A broken blood vessel below your eye surface causes bleeding in the eyes. The white part of your eyes appears bloodshot or red. You may also have spots in the eyes.
A hemorrhage is a rare type of eye bleeding. It can appear in the colored part of your eyes. The middle eye part can also bleed. Deeper bleeding in the eyes or if eye bleeds occur at the back of your eye then it can also cause redness in your eyes.
There are many reasons for eye bleedings. Blood does not leak from your eyes most of the time. Bleeding is much harmful to your eyes but if you leave this condition untreated then it can also cause various eye complications.
Effects of bleeding are associated with the location of the eyes. You should see a doctor immediately if you feel that your eyes may have bleeding.
Facts About Bleeding In Your Eyes
- A small blood vessel that is broken can cause bleeding in your eyes. It is not harmful most of the time.
- The exact causes of eye-bleeding are not known every time.
- Hyphema is a condition in which eye-bleeding occurs in the iris and pupil of your eyes. This condition is rare but it is not something to ignore.
- You cannot see the deeper eye bleedings. It may be caused by diabetes.
Causes Of Eye Bleeding
People get subconjunctival hemorrhage without noticing the exact cause. Following are the main causes that contribute to eye bleeding.
Injury Or Strain
People may rupture blood vessels that are fragile by:
Sneezing
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Straining
- Jerking head
- High blood pressure
- Carrying or lifting anything that has a heavy weight
- Allergic reaction
- Using contact lenses
A medical review reported that children and babies who suffer from whooping cough and asthma are vulnerable to develop subconjunctival hemorrhage. Other causes are injuries to the head, eyes, and face.
- Scratching the eyes
- Rubbing your eyes
- Injury
- Trauma
- Blow to the eye or near the area of eyes
Causes Of Hyphema
This condition is rare as compared to a subconjunctival hemorrhage. A blow or injury can cause hyphema. Any accident, poke, scratch, fall, or being hit with a hardball or any object can lead to eye injuries.
Here are some other causes that lead to hyphema.
- Problems of blood clotting
- Eye cancers
- Complications after having an eye surgery
- Abnormal blood vessels present on the iris
- Herpes virus and other eye infections
Medications
A study reported that some medications prescribed to thin the blood raise the vulnerability towards eye bleeding. Following are the medications that help to prevent blood clotting.
- Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
- Warfarin (Coumadin)
- Heparin
- Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
Some over-the-counter medications also work as natural supplements that thin the blood. These medications are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines. Tell your doctor if you are using any medication for them.
- Vitamin E
- Aspirine
- Naproxen (Aleve)
- Ibuprofen
- Evening primrose
- Garlic
- Ibuprofen (Advil)
- Ginkgo Biloba
- Saw Palmetto
Interferon therapy mediations are effective in treating the viral infections and it is also associated with eye bleeding.
Conditions Of Health
There are some health conditions that make you vulnerable to eye bleeding and make your blood vessels of the eye weaker. These conditions can also destroy the blood vessels in the eyes. Following are the health conditions that are harmful to your eye health.
- Retinal Tear
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Retinal Detachment
- Aneurysm
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Arteriosclerosis; narrowing or stiffness of arteries
- Conjunctivochalasis
- Conjunctival amyloidosis
- Terson syndrome
- Sickle cell retinopathy
- Multiple myeloma
- Vein blockage of the central retina
- A detachment of posterior vitreous
Infection
Some infections cause redness in your eyes and it looks like your eyes are bleeding. Pink eye is a common condition of eyes that occurs in children and adults. A viral or bacterial infection can induce the symptoms of pink eyes in individuals.
If babies have a blocked tear duct then it can cause pink eyes in them. Allergies from different chemicals and certain medications can also cause pink eyes.
The conjunctiva becomes tender and swollen from the pink eye. You may have noticed that the white part of the eye looks pink if you have developed a pink eye at any stage of your life.
More amount of blood transmitted into your eye to fight the infection. That’s why your eye looks pink or red. This condition does not cause bleeding in your eyes.