A bleed in the eye can look nasty, but is completely harmless. Most people have no problems, but some feel a slight irritation in the eye.
If you’ve had a bleed in your eye once, it’s not unusual for you to get it several times.
Diagnosis
Bleeding in the eye usually occurs spontaneously, sometimes after a coughing attack or a sneeze or after you have rubbed your eye.
When you have a bleed in the eye, a small blood vessel has burst and broken. The blood spreads over the white of the eye and is clearly visible because the conjunctiva is transparent.
Spontaneous bleeding in the conjunctiva is not usually associated with other diseases and does not need to be investigated. Vision is not affected by the bleeding.
Treatment
A spontaneous bleeding in the eye is not dangerous. You can count on the body to take care of the bleeding, just like any bruise.
The bleeding on the white of the eye decreases quickly and disappears after a few days or weeks, depending on how big it was. If you have suffered bleeding as a result of a blow to the eye, you need to have your eye examined by an ophthalmologist.
Text: Saint Erik’s Eye Hospital.
