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The Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Broken Blood Vessels in Eyes

A broken blood vessel in the eye may be harmless but it can be frightening, especially when it appears out of nowhere. Anyone can develop this common condition known medically as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, even from something as simple as rubbing their eyes in the morning, sneezing, or lifting a heavy object. While a broken blood vessel in the eye usually isn’t cause for concern, it may be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs to be treated like diabetes, hypertension, or a blood clotting disease.

Information. A broken blood vessel in the eye, known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, is usually a benign condition that happens when the very delicate and fine blood vessels beneath the tissue over the white of the eye — or conjunctiva — break. This causes a bright red patch in the white of the eye that typically goes away on its own. While a subconjunctival hemorrhage can happen at any age, they are more common among older adults who are more likely to have diabetes or high blood pressure.

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