Often, burst blood vessels in the eye are caused by accidentally hitting yourself in the eye as you sleep at night. How can I prevent a burst blood vessel in the eye? This, as well as having more than one subconjunctival haemorrhage, could be an indication of something more serious.įor most people, subconjunctival haemorrhages are a rare occurrence so, if you experience one more than twice a year, you should also book a check-up appointment, just to check it’s not an sign of something more sinister. You should also seek help for your burst blood vessel if it doesn’t disappear within two to three weeks, or if the blood seeps into your iris (the brown, blue, or green coloured part of your eye) coloured part of your eye. If you find yourself struggling with either of these, you should see your optician as soon as possible. With most subconjunctival haemorrhages, you shouldn’t experience any visual changes, nor any pain. When should I seek help for a burst blood vessel in the eye? Ensuring that you eat a healthy diet to keep your blood pressure as low as possible could help prevent complications from severe subconjunctival haemorrhages.
On top of these points, high blood pressure is also a risk factor for burst blood vessels, as well as having diabetes. If you take medication like this, it could mean that you experience subconjunctival haemorrhages more frequently than other people, and that the size of them is much larger than normal.
If you fall into this category and you have a large patch of blood in your eye, it’s a good idea to see your doctor for a check-up.Īspirin and warfarin can affect your blood’s ability to clot, which leads to a higher risk of burst blood vessels in the eye. Further to this, a total subconjunctival haemorrhage could be a sign of serious heart disease in older people. Subconjunctival haemorrhages are more likely as you get older. Who is most at risk of having burst blood vessels in the eye? The spot of blood may grow over the first 24-48 hours as the blood continues to bleed out of the conjunctiva.Ī burst blood vessel in the eye can be caused by a number of actions: You shouldn’t experience any pain but you may have a slight scratching sensation. Often, it will just look like a small spot of blood but, when there has been a big leak, the red area may take up your entire sclera, or even bulge outwards. The size of your subconjunctival haemorrhage depends on the amount of blood which has leaked out. This is because the conjunctive can’t absorb blood very quickly. It has lots of tiny, thin blood vessels in it and, if these break, the blood leaks out and sits between the conjunctiva and the sclera. The conjunctiva is a thin clear layer on top of the white part of your eye (the sclera). In fact, most of the time, subconjunctival haemorrhages disappear within a couple of weeks without treatment, gradually fading as a bruise would. Although it can be quite alarming initially due to its vivid appearance, it’s important to know that it’s usually nothing to worry about. Have you ever looked in the mirror and been shocked to find a bright red spot of blood in the white part of your eye? The name for this is a subconjunctival haemorrhage.