While they might look painful, a broken blood vessel in the eye is typically harmless. In fact, many people are unaware they have one until they look in the mirror or are told by a friend. According to the opticians at Family Vision Center in Bridgeport, CT, a broken blood vessel in the eye—also known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage—can be caused by several factors and eye care treatment is generally unnecessary as it should typically heal on its own within one to three weeks.

An Eye Care Guide to Understanding Broken Blood Vessels in the Eye

What Are the Symptoms?

In addition to the most common symptom of visible bleeding between the sclera (the white of the eye) and conjunctiva (the clear surface of the eye), people also tend to note either an itchy or scratchy feeling. The good news is that pain is often non-existent and the vision should not be affected.

What Are the Causes?

The conjunctiva is a highly vascularized area of the body and contains many nerves and tiny blood vessels. Usually, these vessels are barely visible unless they become inflamed or enlarged, and their fragile walls can easily be broken. Although most commonly they are injured due to a blunt force trauma, any of the following events could also cause a break: sneezing, coughing, vomiting, straining, crying, rubbing eyes, poorly controlled blood pressure, and increased intracranial or intraocular pressure.

There are also several medications and supplement ingredients known to raise the risk of a broken blood vessel in the eye. Some of these include aspirin, Plavix®, Warfarin®, St. John’s wort, ginkgo biloba, and cayenne.

When Do You Need Treatment?

Although broken blood vessels in the eye will often heal on their own, you should still schedule an appointment with your eye doctor when they first arise to confirm that is indeed the problem. Conditions, such as hyphema (blood between the cornea and iris) could cause more severe problems and would require immediate treatment.

If you wake up with a broken blood vessel in your eye, do not hesitate to call an eye doctor to confirm no other serious condition could be lurking. Schedule an appointment with an optician at Family Vision Center today by calling (203) 333-2020. You can also learn more about their eye care services by visiting their website or Facebook page.