Blood in the eye? Often everything is ok, but the subconjunctival hemorrhage can reveal more

By Cristiano Antonino Last updated Jun 14, 2023

Subconjunctival hemorrhage: the bloodstains in the eye are the consequence of the rupture of some capillaries affecting the visual system, and more specifically the sclera and the conjunctiva

Blood in the eye? First point: don’t worry

When the capillaries break, blood flows and appears as a red patch in the sclera, which is the white part of the eye.

The medical term to define the presence of blood in the eye is subconjunctival hemorrhage, also called hyposphagma: this is because the presence of blood occurs below the conjunctiva, the transparent layer that lines the inside of the eyelid and covers the inner part of the eye.

Even if in most cases it is a phenomenon that shouldn’t worry you and that doesn’t bring discomfort, it’s good to know that blood in the eye can have different causes, which however don’t always require treatment.

More rarely, in fact, blood in the eye can be a symptom of other problems, such as vitreous hemorrhage (when the capillaries break involving the vitreous body which is usually transparent), which can compromise vision, and retinal hemorrhage, which involves the retina and is due to trauma or occurs as a sign of vascular disease.

Symptoms of subconjunctival hemorrhage

The main symptom of subconjunctival hemorrhage is obviously the evident presence of blood in the sclera: at a certain point, looking in the mirror, you see red spots around the iris, proof that some capillaries have broken.

Subsequently, from red the stain can turn yellow or green, just as happens with bruises that reabsorb over time.

Very rarely, blood in the eye is accompanied by other symptoms.

Sometimes itching or burning may appear, some patients complain of a “scratchy” sensation, as if there was something in the eye.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage does not cause damage to vision and in very rare cases pain is felt.

While in the case of vitreous or retinal hemorrhage it is more likely that in addition to the bloodstain there is pain in the eye, blurred vision and floaters (“floaters”).

Vision is rarely more or less seriously impaired.

What causes blood in the eye

The conjunctival epithelium contains many blood vessels, with a very fragile nature: their walls can break very easily and cause the red spots typical of subconjunctival hemorrhage.

This is why it is a very frequent event, often caused by everyday life situations such as:

weight lifting
vomit
sneezing
coughing fits
eye rub

However, there are health problems that can cause blood to appear in the eye, and therefore need more careful attention.

Among these we count:

blunt trauma
skull fractures
an increase in eye or intracranial pressure
coagulation disorders

Other times, subconjunctival hemorrhage can be the result of certain eye diseases, in particular if accompanied by ocular secretion, testifying to the presence of an infection.

Even in cases of surgery to correct refractive defects, blood may appear in the eye as a post-operative complication.

High blood pressure, diabetes and hormonal changes during pregnancy can also cause eye bleeding, as can choking and the Valsalva maneuver.

Risk factors

There are also factors that can increase the risk of the onset of subconjunctival hemorrhage, mostly connected to the consumption of certain drugs and substances.

Among the drugs that have blood in the eye among the side effects we find anticoagulants, such as acetylsalicylic acid (the common aspirin), while among the substances, even if more rarely associated with eye bleeding, there are ginkgo biloba, cayenne pepper and ginger, obviously when consumed in large quantities.

As for vitreous hemorrhage, the most common causes are:

retinal detachment
macular degeneration
glaucoma
diabetes
diabetic retinopathy
uveitis

That retinal can in turn be caused by:

various systemic vascular diseases
retinal detachment
macular degeneration
head trauma

Diagnosis by blood in the eye

When there is blood in the eye, the bleeding usually disappears within a few days, reabsorbing by itself.

In any case, it is always advisable to undergo an eye examination to ascertain the cause of the bleeding of the capillaries and establish in the presence of which type of hemorrhage you are.

If the source of the break is easily identifiable with an eye exam, nothing needs to be done.

If, on the other hand, the cause is not certain, the ophthalmologist could prescribe further tests, for example the measurement of pressure or a blood count to identify any alterations or bleeding disorders.

To ascertain the presence of vitreous or retinal hemorrhage it is important that the ophthalmologist does a complete eye exam to evaluate the bulb and fundus of the eye, carefully analyzing the vitreous and retina.

When, on the other hand, the patient has suffered a trauma, it may be appropriate to carry out more specific and in-depth examinations to evaluate the extent of the damage and exclude the involvement of other parts of the visual system or the central nervous system.

How to cure blood in the eye

If the blood in the eye is due to subconjunctival hemorrhage, there’s nothing you need to do—just wait for the bloodstain to clear up on its own.

When the patient complains of pain, it is possible to proceed with the prescription of analgesics, or in case of burning or discomfort, artificial tears can be used.

In cases of infection it is necessary to treat the eye with antibiotic eye drops and ointments.

On the other hand, those who regularly take anticoagulants will have to evaluate together with the doctor whether to stop them or not.

In the presence of vitreous or retinal hemorrhage, the ophthalmologist will evaluate the best treatment, which could include the use of drugs or laser surgery.

Blood in the eye grandmother’s remedies

When faced with subconjunctival hemorrhage, the problem goes away on its own in a few days, at most two to three weeks.

However, there are some good habits that can speed up blood reabsorption, such as the consumption of foods rich in flavonoids (berries, grapes, citrus fruits).

Instead, it is better to avoid spicy foods, alcohol, coffee and carbonated drinks.

Blood in the eye is a rather common phenomenon due to the rupture of the capillaries, which thus form a red spot in the sclera.

Most of the time it is caused by an effort made in everyday life, but it can also be the sign of some ongoing pathologies.

For this reason, even if the eye hemorrhage returns on its own but repeats itself several times, it is advisable to book an eye examination to understand its origin.

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