Why Is There Blood In My Eye? Causes And When To Worry

Waking up and seeing a bright red patch on the white of your eye is alarming, but it is rarely a medical emergency. That red spot is usually a subconjunctival hemorrhage — a broken blood vessel that leaks a small amount of blood between the clear membrane and the white part of the eye. It looks worse than it is, and in most cases it clears up on its own within two weeks without any treatment.

What Is That Red Spot On My Eye?

The white part of your eye is called the sclera. A thin, clear membrane called the conjunctiva covers it. This membrane contains many tiny blood vessels. When one of those vessels breaks, blood leaks into the space between the conjunctiva and the sclera. That trapped blood is what you see as a bright red patch.

Because the blood is trapped in a thin layer, it spreads out flat. This is why the red area can look large even though the amount of blood is tiny. The medical name for this is a subconjunctival hemorrhage. It is the eye version of a bruise.

The blood may look dark red at first, then turn more orange or yellow as it breaks down and clears. This color change is normal and is a sign that healing is happening.

What Causes A Broken Blood Vessel In The Eye?

Most of the time, a subconjunctival hemorrhage happens without a clear cause. You simply wake up one morning and it is there. When a cause is identified, it is usually something that briefly raised the pressure in your veins.

Common triggers include:

• Coughing hard or sneezing forcefully
• Straining from lifting something heavy
• Rubbing your eye too hard
• Vomiting or straining on the toilet
• Trauma or a direct blow to the eye

Some people get these after eye surgery or from wearing contact lenses. High blood pressure can make these hemorrhages more likely to happen. Blood-thinning medications such as aspirin, warfarin, or clopidogrel also increase the risk. So do supplements like fish oil and vitamin E, which have mild blood-thinning effects.

There is one important distinction to make. A broken vessel on the white of the eye is not the same as a broken vessel inside the eye. If the bleeding is inside the eye itself, that is a different condition called a hyphema, and it requires urgent medical attention. A hyphema usually follows an injury and involves blood pooling in the colored part of the eye or behind the cornea. It often causes pain and blurred vision.

When Should I Worry About Blood In My Eye?

Most subconjunctival hemorrhages are harmless. But some situations require a doctor’s attention. If you have blood in your eye and any of the following, see a doctor promptly:

• Pain in the eye
• Blurred or decreased vision
• A feeling of pressure inside the eye
• Blood that appears in both eyes at the same time
• Recurrent hemorrhages that keep coming back
• Recent eye surgery or trauma to the head

Pain and vision changes are the two biggest red flags. A simple subconjunctival hemorrhage does not hurt. It does not change your vision. If either of those symptoms is present, the problem may be more serious than a broken surface vessel.

If you are taking blood thinners and develop a hemorrhage, contact the doctor who prescribed them. They may want to check your blood levels. If you have high blood pressure and get these often, it is worth having your blood pressure checked. Some research suggests that frequent subconjunctival hemorrhages can be a sign of poorly controlled hypertension, though many people with normal blood pressure get them too.

How Long Does It Take To Heal?

A subconjunctival hemorrhage typically clears within one to two weeks. Smaller spots may fade in a few days. Larger ones can take up to three weeks. The blood does not need to be drained or removed. Your body absorbs it naturally, just like a bruise on your skin.

During healing, the red patch may change color. It can spread slightly as the blood settles, which can make it look worse before it looks better. This is normal. The color will shift from bright red to a brownish or yellowish shade, then disappear completely.

There is no treatment that speeds up this process. Artificial tears can help if your eye feels dry or slightly gritty, but they do not remove the blood. Cold compresses applied in the first day or two may reduce any mild swelling, but they will not make the red spot vanish faster.

Can I Prevent A Subconjunctival Hemorrhage?

You cannot prevent most of these hemorrhages. They often happen without warning and without a clear trigger. That said, some general habits reduce your risk.

Avoid rubbing your eyes aggressively. If you have allergies that make your eyes itch, treat the allergy rather than rubbing. When lifting heavy objects, breathe out as you lift instead of holding your breath. This reduces the pressure spike in your chest and veins.

If you take blood thinners, do not stop them on your own. The risk of stopping a prescribed blood thinner is far greater than the risk of an eye hemorrhage. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned.

Keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range is the most meaningful preventive step. High blood pressure weakens vessel walls over time, making them more likely to break. If you get subconjunctival hemorrhages repeatedly, a blood pressure check is a reasonable step.

What If The Blood Is Not On The White Of My Eye?

Sometimes people say “blood in my eye” but the redness is actually elsewhere. Redness that covers the whole white of the eye, with a watery discharge and a gritty feeling, is more likely conjunctivitis — commonly called pink eye. This is an inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, not a hemorrhage.

Pink eye usually involves both eyes and may be accompanied by crusting or discharge. A subconjunctival hemorrhage is a single patch of blood, not a general redness across the whole eye.

If the blood is in the colored part of the eye, that is a hyphema and needs urgent care. If the redness is accompanied by severe pain, nausea, or halos around lights, that could be acute angle-closure glaucoma, which is a medical emergency. These conditions are rare, but they are serious.

Any time you are unsure what you are looking at, a quick visit to an eye doctor or primary care provider settles it. It is always acceptable to ask.