Bleeding in the eye, colloquially referred to as blood in the eye, although it causes a frightening appearance, is actually a temporary condition that often has no effect on vision.
Although most of the time there is no negative effect on vision, it is also important to investigate the underlying causes. So let’s take a closer look at why this condition occurs and what kind of effect is observed.
What is Blood in the Eye?
We call the clear outer surface of the eye the conjunctiva. This area, which covers the white part of your eye, has tiny blood vessels that are hard to see.
If these tiny blood vessels are deformed or ruptured due to any effect or disease, a condition called subconjunctival hemorrhage occurs and bleeding occurs in the white part of the eye.
Since the conjunctiva is a loose layer, even if it is just a drop of blood, it can spread over a large area of the eyeball and this can cause the appearance of bleeding in the eye.
As frightening as an eye bleed of this kind can be, it does not cause pain most of the time and has no effect on vision. However, it may be a harbinger of a different disease.
What Causes Blood in the Eye?
Let’s answer the main question. As we explained above, this bleeding must have an underlying cause. Sometimes we can say that this reason is very simple, sometimes it indicates a disease that should be taken into consideration. Hypertension is an example here. In patients with high blood pressure, sudden increases in blood pressure may cause a bloody appearance in the eye as it will damage the eye vessels we mentioned. In this case, the patient must be treated for blood pressure. I would like to list other possible causes just below.
- Damaging the blood vessels by rubbing the eye hard.
- Damaging or wearing out the blood vessels during contact lens use.
- Damage caused by sudden stresses such as sneezing, vomiting or coughing.
- Regular use of blood thinners.
- Taking medications with certain side effects.
- Having diabetes and consequent deterioration of the vascular structure.
- Having high blood pressure.
- Depending on physical injuries that may occur in the head or eye area.
- Having disorders related to blood clotting.
How is bleeding in the eye treated?
In this case, which is called subconjunctival hemorrhage, no additional treatment is usually applied. The healing process can be completed with artificial tears and some eye-relaxing drops.
In most cases, the ruptured or damaged vessels heal and the bloody appearance gradually disappears. As mentioned above, this condition is not expected to have a negative effect on vision.
However, in case of long-lasting complaints and recurrent bleeding, it is absolutely necessary to consult a specialist doctor and investigate the underlying causes. If there is any medication-related or disease-related cause, a medical examination will reveal these causes.
