What is it about ?
An effusion of blood on the white of the eye (subconjunctival hemorrhage) is bleeding under the conjunctiva (the thin membrane that covers the eyeball and the inside of the eyelid).
The bleeding usually occurs spontaneously, but can also be caused by a severe cough, high blood pressure, anticoagulant therapy, conjunctivitis, a eye trauma (a blow to the eye or a foreign body in the eye), rheumatic disease or connective tissue disease.
How to recognize it?
If there is blood on the white of the eye, the white of the eye is bright red in color. The bleeding is usually extensive, but it can also be limited and crescent-shaped. Sometimes the eye appears fixed or thickened. But, in general, the bleeding is not accompanied by pain or loss of sight and is noticed by chance.
How is the diagnosis made?
The doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and possible causes of the bleeding. The doctor only needs to look at your eye to see the bleeding. It will also control your blood pressure.
If the bleeding is the result of eye trauma, additional examinations must be carried out in order to exclude the presence of a lesion. These additional examinations are especially necessary when a sharp object or a piece of metal has hit the eye at high speed.
What can you do ?
An effusion of blood on the white of the eye usually does not need to be treated and goes away on its own after 1 to 2 weeks. See an ophthalmologist if the bleeding follows trauma.
What can your doctor do?
The doctor will examine if there are any causes responsible for the bleeding and if so, he will treat them. If the bleeding is due to a foreign body in the eye, such as a piece of metal, the doctor will remove it.
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