.
You are very welcome me :)
I came across this while I was trying to figure out how to make mine go away. I knew what it was and how I got it, but I just want them gone. They look HORRID. The lower half of both eyes is completely red! Everyone keeps asking me what the heck happened to my eyes, it's really bugging me.
Hi cays, I hope the article helped in some way then. At least you know they will be gone soon. Good Luck.
Hey, i have a blood vessel burst in my eye from lasik surgery. It is 20 days ago and only sligthly better :( does anyone of you have experience with this? As the doctor said that it normally takes 10-14 days. I am starting to freak out. I ve an appointment again next week. But getting crazy in the meantime :(
This is a new one on me Melanie, but the key could well be in the Doctor's words i.e. 'normally', in other words 'it my be less or it may be longer'. Ask the Doctor when you go back to them, and meanwhile look after yourself, and avoid any activity that might make it worse (see hub for ideas on this).
I hope you are back to normal soon.
The pictures really helped me not to panic,lol. I thought I was going to loose my eyesight or something tragic. I'm not well and have so many different health issues and I don't need another one to stress over. Thank you so very much!
You are very welcome Jo Linda, I am glad I have put your mind at rest :)
Question when this happens is there pain with it or is this something that I should be worried about? Pain has been shooting in the area off and on for since it happen 3 days ago and the blood spot is getting worse.
Question when this happens is there pain with it or is this something that I should be worried about? Pain has been shooting in the area off and on since it happen 3 days ago and the blood spot is getting worse.
I would be inclined to get that checked out Mary / snbird as if you received a jab or other invasion of the eye, you could have torn the surface and need treatment. This recently happened to a friend of mine when her Husband accidentally poked her in the eye and his nail tore her cornea badly. She had to go to hospital, and they told her she might even need surgery, she also had to apply drops every day. Her pain was also agony. I would suggest a trip to your Doctor or your local hospital to get this looked at asap.
noticed my eye had coverd itsself in blood yeasterday it looked just like the top one, have taken to waring an eypatch round to hide the horror, but i dont think my teachers at school will be verry happy with the eyepatch thing, how long do you think it will take to go if its like the first image on this page?
I would think about a week or so and you should be pretty much back to normal. I am sure if you show your teachers your eye they will understand why you want to wear an eye patch. I hope this helps :)
I popped blood vessels in both eyes when I puncheda kid in da face. I felt bad cuase thiey were still all red n shit three weeks after we fought
That is unusual doodoo, but hopefully the fact you felt bad about it is a good sign you will think twice before doing anything like that again. I hope you made up with him afterwards.
I popped blood vessels in both my eyes, they are pitch red, that was about 4 days ago, I have not seen any progress in my healing! I feel ugly! What can I do to help the healing process?? Please helllppp!
Hi There, Firstly don't worry, this will go away, and some may take longer than others. I would give it at least another week before you decide it isn't going to improve, and then go to your Doctor in case the problem is repeating itself for some reason. To the best of my knowledge there is nothing you can do to make it heal up faster, simply wait it out. Good Luck
I have this right now! I don't feel it at all, but it looks SO disgusting and i absolutely HATE it! how can I get rid of it faster?
Sorry Paula, there isn't a magic way to get rid of it faster. Much like a bruise it will fade over the coming days and you just have to wait it out.
Since May my left eye has popped a blood vessel 22 times. The eye is filled with blood when it happens and clears up in about 4 days. Then the following week it happens again. Has anybody had this ongoing problem.? Does anybody know why its recurs like it does?
Hi Lois,
That is unusual unless you are on medications that are thinning the blood, e.g. aspirin. Do you consume a lot of alcohol, as this thins the blood too? Are you constipated on a regular basis as the straining can pop the blood vessels? High blood pressure is another cause, basically the reasons that cause one to burst (as included in this article) are likely to be the same reasons that you would get the problem on a regular basis (excluding direct trauma to the eye of course). You might want to get things like your blood pressure checked out if you haven;t done already, and you should discuss this with your Doctor if none of the above reasons make any sense to you based on your lifestyle.
Good Luck.
