Subconjunctival Hemorrhage: Why Is My Eye Bleeding, and Should I Worry?

If you look in the mirror and discover that part of your eye is bright red, you’ll probably feel alarmed. But this issue usually stems from a broken blood vessel in your eye called a subconjunctival hemorrhage. In many cases, this isn’t a big deal and should heal on its own.

That said, subconjunctival hemorrhage could be a sign that your eye needs medical attention. If your bleeding eye is paired with other symptoms or you notice the bright red spot after a traumatic injury, it’s best to see a doctor. This way, an expert can check your eye and ensure that the broken blood vessel isn’t an indicator of a more serious eye condition. 

If your eye is bleeding and you’re worried, you can visit Edwin Y. Endo, OD & Associates. We offer emergency eye care here at our office in Aiea, Hawaii.

In many cases, though, the broken blood vessel won’t cause any issues and the bloody spot will go away on its own. To help you determine when to seek medical attention, it helps to understand this condition in general.

What a subconjunctival hemorrhage is

This eye issue can feel confusing at first because it has such a long, complicated name. Breaking it down into pieces helps.

Let’s start with the conjunctiva, the thin, clear membrane that covers the whites of your eyes. “Subconjunctival” indicates that this condition affects the area under your conjunctiva, in the white part of your eye. 

A hemorrhage develops when blood escapes from a broken blood vessel.

To put it all together, a subconjunctival hemorrhage just means you have a broken blood vessel in the white of your eye. It looks alarming because the escaping blood turns that part of your eye bright red, but it’s actually not dissimilar to a bruise. 

Subconjunctival hemorrhage is fairly common and usually isn’t a cause for concern. You can break a blood vessel in your eye from something as simple as sneezing, coughing, or rubbing your eye too hard. 

This issue usually corrects itself within a couple of weeks. If you’re not experiencing any other symptoms and the hemorrhage didn’t develop from a serious injury to your eye, you can wait for it to heal at home. 

When to see a doctor

You should schedule an appointment with Dr. Endo if the red spot developed after trauma to your eye. If you hit your eye or some other nearby part of your face, seeing our team helps to ensure that any eye injury receives the care it needs. 

Subconjunctival hemorrhage could also mean that something more serious is going on in your eye. See Dr. Endo if you have that bright red spot paired with:

• Discharge
• Pain
• Vision changes

You should also talk to Dr. Endo if you repeatedly get a bloody spot in your eye. 

In rare cases, subconjunctival hemorrhage can indicate another underlying condition like a blood clotting problem or diabetes. 

And if the bloody spot is worrying you, don’t hesitate to visit our team. Dr. Endo can evaluate your eye to see if there are any other issues at play. 

Whenever you need emergency eye care, don’t hesitate to call our office or book an appointment online.