Eye Health Center

Understanding Black Eye -- Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of a Black Eye?

The signs of a black eye include bruising and swelling of the eyelid and soft tissue around the injured eye, sometimes accompanied by broken blood vessels along the white of the eye, called a subconjunctival hemorrhage.

The discoloration starts out deep purple or blue, then may turn green or yellow before disappearing, usually in about a week.

See a Doctor for a Black Eye If:

• There was loss of consciousness as a result of the injury
• Black eyes appear affecting one or both eyes after a head injury; you should be examined by a doctor for possible skull fracture.

Any of the symptoms below may indicate damage to the eyeball, which should be evaluated and treated by an eye care specialist:

• Your eyeball hurts
• You have an open cut around the eye
• You have blurred vision, or see multiple images or floating spots
• You see blood or other abnormalities within the white or colored parts of the eye
• You experience unusual sensitivity to light or other vision changes