What Causes Broken or Burst Blood Vessels in the Eyes?
A broken blood vessel in the eye is known as a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage. It can look pretty horrific (as in the above image), but it will not cause any damage to your eyesight. It is, however, 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 amongst other things that I shall cover below). 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.
Warning
If your sub-conjunctival haemorrhage has been caused by trauma to the eye, such as a punch, a tennis ball, squash ball, etc., you should immediately seek the advice of your doctor in case any other damage has 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 be associated with blood clotting problems 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. 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 including heart attacks, strokes etc.). It is crucial that you do everything in your power to keep your blood pressure down at healthy levels, and apart from 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
Avoid:
| Include:
|
---|---|
Excessive alcohol
| 5 portions of any fruit or vegetables per day (canned, fresh frozen etc)
|
Excessive salt
| 2 portions of fish per week, at least one of which should be oily such as mackerel, trout or salmon
|
Saturated fats
| Cereal, rice, and pasta
|
Chemical food additives such as MSG
| |
Dairy products
| |
Caffeine
| |
Smoking
|
Constipation
Another common cause of subconjunctival hemorrhages is constipation. The straining involved in passing a stubborn bowel movement can cause blood vessels to rupture—not just in the eyes, but also in the anus (causing 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 movement every morning. 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), and behada (terminalia belerica).
- Avoid certain foods dairy products, red meats, fried foods, and chips.
- I've found this 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:
- Avoid the situation.
- Adapt to the situation.
- Alter the situation.
- Accept the situation.
Coughing and Sneezing
Needless to say we all cough and sneeze at one time or another. 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 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, stay warm, and (if possible) take some cough medicine that will reduce the symptoms of a cold until you have fully recovered.
Above All
Don't panic! This condition does not mean that you are in imminent danger of a stroke or that you have developed a brain tumour. It is, in fact, very common 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.
Sources
Mayo Clinic Staff. "Subconjunctival Hemorrhage (Broken Blood Vessel in Eye)." October 2016. MayoClinic. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
Boyd, Kierstan. "What Is a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage?" Last reviewed September 1, 2016. The American Academy of Opthamology. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
Kenny, Tim, MD. "What Is a Subconjunctival Haemorrhage?" Last checked December 2016. Patient.Info. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
Lusby, Franklin W., MD. "Subconjunctival Hemorrhage." Last reviewed November 2015. University of Maryland Medical Centre. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Comments
I just had an eye hemorrhage and went to my othomiligist? And he told me is not caused by hi blood pressure. Amen
Very informative... Thank you so much
woke up with vessels broken and whole eye is maroon in color and blurry. feels like i have somethong covering eyeball. i am diabetic
My father has this problem. But he never understood the reason. It has been more than ten years and he still doesn't know. Honestly, he never bothered to ask the doctor about sub-conjunctival hemorrhage. I will share this information with him and let him know what he should do.
He has a blood pressure and is very stressed all the time. So according to your hub that maybe the reason.
Informative hub!
Very enlightening, thank-you.
My father just had eye surgery in one eye for cataracts about a week ago, and got a burst eye vessel during surgery. Doctors say he would be fine and I'm sure he would be. He has blurry vision though. Is that from the surgery or from the burst vessel?
If you have a painful pulling feeling in the corner of the eye along with the bleed is there reason for concern.
i got beat up and i had a black eye byt now my eyes keep getting blood shot what do i do
I didn't even know my eye was redshoot until someone mentioned I didn't even paid any attention to it, I'm in the middle of selling one of my houses so since it didn't hurt I kept on doing what I needed to do. I friend put some red eyes drops in my eye last night I still didn't even looked in the mirror until this morning still no pain but geeezzluizzz I never seen my eye so red before, so now I'm concern but after reading this hub I'm more ok, I will go see a Doctor just in case its always best to play it safe. Thank you for the info.
Just
thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you
Thx for the information got me calmed down my mom while feeding the dogs got her eye accidentally got hit by our dog using the dogs leg anyway I was shock my moms eye started becoming red like the picture before I read this.How long do you think will the red eye last?Another question as well if you rub the eye accidentally will the red color part of the eye spread?
Hi Misty,thanks for the info. I had this problem 4 times in the last 4 months.usually lasting for a week. but this time it occurred 3 days back , intensity is more and it may take another week to vanish. Initially it took me by surprise but gradually i could feel an itching pain while it occurred.Even a mild sensation can be felt ocationally. Pressure generally normal but found to be little fluctuating after such incidence.other probable causes are absent.
can u suggest further course of action.
Thanks for the super fast response!
Hi there. I got sick to my stomach this past Sunday, after a crying spell. I looked in the mirror and had two bloody eyes - below the visible part of my eyes. Over the past few days, the red has traveled up into the visible part of my eye and the outside of my eyes are yellow and dark looking. I have been sensitive to light, and have had some mild headaches and general eye irritation. Does all of this sound like part of the healing process?
