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If you see blood in the white part of the eye, known medically as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, it may look alarming but in fact it almost always is harmless. It simply is a small blood vessel in the eye that popped. It could be caused by a variety of reasons, some as mild as coughing or sneezing, and it usually passes on its own within two weeks or so.
Schedule an appointment with your eye doctor if the red spot doesn’t go away within 2-3 weeks, if you are in pain or are experiencing changes in your vision, if there’s more than one red spot or if the blood is located in the colorful part of your eye, known as the iris.
A red spot in the white part of the eye is usually not accompanied by any other symptoms, other than a possible scratchy feeling on the surface of your eye.
The blood vessel that popped is right under the conjunctiva which is a clear membrane that covers the surface of the eye and contains lots of small blood vessels. The blood is not in an area of the eye that affects your vision and that’s why this condition should not cause any changes in your vision. The red spot on your eye may get bigger within a day or two but then it usually starts turning a more yellowish hue as the eye begins to absorb the blood.
The most common causes of a subconjunctival hemorrhage are:
Sometimes it could result from other factors such as:
Less common causes are:
The chances of getting a subconjunctival hemorrhage increase after age 50 since it’s more common in this age group to develop diabetes or high blood pressure, however these illnesses are considered to be uncommon causes for a red spot in the eye.
A red spot in your eye is not always something that can be prevented, however there are certain recommendations of precautions that can be takes such as:
There is no treatment or method to speed up the natural healing of most subconjunctival hemorrhages. Your eye doctor may recommend using artificial tears to help with discomfort. If the bleeding appeared due to an underlying cause or condition, then the proper treatment will be provided to deal with the cause.
When there is blood in the white part of the eye, it tends to look much more alarming than it actually is. It usually is harmless and will go away on its own without requiring treatment. However, if you have any questions or concerns or if you are in pain or there’s changes with your eyesight, please schedule an appointment at our office. Our eye doctor has extensive experience helping people with this condition in our city.
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