The medical term for bleeding in the white of your eye is subconjunctival haemorrhage. Although it may appear to be serious, it is usually not.
What can cause subconjunctival haemorrhage?
Many blood vessels run between your conjunctiva (the clear surface of your eye) and sclera (the white of your eye). Some of these tiny blood vessels burst and bleed, resulting in blood in your eye (subconjunctival haemorrhage)
Signs and symptoms of a subconjunctival haemorrhage:
Other than the red patch, bleeding in the white of your eye usually causes no symptoms. You may experience mild irritation on occasion. It has no effect on your vision because it does not affect the central part of your eye.
There are no clear causes for blood in your eye, some can be as mentioned below:
• an eye injury or head injury
• coughing, sneezing or vomiting
• eye rubbing
• high blood pressure
• a bleeding disorder or a tendency to bleed easily
• medicines such as aspirin
• strenuous activity, eg, heavy lifting
What is the treatment for subconjunctival haemorrhage?
There is no need for treatment. It will clear up in about two weeks by itself. However, consult your doctor if you keep having recurrent subconjunctival haemorrhages.
Key points to keep in your mind if you experience blood in your eye:
1. A bright red patch in your eye is caused by subconjunctival haemorrhage. It usually has no other symptoms and has no effect on your vision.
2. It is caused by the bursting of the tiny blood vessels that run between your eye’s clear surface (the conjunctiva) and its white surface (the sclera).
3. There is no need for treatment; it will go away in about two weeks.
4. Consult your doctor if this occurs again if you haven’t had your blood pressure checked in a while, if you have bleeding in other parts of your body, or if you suspect an eye injury is to blame. However, it is best to seek medical assistance as bleeding can be a symptom of an underlying condition or cause further complications