Could this happen if you change altitudes. We just came up in the mountains, only 3000 ft, but my eyes were red every day and then this blood spot thing happened. None of the other cause above are not applicable to me, unless I suddenly have high blood pressure.
I suspect it could happen as a result of altitudes because of the atmospheric pressure Beth. Nothing to worry about I am sure :)
Pheww glad to know it's going to go away:)
Yep, you should find it goes with a week or so, but if not you would probably want to check with a Doctor that the problem wasn't recurring.
Can a broken blood vessel be cause by sleeping in your contacts?
I have not heard of that Alan, but maybe if you pushed one into your eye in your sleep, or possibly rubbed the eye whilst they were in (in much the same way as a trauma to the eye can cause them) it could happen.
Thank you very much Misty, Your Article calmed me down very much. My only Question is if i should stop drinking alcolhalic beverages etc. Until my eye is completely cured (: Thanks
Good question shaquita, I would guess that this measure (not drinking alcohol) is better as a prevention as opposed to aiding a cure. Essentially you have a 'bruise' on your eye, so unless your doctor tells you otherwise I would assume a reasonable amount of alcohol would not make a difference. I am not an expert however, so you might want to speak to a doctor in case.
my mom blood in her eye has been getting worse wat should i do?
Firstly hcho, if it only just happened it might appear to get worse, but then it will go the other way as it starts to heal. you don't say when it started or how long it has been like this. If it really is getting worse, then she needs to see a Doctor as there isn't really any other way to determine what the cause is and therefore the correct treatment.
Thank you so much, I was ready to panic because of how my husbands eye looks. It's just like some of the worst pics in this article. Very informative article and I'm much calmer now.
Pleased to have put your mind at rest Teresa :)
OMG so glad I read this because I was FREAKING out!!! I woke up this AM to a slighty red eye and I figured I was just tired so as I went to put Visine in it and lifted my eyelid I saw a pool of blood and almost passed out! Thought I had had a stroke or aneurysm in my sleep!!! Glad you have posted this article...it will keep me sane until I can make it to the minor med later today!!
LOL Erika E. Don't worry, it will be gone before you know it and there is not really anything you can do other than wait it out.
I woke this morning with a burst blood vessel covering half the white of my eye. Got quite a shock and thought I should ring the optometrist. Naturally they said it should be looked at and I am short of time here at work. So, I looked this up on the web quickly and it has put my mind at ease. Many thanks to all.
No worries Karyn, I am sure you will be fine, but give it a few days and see how it looks. Naturally you should seek professional advice if it doesn't appear to be getting any better for any reason. Most likely it will gradually vanish though :)
Poked my eye yesterday. All vessels burst. Look like a vampire. Going around wearing shades in rainy Ireland. Got some strange looks already. How would they look if I would take off my sunglasses????
LOL curragh, good point. I hope you haven't torn the surface of the eye at all, as this would be more serious and might even require surgery. You would be in a lot of pain if you had. If not it should heal as normal.
At least you will look suitably scary for Halloween :)
Good hub. It was very informative. It happened to be before and it definitely is aesthetically unappealing.
Thanks peramore20, I agree it is definitely not 'aesthetically pleasing', but thankfully heals quickly.
Thanks for the information, it has put my mind at ease as I get them every now and then,mostly they go within a few days, this one has lasted over a week and still looks as though I had a punch in the eye,sick of wearing sunnies.
Hi Colleen, hopefully yours will go soon, but don't forget to look at the other factors that might be causing you to get them regularly, e.g. constipation, aspirin etc. You might be able to limit the frequency with a few adjustments to your lifestyle.
Hi I have this too mine is just beside the surface of the black Pupil and I had it for like 2 weeks and 3 days already its smaller tho but it's still visible and purple-ish red!I'm
So scared it'll be permanent.
Interesting, if it is next to the pupil, and over the iris, then it sounds like it is not a standard case as these are usually over the white of the eye. I would suggest getting this checked out just in case, although it does sound like it is diminishing, only slower than a normal sub-conjunctival haemorrhage.
What's an iris?
Mine is just like the first picture but a way smaller version of it,but it's 2 weeks and three days!:(
The iris is the coloured part of your eye, i.e. blue if you are blue eyed, brown if you are brown eyed, green if you are green eyed etc.
