When Your Eye Bleeds
Not much is scarier than looking in the mirror and seeing that your eye is bleeding. It may be dripping blood, or you may be able to see blood traveling across the white part of your eyeball. Although a bloody eye can indicate a problem, sometimes it's a minor issue. If you experience this problem, you should not panic.
Broken Blood Vessel
On occasion, people suffer from something called a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which is a broken blood vessel in your eye. It may be caused by the pressure exerted by a sneezing or coughing fit. In some cases, you may not know what caused it, leading to an unpleasant surprise when you look in the mirror. Fortunately, this condition looks much worse than it is. There is generally no pain, but the blood is trapped under the conjunctiva and it takes a while to resolve. You may have a bloody spot for a week or two. Unless it happens to you frequently, you have no reason to seek medical treatment. Your biggest problem may be having to explain it to family and friends. Consider donning sunglasses until it passes.
Cuts
If your eye is cut or punctured in some way, you do need to seek medical attention; otherwise, you risk getting an infection or even losing some or all of your vision. This type of injury can happen in many ways. You may walk into a sharp corner or fall on something pointed. If your eye begins to bleed, either from the eyeball itself or from the eyelid, you should not put pressure on it. If you were hit in the eye by an object or while in a vehicle collision, there may be glass or some other substance in your eye. Your risk pushing that object deeper into your eye, causing more damage, if you press on the area. You should put something gently over the eye to protect it until you can get to the emergency room or eye clinic. Do not panic because many eye injuries can be successfully treated by an eye doctor. So even if your eye looks a mess, you will probably be fine.
When your eye is bleeding, staying calm is quite difficult. You should know the difference between a serious injury and a broken blood vessel. As long as your eyeball has not been punctured, the injury is unlikely to be serious. However, if your eye is scratched or cut, you need to see an eye professional to prevent infection. Your doctor may have to take more aggressive steps, but your eye will most likely heal. For more information, contact a company like Coastal Eye Group, PC.
