Almost every person has already had a reddened eye which is a sign for a ruptured small blood vessel – usually something harmless that does not require ophthalmologic treatment. But if the eye remains red for a longer period of time, the redness may be due to another cause and needs to be examined by a doctor. The symptoms of a blood vessel ruptured in the eye normally automatically disappear after a few days or max. two weeks without leaving consequential damages.
Causes of Ruptured blood vessels
Hyposphagma is the term which the doctor uses for a ruptured blood vessel. At least once in a person's lifetime a blood vessel ruptures which is indicated by a noticeable redness. The intensity of this redness depends on the numbers of ruptured small blood vessels. Usually such blood vessels are harmless, but if they appear in the eye, an optical problem arises. In the event of impaired vision the concerned eye must, however, be examined by a doctor, because its redness may be due to a cause other than a ruptured vessel.
A small blood vessel often ruptures in the eye as consequence of vigorous sneezing or severe coughing. In this case the blood vessels expand and burst as soon as pressure has been built up. Everybody suffering from hay fever or another allergy often faces the problem of a ruptured blood vessel in the eye. Further possible causes of ruptured small blood vessels in the eye are conjunctivitis, a bad cold or a dry eye. A blood vessel in the eye may also rupture due to a foreign body in the eye, excessive sun exposure, severe air pollution or improperly inserted contact lens; they all result in an unattractive, red eye.
When to See a Doctor
As already mentioned, ruptured (small) blood vessels are usually harmless. Nevertheless there are obvious symptoms which are indicative of a severe illness. Such symptoms are for example:
- Sudden sensitivity to light
- Impaired vision
- Intense itching in or at the eye
- Smarting or watering eye
- Nausea and vomiting
If one of these symptoms occurs, you should not hesitate to consult an ophthalmologist as the burst blood vessel may be due to a severe cause.
How to treat Ruptured Blood Vessels
If the redness of the eye – due to a ruptured blood vessel in the eye – has not disappeared after two weeks, the eye should be examined by an ophthalmologist who will look for the cause and – if necessary – propose a therapy. The eye quite often only requires a rest so that it may be reasonable to cover it with an eye-patch for some time. If you usually spend several hours at the computer, you should stop doing so for a while and also prevent overstraining the eye by exposing it to other stimuli (e.g. TV). If the ruptured blood vessel is, however, due to an infection or an allergy, special ointments, medicaments or eye drops may be very helpful. In case that a foreign body in the eye has caused the ruptured blood vessel, the doctor will remove it and rinse the eye. A ruptured blood vessel in the eye requires surgery only in exceptional cases; but the consulted doctor of course has to take the final decision.
If a small blood vessel ruptures in the eye, it is harmless in most cases, but nevertheless embarrassing for the concerned persons. The symptoms have to be accepted for a short while, but usually disappear automatically. If you prefer being on the safe side, you can consult a doctor who will look for the cause of the reddened eye.
Translated from German by Alexandra Dahmen (Writing Business)
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Über den Autor Ulrike Dietz
Ulrike Dietz ist verheiratet, Mutter von zwei Kindern und lebt im Hochsauerland. Die Journalistin und Buchautorin schreibt Artikel zu vielen verschiedenen Themen und bezeichnet sich selbst als flexibel, aufgeschlossen und wissbegierig.
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