Ah well, if yours is like the first picture it is away from both the iris and the pupil, and is actually under the cornea / on the sclera/white of the eye. This should be fine and continue to clear up as it has been doing so far. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.
Ohhh but it's taking so long!I'm worried it'll stay there forever
Don't worry Lala, so long as it is gradually diminishing you will find it is gone before you know it. It must have been quite a bad one to take so long to go, but everyone is different and you might just be a slow healer. I bet it has all but vanished, probably completely within the next 7 - 10 days.
wat if your eye still hurts from sleeping in your contacts
That is something different adrian, but possibly you scratched the eye with the contact in your sleep, or maybe your eyes got too dry. You might need some medicated eye drops from your Doctor if you have damaged the surface of the eye.
This happened to me just 2 days ago for no reason. I just looked in the mirror and freaked out! I thought right at first to look it up on the internet, then I made an appointment with my optomistrist. I saw her the next day and during her exam she said it was still leaking which was totally weird to me. I was told not to worry that I was not bleeding behind my eye and to go home and apply cold compress to it not hot. She said not to be surprised if it encompasses my whole eye. I asked why this happened and she said barometric pressure causes it. I would like to send a pic of my eye but don't see that option.
Thanks for this internettie. Interesting stuff, and it makes a sort of sense, although 'barometic pressure sounds a little weird as I would expect everyone in the vicinity to have them too on that basis! Also not sure a cold compress will make any difference based on what I researched, it would seem this would not make a difference to a bruise on your leg, so why would it to a 'bruise' on your eye? She may just be trying to 'justify' her fee. The photo would be a great addition to the article if you were agreeable and it is a good photo. If you contact me via the 'envelope' icon under my profile pic, I will email you back so you have my actual email address to send it to. Thanks :)
I have had a red streaky line in my eye for nearly 3 weeks now been to hospital they said it was fine a bit grainy but fine . No pain or discomfort or loss of vision I have scheduled a eye appointment next week . Should I be concernd as I am a little ?
Hi I was wondering if you could help . About three weeks ago I noticed a few streaky lines like viens in my eye all red not a spot but about 3-4 veins syreaking off in different directions in between the middle corner of my eye and the middle . It's been 3 weeks now and I have been to the e.r. They told me it was fine after looking but a little grainy and gave me lacri-lube I have used it for a few days but still the same now . I have an eye appointment on next week as they said . Should I be concerned . Thank you for any advice as I am quite concerned .
I can't really answer this one Jethro as I am not an expert on eyes, and had to do research to write this article on the sub-conjunctival haemorrhages. What you describe is probably not the same thing, but I honestly don't know for certain. If the hospital weren't concerned I doubt you need to be either. The most important thing is that you are going for an eye appointment where an expert can advise you properly.
Good Luck.
Thanks very much for trying to help I have no vision loss or pain so hope it will be ok . I will let you know the outcome just for refference . Thanks again .
Thanks Jethro, that would be great as the information you find out could well help someone else.
Mine was, and right now IS being caused by a dangerous BP at this time of typing this. I'm on the way to the doc in the a.m. Mine is also very painful, and it hurts to move my left eye, although I had several break in my right eye 2 days ago.So thin or heavy, just let your doctor know that this has happened so he/she can rule out the bad guys. Ciao.
Well said Hunter. I hope you are on the mend soon. I am sure you are already doing this, but I do give some good tips for diet change to keep your heart healthy and help reduce high blood pressure in the 'High Blood Pressure' section within the article. Hopefully other people reading this will also try eating more healthily if this is what is causing their problem.
Thanks for posting and good luck.
I had the sub-conjunctival haemorrhage few days ago, but do not have any of the common systom like HBP, cough ,constipation etc .It happen after i removed my contact lens in the evening ..curious to know what other possible causes my condition .
I can't really come up with anything else Elaine, otherwise I would have included it in this article when I wrote it. Had you taken anything that might have thinned your blood, e.g. alcohol, aspirin etc?