My wife just had one when I came home from work. There seems to be a bump that is slightly darker with the blood going out each side. I was wondering if darker areas or slight bumps are normal. She has taken asprin last night and some multivitamins but no trauma to the eye.
I'm writing a book where a character suffers through an injury resulting in burst blood vessels in the eye, and seeing all the pictures and knowing how long it can take to clear up was am amazing help to me! Thank you so much for putting all of this together. :)
hi. i had been punched in the eye and now i got a black eye and the white eye is bleeding. i kinda have a doublevision at my first sight then it returns back to normal vision. how long will it last? its about a week now
Hmm, informative article. Good information. I have a question though: Is there some kind of reaction that can cause minor bleeding in both eyes at the same time? I was cleaning a neighbors carpet today and noticed a minor bit of a bloodshot look a bit later. It has gotten a bit worse with my left eye and there is a very small amount of blood in my right eye. I just assumed it was an allergic reaction to the neighbors dog but I'm not so sure anymore. I've been around dogs my whole life and never had a problem except last week I noticed I started to react a bit to a dog I was watching. After today I figured I was developing a pet allergy. Like I said though, I'm not sure anymore.
I just hate looking like a vampire all the time :(
I have this happening in both my eyes, is that common? The only thing that has happened is a lot of crying. I lost my grandfather a couple days ago and I had been crying for the whole day mostly. Then the next day my husband noticed my eye was all red. When I looked in the mirror I noticed the other one was too. Luckily that one is hidden mostly under the eyelid. I'm just curious if crying can cause this, or if something else is happening.
Dear Mistyhorizon2003, Just wanted to say a big thank you for doing this article on the eye and photos on the stages of healing... that will guide and help so many people. I got this problem yesterday having never had it before and was beside myself. I have been to the optician, who took a picture of the back of my eyes so we could see the inside of my eye and blood vessels. At the time it looked like a varicous vein but today it looked like your blood-filled eye hence I looked it up. He sent me away with eyedrops.
Just one question- did your eye feel achy and a bit like eye strain during the first couple of days?
Thank you for your response! :)
I woke up with a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage yesterday morning in the upper part of my left eyeball (under the eyelid). By the evening it had spread down towards the iris. Went to the doc last night to have it checked out. He said it spread downwards due to gravity. Went to bed last night, woke up this morning and the left side has also spread right towards the iris. Could this be from gravity too? How do I know it's not still bleeding?
had this happen to me 3 times this year. i suffer allergies so always sneezing and rubbing eyes. a friend has put the willies up me saying that was the symptoms his sister had when they found a brain tumour. i have been told off the dr today my blood pressure is slightly high and shes sending me for an urgent appointment at hospital. am i flapping for no reason
Can you still where contacts with a burst blood vessel in the eye? I've waiting about 3 days to wear them but I was wondering if it was safe to do so??
My eye looks like its bleeding but can I still wear contacts or should I stick to glasses until my eye heals?
thanks alot yeah it just feels Heavy on the bottom of my left eye, since thats wear i think i kind of hit my eye. it happened Tuesday to me, since than its been a little better, but it still feels heavy. So yeah i will wait a few more days, do you think i should wait a week and try the Artifical tears to see if that helps?
thanks alot Misty, would eye drops help like Artifical tears in this case to Lubricate the eye, to make it heal quicker? thanks.
Hi Misty how are you? Just had a question. Im 21 years old, and yesterday hair fell into my left eye , and i was trying to get it out by putting cold water in my eye. I was using my hands, which was a mistake i won't do it again. While i was splashing my eye with water with my hands, by mistake i think i slapped the bottom of my eye with my hand, which was a mistake. I had my left eye open at the time. My eye was red in the start, but now the redness is gone. The only problem is my Left eye Feels Heavy for some reason, i don't know how to explain it. My left eye just feels heavier than my right eye.What could i do about this? thanks.
Yes it was a nasty fall, my eye was swollen shut. Im hoping it will resolve in a least a one month. I seem to be a slow healer. Thank you so much! For the response so quickly, for the information also!
Hi Misty ive had this the blood in my eye for a lil over 3 weeks. It was from trauma by falling. Its been clearing a little but im worried it wont go away completely. Is that a possibility? or maybe it might take a month or two to completely heal?
Hi guys , 5 days ago u had blepharoplasty upper and lower my left eye full of blood in the white area , my vision is good but it looks scary :( what do you think may help to reduce it a warm compress ? Eye drops ?
