Question Title: broken vessel in eye

Forum: The Eye Care Forum
Topic: Misc (Eye Problems)


Yesterday, my mother had a blood vessel break in the white of her
eye. She says there is no pain and it is not bothering
her--but it looks awful. The entire inner part of her right eye
is blood red and there is an area that looks like it could
be the broken vein. She found medical information that claims
it is not serious, but I suggested she visit the eye doctor to
make sure. Can you tell me what it is and if there is treatment?
Thanks.


It sounds as though you are describing a subconjunctival hemorrhage. You are correct in that this is a broken vein on the surface of the eye. It can be do to coughing, sneezing, straining, or rubbing the eye. It is more likely in patients on blood thinners such as aspirin. If this is recurrent we sometimes recommend a blood workup to rule out any blood problems but this is uncommon. Like any bruise, it may last a week to 10 days. Some people find some comfort with using artificial tears to keep the surface lubricated. I hope this has been helpful.

This information was provided for medical educational purposes only.

Sincerely,

HFHS M.D.-JL

*Keywords: eye hemorrhage


 

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