Most of the time they do occur with no apparent cause, so it might be that in most cases their cause is destined to remain a mystery!
hi i just got one of these in my left eye and it is completely filled with blood. but as to no pain in my case that is wrong i have been feeling lots of pain and feeling like my eye is really heavy and it really bothers me.
Don't laugh, but I swallowed my 'Crowned tooth' which had a metal post on the end. I decided to make myself sick to get it back. OH...my...god After half an houjr of shoving all manner of things down my throat to make myself sick, everything appeared but my tooth, gross I know. Later in the day, my son said my eyes were bleeding. Thinking of all the worst horror films I know, I raced to a mirror to view my eyes. WOW, big red patches at the bottom of each one..ewww. Must have been the pressure of making myself sick for so long. Hoping they disappear soon. Hoping my toothe makes a re-appearance. On that note..wouldn't want to leave further information.
Hi Lacy, did you have any trauma to the eye first, as this will cause pain for obvious reasons? I would suggest getting an examination by a Doctor to check out why it is painful in any case.
Hi J J Walt, sorry, but I had to laugh. If ever your crown emerges from wherever, I am glad I am not the one who has to kiss you lol.
I have a burst blood vessel in my left eye and It seem like the sun hurts it. If I wear a eye patch do you think it will stop the straining of the eye?
Well certainly it will reduce the discomfort of your eye being forced to focus Angel, but this is still an odd symptom of a burst blood vessel unless you had trauma to the eye in the first place. I would suggest getting it checked out professionally if it is painful, but be aware you might be 'imagining' discomfort based on your reaction to the appearance of the burst blood vessel within the eye.
My son got hit in the eye and it turned light pink.In a day it turned blood red,the second day totaly red.He dad came home from working outta town and didnt know this had happen and he yells at me that I should have took him to the Dr but I felt as a mother of 5 that there was nothing the Dr could do.I felt like it was a busted vessel.I ask my son does it hurt? he says no I asked can you see clear? he says yes.So of course I turned to the web to find out and this page helped alot. I believe I've made the right choise cause there is nothing that can be done for a busted vessel but I enjoyed reading this and calming me to know I'm right for now. (maybe)???? Thanks
Hi Christeena, I am glad this was helpful to you and hope you can also reassure your Husband by getting him to read this too :)
Hi, I randomly got one last Wednesday, it was above my eye. Now it is a lighter red, but going down either side of my eye (just in the white area). Taking forever....is this spreading from gravity? And this people wih full eyes of blood took how long to heal?
Hi Dc, you don't need to worry as to how it is spreading, that is down to nature. Basically within a week or two for one that is a 'full eye of blood' and it should be healed, or at worst, very nearly!
I am sick, and have thrown up about 5 times between today and yesterday, when I look far to the side or up and down you can see the blood. How long will it take to go away? It's scary looking and my eyes have been a little puffy.
Well it is possible that the vomiting has caused the problem to occur, and if you are to avoid the problem happening again you should seek medical treatment from a Doctor to stop you being sick. You should not be able to see the blood the way you describe without a mirror though, because as I stated in this article "The leaked blood is held in place by the conjunctiva, (a thin membrane that covers the surface of your eye). The conjunctiva does not cover the iris of the eye though, so it is impossible for the leaked blood to interfere with your vision.". Are you quite sure this is not something you are imagining as a result of your unsightly appearance? If you are certain you can see it you should see your Doctor. If you just have a normal sub-conjunctival haemorrhage, then it should gradually vanish with in about a week to ten days, (although it will look pretty horrible right now).
Are headaches associated with this condition?
I haven't heard this Fran, and it seems unlikely, but you might want to double check this with your doctor in case something else is causing the headaches.
my eye ball hurts is red and a film of water over it feel like sticking a pin to relieve pressure water on eyeball looks like a bubble what is this
I am afraid I don't know what it is you are describing Anitta, but I would suggest you immediately get it checked out by a Doctor, and restrain yourself from putting a pin anywhere near your eye.
This is my husband second time in like a month getting this. The first time didn't look so bad and now it looks like the first picture on here. He's been getting headaches and feels ill when it happens. I'm kind of wondering if it's caused from him having a broken tooth that needs to be pulled out. That maybe the pain of the tooth is causing the headaches which then make him feel ill and his eye to do this.
