When small, fragile blood vessels break underneath the tissue covering the white of the eye (conjunctiva), resulting eye soreness might suggest that you have a subconjunctival hemorrhage.
A subconjunctival hemorrhage normally is benign, causing no vision problems or considerable eye discomfort despite its obvious appearance.
However eye redness also can be a sign of other types of potentially major eye conditions. Especially if you have eye discharge, you should visit your eye doctor for an eye test to eliminate an infection caused by bacteria, virus or other microbe.
You need to look for instant care from an eye care expert whenever you experience uncommon and consistent redness of the eye accompanied by an abrupt modification in vision, pain or strong light level of sensitivity. This type of eye soreness can be a sign of other eye issues such as unexpected beginning of glaucoma.
What Causes Subconjunctival Hemorrhages?
Although it is not constantly possible to recognize the source of the issue, some potential causes of subconjunctival hemorrhage include:
- Eye injury can cause a broken blood vessel.
- A sudden increase in blood pressure that can arise from heavy lifting, coughing, sneezing, laughing and constipation.
- Blood thinners such as aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and warfarin (one trademark name is Coumadin).
- Hardly ever, a blood clotting condition or vitamin K shortage (vitamin K aids the functioning of proteins required for blood clot).
- Eye surgery, including LASIK and cataract surgery.
A subconjunctival hemorrhage typically occurs with no obvious harm to your eye. Even a strong sneeze or cough can cause a blood vessel to break in the eye. You don’t have to treat it. Your symptoms might worry you. However a subconjunctival hemorrhage is generally a harmless condition that vanishes within two weeks approximately.
How Are Subconjunctival Hemorrhages Treated?
Lubricant artificial tears can soothe the eyes, although eye drops can not assist fix the damaged blood vessels.
If you are taking aspirin or blood thinners, continue taking them unless your doctor particularly instructs you to do otherwise.
Ensure not to rub your eye, which can increase the risk of re-bleeding right after start– similar to how a nose bleed is prone to re-bleeding in the early stages.
How Long Do Subconjunctival Hemorrhages Last?
In many cases, it takes seven to 10 days for the hemorrhage to dissipate by itself. As the hemorrhage disappears with time, the afflicted area can alter color, like a bruise.
