Most eye conditions such as eye strain, dry eyes, glaucoma, and uveitis are accompanied by persisting pain and blurriness in vision. However, subconjunctival haemorrhage does not cause such common symptoms.
If you notice significant redness in your eyes, make sure to get medical help as it can signal the presence of an eye condition. Get your eyes checked at any of our eye hospitals in West Bengal. We are a team of highly-experienced eye specialists who can diagnose the condition and suggest the right course of action. Book an appointment online at http://www.dishaeye.org/appointment
A few important points on subconjunctival haemorrhage, to raise awareness about the eye condition:
1) Ruptures in blood vessels lead to the onset of the condition
Subconjunctival haemorrhage occurs when blood vessels in the conjunctiva, the outermost protective coating of the eyeball, rupture. When the eye is inflamed, blood vessels, some of which are very small and delicate and often invisible, become larger and leak. This results in subconjunctival haemorrhage.
There are several factors that can damage the delicate blood vessels. These include:
- Injury: Serious physical impact to the eyes can damage the delicate blood vessels and lead to blood leakage.
- Impaired blood clotting function: In rare cases, impaired blood clotting function (caused mainly due to Vitamin K deficiency) can be the cause. Due to Vitamin K deficiency, the micro tears in the blood vessels may not clot and lead to eye redness.
- Increased blood pressure: Certain factors, such as constipation, coughing, wheezing, and heavy lifting can increase the blood pressure which, in turn, can cause the blood vessels to rupture and leak.
2) Subconjunctival haemorrhage looks frightening
The sight of eyes that are fully red in the white part may appear frightening. The eye condition so to speak, is not as painful as it appears to be. You may not even know you have subconjunctival haemorrhage until you discover in the mirror that the white part of your eyes is bright red.
However, in some cases, the eye condition may be accompanied by slight discomfort due to a scratched sensation. Other than the bloody appearance, there are rarely any symptoms associated with subconjunctival haemorrhage.
3) Complications of subconjunctival haemorrhage
In most cases, subconjunctival haemorrhage does not lead to any serious complications, but it needs to be treated. For example, if the leakage in the blood vessels is caused by an eye injury, it is crucial to get the eyes checked for corneal or retinal damages. Serious impact on the eyes can also lead to vision blurriness and/or dimness apart from causing blood-shot eyes.
The same goes for cases of subconjunctival haemorrhage resulting from the use of blood thinners.
If eye discharge is associated with redness in the eye, it is important to get a comprehensive eye check-up to determine whether a viral or a bacterial infection is causing the symptom.
4) Treatment options for subconjunctival haemorrhage
Subconjunctival haemorrhage is the type of eye condition that disappears on its own. Mostly, the accumulated blood in the eyes takes 7 to 15 days to clear up. Initially, the colour of the bloodshot eyes is bright red.
The trapped blood develops a yellowish tinge when it starts to clear out. The blood vessels take a longer time to clot if you are taking blood thinning medicines or have Vitamin K deficiency.
The eye doctor may prescribe you eye drops that lubricate and soothe the eyes. It is important to note that eye drops do not help in the recovery of the damaged blood vessels. The tests they perform, mainly deals with ruling out any serious cause like diabetic retinopathy.
5) Prevention of subconjunctival haemorrhage
In cases where the cause is identifiable, it is important to make necessary changes to lower the risks. For example, if the subconjunctival haemorrhage is stemming from eye trauma, it is important to avoid rubbing your eyes and wearing safety eye gear when stepping outdoors to lower the risk.