I would advise speaking to a Doctor to be on the safe side Nicole.
this happened to me. thanks for the info.
You are welcome Lex.
Thanks Me and everyone at my work was freaking out cause my eye looks like this.. well it started in one spot but looks like its spreading a little. I sneezed hard and my husband said my eye looked gross! :( today is day 2 hopefully it goes away ASAP! i am going to try warm compression tonight.
Hi everyone just wondering does it mean anything if you have an itch in the eye that the eye red?
Hi Jay, it might look awful, but it will soon clear up, and it sounds like the sneezing might have triggered the problem. I doubt the warm compression will speed up the healing process, it just needs to be left alone and waited out. Sorry, that is just the way it is!
Good Luck and hope it heals soon.
Hi Babey Gurl, the itch could be purely psychyological as a result of seeing the red eye, but if it persists I would suggest consulting a Doctor in case this is not a standard sub conjunctival haemorrhage.
Good Luck :)
Can it get bigger over time? How long does it take to go away?
At the start it may get bigger for a matter of hours, but you will generally find it vanishes bit by bit like a bruise, usually within days, maybe up to 2 weeks in extreme cases. This question is covered both within the article and within the comments.
Very informative, and the pictures they are just so very detailed I should say.
Thanks Mija, glad you approve of this :)
I had some extreme vomiting Sunday morning and both of my eyes fillers almost completely and they feel heavy. Here it is 3 days later and it looks a little worse and my eyes still feel heavy. Any reason to worry or should I just wait a few more days to see if it looks a little better?
Well the vomiting is most likely the cause as you have guessed. Normally you start to see an improvement after a day or two, so if they definitely look worse, then I would go to your Doctor and get yourself checked out to make sure the bleeding is not recurring for some reason, e.g. because you take anticoagulents like aspirin or other medications etc.
Good Luck
Hi just another thanks, had a bit of dust in my eye which caused alot of annoyance to say the least, I rubbed my eye quite a bit and then noticed my very red bloody eye, freaked a bit thought id research it and your hub was very informative.
Please this helped 'away with the fairies', I hope your eye is better soon :)
Thanks. A question on 'growth' rather than recovery. I got a small one last night (about like the 'Day 1' photo above). This morning it was a little bit larger. A few hours later it was slightly larger again. Still nothing like half an eye or so. However, any idea on how long they may continue to bleed and grow before starting to reduce? Thanks (great hub!)
Sounds like you saw it just when it was starting sguy. I can't say how long this will continue, not least because the nature of the injury would be relevant. The best bet is to wait a day or so and then if it continues go to a Doctor, but the odds are it will have stopped increasing in size by then and be starting to reduce in size, in which case you shouldn't need to worry.
Interesting but looks serious although it is not. the pics were horrifying but i saw it all. this has once happened to me but it did'nt cover the whole eye with blood. it was just a spot.
you get the red thng in ur eye if u watch excess of t.v or sit at the computer all time, too. VERY INTERESTING HUB, MISTY. Tnxs 4 the hub.
Hi Kate, thanks for commenting. I don't think the red eye you get from watching too much TV or being in front of a computer is quite the same thing though. For a start it is not caused by broken blood vessels, although it might still appear the whites of your eyes are reddish :)
I got this from being really sick at the weekend, looks horrific but does not hurt at all, getting more sympathy for this than the vomit bug!!!
LOL, yes, it is one of those conditions which looks so awful everyone winces in sympathy, even though it isn't generally painful at all Abby.
Funny story: After a cataract operation, my mom (who has brown eyes) had the red on both sides of her iris, making her whole eye look the same darkness. She walked by the mantle, where our cat was stretched out lying there relaxing. My mom and the cat were pretty at much eye level with each other and close to each other (very close) The cat took one look at her and shot up in the air in a panic. I guess he got the impression of a vampire, too!
Thanks for sharing Lucy, must have frightened the cat big time LOL.
I actually hit my younger bro. in the left portion of his cheekbone and it cause him a blood clotting in his bottom-left eye, and the next 2days i recognized that it gradually become larger, about 2x of its first size, so i researched about this and thank god there's nothing to worry about, hope that he'll be better soon.
thanks for the post!!!
