It’s been known to happen. You wake up for some unknown reason and meander to the bathroom. As you’re splashing water on your face, you notice a bright red patch on your eye. It could cause more than a little bit of panic. No, you aren’t dreaming that you’re still in a nightmare, and you probably don’t need to start googling symptoms. Instead, it’s good to know ahead of time what’s really happening when you have a broken blood vessel in your eye.
What Exactly Is a Broken Blood Vessel in Your Eye?
You may be looking for a how to heal a broken blood vessel in your eye fast resource. Before we get to that, know what you’re looking at. That alarming red spot has a medical name: subconjunctival hemorrhage. It sounds scarier than it actually is. Essentially, one of the tiny blood vessels underneath the clear surface of your eye (called the conjunctiva) has burst, causing blood to pool in that space. Think of it like a bruise, but on your eye instead of your skin.
The conjunctiva can’t absorb blood quickly, so the red patch just sits there, looking dramatic while it slowly gets reabsorbed by your body.
What Causes These Eye Blood Vessels to Pop?
The causes range from completely mundane to slightly more concerning. Most of the time, it’s something ridiculously simple:
- Sneezing too hard (yes, really)
- Coughing violently
- Vomiting
- Straining during bowel movements
- Heavy lifting
- Rubbing your eyes too aggressively
Sometimes you won’t even know what caused it. You might go to bed normal and wake up looking like you’ve been in a fight. Other times, more serious conditions can be the culprit. High blood pressure can make your blood vessels more fragile and prone to bursting. Blood-thinning medications like aspirin or warfarin can also increase your risk.
Certain medical conditions make broken eye blood vessels more likely. Diabetes, bleeding disorders, and even severe constipation can all play a role. If you’re taking supplements like ginkgo biloba or high doses of vitamin E, these can also thin your blood slightly.
Do Broken Eye Blood Vessels Hurt?
Here’s some good news: they typically don’t hurt at all. You might feel a slight scratchy sensation, like there’s something in your eye, but most people don’t experience any pain. If your eye is seriously painful, that’s a different story, and you should see a doctor right away.
The lack of pain is actually one way to tell that you’re dealing with a simple broken blood vessel rather than something more serious. Your eye might feel a bit dry or irritated, but it shouldn’t throb or ache.
How Dangerous Are They Really?
In most cases, a broken blood vessel in your eye is about as dangerous as a paper cut. It looks worse than it is. The blood will gradually be reabsorbed over the course of one to three weeks, and your eye will return to normal without any lasting effects.
However, you should definitely see a doctor if you experience recurring broken blood vessels, especially if they happen frequently without an obvious cause. This could signal an underlying issue with blood pressure or blood clotting that needs attention.
When to Worry
Seek medical attention immediately if your broken blood vessel is accompanied by vision changes, severe eye pain, discharge, or if it happened after an eye injury. Also, if you’re seeing broken blood vessels in both eyes at the same time, or if they keep happening repeatedly, it’s worth having a conversation with your healthcare provider.
Most of the time, though, you just need to wait it out and resist the urge to stare at yourself in every reflective surface you pass.