What is the small, red nodule in the corner of my eye?

[Nikilet]

I was looking in the magnifying mirror and noticed this very tiny nodule in the corner of my eye. I would say it is about the size of the head on a stick pin (not the kind with the colored knobs but just the old fashioned kind of stick pins). I had folded some clothes and thought it was a piece of lint or something like that in my eye, but when I used a Q-tip, I discovered I could move it around but not remove it. I pushed it around a bit and there was just the slightest hint of red which appeared on the Q-tip. I would guess that it has blood in it. There is no pain and I don't think I would have noticed it if I hadn't been looking in a magnifying mirror.

[JohnHaganMD]

End of problem. It probably was a small hemorrhage in a capillary vessel

[Nikilet]

It is on the side near the nose, in the very corner. I noticed on the other eye, there is no red dot but the caruncle if that is what it's called, is kind of swollen. I do have a problem with dry eye. Could that cause either of these things?

[Nikilet]

You didn't actually say what that little red dot that looks like it might have blood in it might be. Is this something I should worry about?

[JohnHaganMD]

Yes I did re-read my answer.

[Nikilet]

The lacrimal caruncle wouldn't be what I described to you because that is a lot larger than the head of a small stick pin. The lacrimal caruncle, if I understood the pictures right, is that fleshy nodule in the corner of the eye. But what I described to you was a very tiny, bloody looking nodule on that. It has since gone away.

[JohnHaganMD]

If its in the side of your eye near your nose it likely is the "caruncle" if in the very corner. If on your eyelid it could be the eyelid puncta or opening of the tear duct (one on upper and one on lower)  If its on the side towards the ear can't offer any useful information.    Use a search engine and pull up pictures of the "lacrimal caruncle"  and see if that is what you're noticing.  JCH MD