I am glad you found this post too laurence, and I am sure you will be more careful in future. If it does continue to get bigger I would suggest going to a doctor though. Good Luck :)
I have one of these things from a softball an its been a week an i have contant headaches! any advie? is it safe to put my contacts in???
If you have constant headaches you may have done some other damage with the softball, and I would go and see your Doctor. In the meantime I would not replace your contacts until you have had medical advice.
This happened to me today...it appears to me it happened when I got out of the shower and rub my eyes with my towel..probably scratching the eye?
Don't worry Sherry, it will no doubt be gone very soon :)
can you get it from failing on your butt
Good question tbird, no idea on that one as I haven't heard of that before.
Hi i fell and hit the curb about 5 days ago and received a bad black eye that was badly swollen and a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage. The black eye is getting better with the swelling nearly gone but in the last day or 2 the haemorrhage seems to have spread slightly, is this normal? I can see perfectly fine and its still in the white of the eye.
The bleeding should remain in the white of the eye because this is sealed off from the iris and pupil of the eye as described in this article. If the hemorrhage appears to be spreading after 5 days I would get it checked out by a Doctor in case something else is causing the bleeding or an ongoing problem.
Good Luck.
Very much informative and educative. Even a lay man can have
ABC-idea of the reddishness and its causes.
Thank you Ramachandra, I am glad you found this informative :)
Thank you so much for writing this!
I was in panic to see the blood in my eye.
This article calmed me, knowing it is nothing severe.
Glad this helped to alleviate your fears Joemi. Generally it looks far worse than it actually is and it should soon be gone. If it isn't showing signs of diminishing within a week then get it checked out just in case, but it is unlikely you will need to do so :)
My son accidently got hit in the eye quite hard with the tag of a teddy bear. He now has a red spot, been there since Sunday, today is Tuesday, should I take him to the doctor?
Hi Tania, it is hard to say without seeing it. If it is a broken blood vessel then it should vanish over the next few days. If it doesn't hurt this is probably what the red spot is. However, if the tag has torn the surface of the eye, which would be painful, then you should see a doctor in case he needs antibiotics or even surgery.
Hi,
Im experienceing it right now yesterday I cut a tile using grinder and a small pieces go through the side of my right eye and boooommmmm its like a point size of an ink but suddenly it scattered so fast and I immidiately go to a doctor.
In so strees right now im not a high blood person but yesterday after my BP thats the very firts time that the nurse says IM HIGH BLOOD wow.
my vision is good, no pain but it look awwwwwful if the bleeding continues what will happen?
Hi Marlon, hopefully the bleeding will have stopped already, but if it doesn't you will need to go back to your doctor in case they need to repair the damage with surgery. Normally no puncture would have taken place with a sub conjunctival haemorrhage, so if your eye was pierced by the pieces of tile the situation my be different in terms of healing. The good thing is you are not in any pain, which is a positive sign.
We had a tornado come through, dropping the barmetrics pressure, aat the same time is when my vessel burst. Mr daughter-in-law (RN) says that was the likely cause.
She could well be right Windih, it sounds very feasible.
Hi Thanks a lot for the reply. This article help me a lot I did not feel nervous anymore. Tmrw i will go back to a doctor for the check up. I noticed that the bleeding continues and I did not tell my wife about that because shes so worried. Now I feel dizzy I dont know if it is because of the eye glass. What will be the problem if I experience pain?
I would like to share my eye pictures as a courtesy from this site just let me know if you are interested. Thanks
If you go back to the doctor tomorrow I am sure he can help you once you share you ongoing concerns about the continued bleeding. If you experience pain you could have torn the surface of the eye, and this can require surgery (it happened recently to a friend of mine but she is fine now).
I would appreciate photos if you can get some for me, and once you have the full feedback from your doctor I can post them on this article with the info as to what the end result was. If you want to email them to me please can you initially send me a basic message using the envelope icon under my profile pic. Once I get this I will reply to you and then you will have my email address to send the images and information to. Please include your name or a name you would like me to use to credit you with thanks for allowing me to use the pictures.