Great information...had a huge burst about 20 yrs ago....wearing an eye patch made me a big hit in local bars. So much so one of my friends suggested wearing all the time to make it easier to attract men! Hadn't thought about it until this am while putting on make up. Noticed a small red dot under left iris. This is nothing compared to my earlier experience which did clear up with no intervention....I know one was probably caused by work pressure. Now being retired I can only guess this lesser condition was prompted by turnin 70. Argh! But thanks for such good info
Thank you very much sir I would check it out for the stitches
I got jumped last Sunday I had a swollen eye a cut mighta need stitches but it's healing with neosporin and blood vessel in my eye during that time it's healing little by little my vision is still good how long would it take to heal and the swollelingness
Thank you For giving Advice Sir Surely i will consult with doctor.
With Regards,
Vedha.S
Thank goodness for this article my daughter who is 5 has had a nasty cold and an eye infection...I noticed blood around the eye and freaked (of course) lol still after going to the clinic I was weary but this has definatly helped calm me down thank you very much
Hi Sir,
Hope you are fine sir, Before two year i lost my right hand side eye vision.i was affected by typhoid at that time and from before itself as a symptom i loosed my vision for 30-60 seconds then it will return back to normal eye condition when i went to hospital also doctors checked my eye and said i was in normal condition. but now i lost my vision i went to all hospitals but till now i don't the reason of my loss of vision.then every one suggested me to see cardiologist i went and meet with my family they checked me and said that "i am having a very small hole in my left hand side heart". and they said its not a problem.
SIR PLEASE TELL ME THE REASON OF MY LOSS OF VISION AND GUIDE ME TO CURE MY PROBLEM
I WAS 25 YEARS OLD GIRL IN THIS AGE Y I GOT THIS PROBLEM?
WHAT WILL BE THE REASON?
WILL I GET ANY PROBLEMS IN FUTURE?
My left hand side vision is in normal condition.
PLEASE REPLY TO ME SIR.
With Regards,
Vedha.S
hi i just experienced a burst blood vessel in my eye and it was because i had just eatn Maccas and got food posioning. I had a good vomit and in the morning i woke up with blood in my eye.
Scarey at first but all good.
Mine had been around 4 days... it looks scary to me as this is the first time broken blood vessels lasted this long...usually mine go away within a few hours time. I did not rubbed my eye when I noticed somewhere at the corner of the eye got a bit pinkish but it got wider by the end of the day. As of yesterday, it was about a quarter of the eye ball. I haven't been sleeping properly the last few days (not sure why as i can usually sleep quite well) and I noticed that I can't stand looking at the computer screen for long now... It feels stressful to the eye.... Is this normal? I was thinking is it the stress that causes the blood vessels to burst?
I'm 25weeks pregnant and woke up to find I had a blood like stain in my eye next to pupil it's not big can see clearly and it only itichies at night should I ne worried only had it for 3 days
My eye blood pressure broke . My eye started getting really blurry. Then I went to go get x-rays on my eye, they told me that my blood vessels pop. So they covered my vision because my eyes were to blurry. They been 3 weeks already, it slowly is getting better. Does anyone know how I can have the process go away faster?
I found this while doing a Google search for burst blood vessels in the eye as this has just happened to my partner and I wanted to find out more about the condition. It's quite reassuring to read it isn't serious. He didn't even know it had happened until I remarked on how red his eye was. Hopefully it's just a one off.
my eye is like this from a nice punch in the face just glad to no its not going to stay like this
Update: My eye is perfectly clear now I believe it was pressure from swelling that went behind my ear and sinus area ELEVATE your head after you have teeth pulled! Lol
i get these blood vessel rupture in my left eye 4 times at an interval of 15 days. my bp is normal but when the vessel ruptures the bp is 160/90. i was told that the cause is because of high bp but on monitoring the bp continously morning and evening for 20 days the bp is normal . Conclusion is that the bp shoots up at the time of rupture. got my other tests done too burt things are normal. i wonder then why do the vessel rupture. i am trying to find the cause.
They took my blood pressure before starting and said it was fine my pulse was a bit elevated because of nerves. I figures it was probably from him using one hand to steady my face while he pulled the teeth or maybe pressure from swelling where he placed the injection where my top and bottom jaw meets because I have pressure in my ear too
I had 3 teeth pulled on my bottom right jaw (molars) 4 days ago today when I was talking to my hubby I looked off to the right and he noticed my eye was red ... does not look like a solid patch like some pics on here but the vessels are red and a couple of them have tiny bits of blood spots I didn't notice any pain but after he noticed it and I looked at it it seems to be sore ..... I think im just panicking lol ... can having teeth pulled (off the pressure) cause this?
My Mom had this happen. She felt a pain in her head and when we got home, her eye was red. Her heart Dr. did not feel it was a problem. but 3 days later she died A-fib. I always felt it had something to do with it but still wonder if she shouldn't of been checked out, brain scan or blood clot, something. They said it was just a coincedence. I'm not sure. Your opinion please?
Your HUB got a great work misty . Thanks for continuing helping people. God Bless you always misty =).
Last week my right eye again turned red outside the black part after I sneeze, it just be there for a while and it's gone after 2-3 hours
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