Common Eye Conditions

Sub Conjunctival Haemorrhage

Briefly:
A painless solid redness to the front of the eye that does not affect the vision.

Fuller Explanation:
Maybe not a common term but most people will have seen or experienced this;
it looks terrible but in fact is harmless. The clear conjunctiva is loosely attached to the white sclera and between the two run a few small blood vessels. These vessels are normally relatively empty but if the eye is upset they fill a little and give the appearance of a bloodshot eye. Sometimes one of these tiny vessels ruptures and the blood released has nowhere to go as it is trapped between the two layers.

Examples of sub conjunctival haemorrhages

    

The result is that we get a patch
(it can be big enough to completely cover the white of the eye) of dense redness. Anywhere else in the body this would appear as a bruise but as the front of the eye is transparent rather than translucent like our skin this looks much more dramatic.

Like a bruise it will disappear over a period of about a week.
It is often associated with straining (lifting a heavy weight particularly if the head is low) or can be brought on by a bad cough.

It needs no treatment although if it happens regularly your GP should be consulted. Although it looks dramatic it has no long-term effects and does not need any treatment.