Thanks for this, and I look forward to hearing from you.
i just got hit with a ball in the eye and it went bloodshoot wat should i do!!!!!!!!!!! help me ahhhh im dead!!
LOL Emily, okay, assuming you are serious the info is already here on this page, both in the comments and in the article. You don't really need to ask the question!
Good hub, being a sarcoidosis sufferer I can have extreme problems with my eyes, bloodshot for other reasons but usually bilareral uveitis, done the hub but not enough folks do take notice of eye problems, your awareness is good.
Thanks swb64, glad you liked this and I appreciate your feedback :)
Hi nowadays its getting better and better the dark blood turned out reddish except for feeling dizzy i think its the side effect of the eye dropper ill have to ask the doctor regarding that. will post the result after =)
thanks
Thanks Marlon, once I have the complete photo collection I will post them here with the appropriate editing of size being done, along with the day numbers :)
my eye has been turning red and my pupil is a darkesh black. The skin around my eye is also turning red kinda like veins coming out of it. is this just a broken blood vessel
I don't really understand what you are saying jonah. Your pupil is always going to be black as it is just a hole into the back of the eye. Your iris and pupil should remain normal. The white of the eye would be the part going red if it is a broken blood vessel. The skin around your eye, e.g. eyelid etc is different altogether, but could show damage if an impact was involved or very high blood pressure. Perhaps you had better get checked out just in case.
if i have contacts will it be okay 2 put them in the next day if is a really minor one
To be honest devon I can't see any reason not to wear contacts when the bleed is not a part of the iris and is contained within the white of the eye. You should double check this with your local doctor or hospital though.
So you're saying I'm not turning into a zombie...bummer.
Yep, sorry to disappoint RGFFRG lol ;)
Hi,
I would like you to know that my eye getting back to normal just a little part of bloody part Im backkkkk. I send you some of my eye shot after it all turned white maybe next week =) I thank God the tile part didnt hit the middle part of my eye. If it hit that my rigth eye is blind.
Well till next
Hi Marlon,
Glad to hear your eye is on the mend. any chance you can send me a few photos now too, because to show the healing process I need to be able to illustrate the stages with photos, not just a 'before' shot and an 'after' shot when it has healed completely.
Thanks :)
Just got this condition from scratching my eye, look like a zombie, very embarassing as i work in a college and the students will take the pee.
Sorry to hear that Rachel, hope it heals up soon. :)
m heaving the same problem and my eyes looks soo scary.....
It does tend to look rather scary shizna, but don't worry it will be gone before you know it.
Superb article...many thanks indeed!!!
Thanks Dorian, glad you approved of it :)
Very useful info. Just got another one yesterday after rubbing my eye as I was cutting onions. However I am dealing with high blood pressure issues which I believe can also be a contributor. Off to the Doctor's office for me.. lol
I must be prone to getting these or something. Im 46 and never had these untill about 4 years ago. Now it seems i get them every 7 or 8 months. i have great BP, but a single mom of teenage boys might be a factor with my stress. good article
Yep Kirk, high blood pressure is the most likely cause so you do need to act on this and get your blood pressure down asap.
Thanks cookiesmama, are you on any blood thinning medications, as this might be another cause of the problem? I hope the problem can be solved, perhaps you should speak to your doctor and mention it.
Check this out. My wife and I have never had this until she woke with one 2 days ago. Gross right? Then, I woke with a worse eye than she this morning. Weird and the coincidence is odd and a little alarming to me.
That is a strange coincidence David. Are you both on the same medications for any reason? I can't imagine any other reason unless you are punching each other in the eyes in your sleep lol. It probably is a coincidence though, just a really strange one.
Extremely helpful, informative and well-written article. Thanks loads!
Glad you liked this Xigris :)
I've had subconjunctival hemorrhages off and on for 15+ years. Mine are brought on by most anything that thins the blood. There are many foods, supplements, and pain medications that thin the blood. Fish oil, Vit. E, aspirin and anyting with aspirin in it, cholesterol drugs, an artifical sweetener, some herbs, etc. have all caused me to suffer with subconjunctival hemorrhages. There are also natural foods/spices that thin the blood which I'm now afraidd to eat. I have learned to go on about my business, but wear sunglasses when I have the condition. After so many years, the breaking blood vessels are painful. Doctors have not been able to help the condition.
