Eye problems and blood in the eye

Sometimes small blood vessels in the whites of the eyes break and cause a red spot or speck. This is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage. The blood vessels may break because of sneezing, coughing, vomiting, straining, or bending over, but sometimes there is no clear cause. The blood may look alarming, especially if the spot is large. It is usually not a cause for concern and will clear up in 2 to 3 weeks. Subconjunctival hemorrhage is usually not a serious problem if your vision is normal, there is no eye pain, and the bleeding does not cover a large portion of the white of the eye and does not spread into the colored part of the eye (iris).

Bleeding between the colored part of the eye (iris) and the cornea, which is called hyphema, is more serious than bleeding in the white of the eye. There may be mild pain or no pain at all; blood may appear 2 to 5 days after a mild injury. Vision changes may also occur. A hyphema needs to be evaluated by an eye specialist (ophthalmologist). A hyphema may be a more serious problem in a person with sickle cell disease.

Medications that help prevent blood clots may increase the risk of bleeding in both the white or colored part of the eye. When there is bleeding into the eye, do not take aspirin or aspirin-related products for pain because aspirin can increase bleeding. Use acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) instead.