What Causes Broken Blood Vessels in the Eyes?

Subconjunctival hemorrhage happens when a blood vessel underneath the conjunctiva (surface of the eye) breaks. Many times the first sign that you have the condition is when someone says something to you about your eye being red. The blood becomes visible when the conjunctiva can't absorb the blood quickly enough and it pools beleow the surface.

Symptoms

• You won't feel any pain when the blood vessel breaks. The bloodiness in your eye won't even cause a change in your vision. Nor will there be any discharges, such as tearing. The main symptom you will see is the bright red area on the surface of your eye and you may feel a scratchy feeling there.

Causes

• No specific cause for subconjunctival hemorrhage is known. There are actions that can cause a blood vessel to sometimes break. These include: violent coughing, hard sneezes, heavy lifting and vomiting.

Risk Factors

• There are some people who are more susceptible to subconjunctival hemorrhage. People with diabetes or high blood pressure are more at risk. Newborns may also develop the condition due the pressure of their delivery. People on blood-thinning medications are also more at risk for subconjunctival hemorrhage. Along the same lines, some herbal supplements, such as ginkgo, can increase the potential for the condition.

Treatments

• There's no way to prevent subconjunctival hemorrhage, other than avoiding some of the medications and herbal supplements that are risk factors. However, if it occurs, you can use eyedrops to relieve the scratchiness. Otherwise, your eye should absorb the blood within two weeks.

Hyphema

• Another condition that causes blood in the eyes is hyphema. In this case, blood accumulates between the cornea and pupil. This condition needs immediate medical attention.