Nice hub. I had this problem in the recent past. It was very alarming because I didn't understand what I did. Changing my diet and reducing stress helped in my recovery. Thanks for sharing!
That sounds really nasty Janet, surely a specialist as opposed to standard doctor could suggest something more helpful!
Thanks for commenting Hady, I am glad you sorted out the cause of the problem :)
I'm so glad I found these pictures and information, I woke up yesteday with one of those bloody eyes, and I was panicking.Thanks so much for the info and good work
You are more than welcome Mona. Glad to have put your mind at ease :)
This article will help a lot of people in panic if this will happened to them.
More power and God Bless. =)
Thanks Marlon, and thanks again for allowing me to use the photos of your experience :)
Nope! Thats is the only way I could help people, to stay them out of panic ahihihihihi.
It is very much appreciated Marlon :)
Will this cause a yellowish color to the eye when healing, too?
Yes because just like a bruise it goes through colour changes to get back to normal. Essentially it is a bruise on the eye white.
Thank you sooo much... this helped me a lot!
You are welcome k&d, pleased to have put your mind at rest :)
Can this also happen from throwing up???
I would think this would be very possible Wes222222, as this is still straining your body in the way as excessive sneezing, constipation etc.
I got one of these while i was in a concert in a moshpit, i was worried at first, but now I know I'm safe.
thanks ^.^
You are welcome fet, thanks for commenting here :)
Wow! you give them peace of mind misty, keep it up!
LOL, thanks Marlon :)
This happened to our daughter when she had an asthma attack. Very good hub and information.
Thanks very much Moonlake :)
I've just woken up with this after a night out last night. Actually freaked out when I saw it. Major panic until reading this. I shall still go see the doctor just in case though.
Don't panic Heather, it will be fine and the doctor will reassure you too. Good Luck, hope it heals up soon :)
Hi mistyhorizon2003, thank you for the very informative hub. For the very first time in my 62 years life, I just got the same problem with blood in my right eye without any reason that I can think of. I was very worried and was on my way to see a doctor today. But after I checked this hub I'm now very relaxed and decided to give it more time. Thank you again for the research and also for your time and patience to even replying to all postings for more than 2 years. Well Done!!
You are welcome Eddie874, I am sure you will be fine, but naturally if it goes on long enough to worry you it is worth getting it checked out anyway.
This happened to me last week for no apparent reason, I got my bp checked with the nurse and she said it was spot on. Today I woke up and it happened again. Why would it occur again so quickly? I have been a little stressed, but non more than usual!
It is hard to say why it happened again so soon pinkcamel as only you know which of the possible causes could apply in your case, e.g. medications, constipation, stress (which as you say may be a factor in your case). Sometimes the reason isn't obvious, but if it keeps happening regularly it might be worth going to a doctor and mentioning it to be on the safe side.
I got hit in the eye with a snooker cue. It hurt for a bit and waterd, but the next day I woke up and it there was blood on my pillow and on my face. Should I be concerned about this
I would get that checked out Jase the eye tissue could have torn and need treatment if the blood is leaking out on to your face or pillow. It happened to a friend of mine and she had to have a specialist look at it and treat it because there was a tear on the surface of the eye.
I just had for the the first time a broken blood vessal but am experianceing pain the irratation doesent bother me its the discomfort of the pain.Eye drops somewhat help.
If it is stinging it might be worth getting it checked out Sylvia. You never know if the surface of the eye has a tiny tear/rip on it which might need antibiotic drops to avoid infection.
Suiiki 2 years ago
As I discovered the other day, it can also happen by walking into a large freezer at the supermarket. Amy managed to do this (It's beyond me how she managed to NOT notice the thing) and apparently hit her face a lot harder than she thought. Luckily her's was a very minor one and now it's reduced to a slightly unattractive yellow spot in her eye, which is mostly healed. But it was cause for panic when I noticed a red spot in her eye the next day! (Stubborn girl that she is, she refused to go to a clinic with me. If the health care is free, USE IT. I just don't get that girl sometimes.)