What a broken blood vessel looks like
A subconjunctival hemorrhage is a bright red patch on the white of the eye. It happens when a small blood vessel breaks and bleeds within the conjunctiva, the thin clear layer covering the white of the eye. Because the blood is trapped in that layer, it doesn’t move and can’t be wiped away.[1]
According to MedlinePlus:
- The patch doesn’t cause pain, there’s no discharge, and vision doesn’t change.[1]
- It’s often first noticed in the mirror, sometimes on waking.[1]
- No treatment is needed, and it most often goes away on its own in about 2 to 3 weeks. The white of the eye may look yellowish as it clears.[1]
- MedlinePlus still advises contacting your provider if a bright red patch appears.[1]
What causes it in scleral wearers
MedlinePlus lists causes including violent sneezing or coughing, high blood pressure or blood thinners, rubbing the eyes, viral infection, and eye surgery or injury. It can also happen with no obvious cause.[1]
For scleral wearers, the handling is often the injury. Wearers describe spots after:
- Prying at the lens edge with a plunger when a lens is hard to remove. This is a common habit when suction is strong, and it can burst a vessel. Use the removal technique your fitter taught you, and see stuck lens and plunger won’t grip.
- Many insertion attempts in a row, with the plunger or lens bumping the eye.
- Removing a dry, tight lens. Wearers often find a few drops of preservative-free saline or lubricant before removal makes it gentler. See how to remove a scleral lens.
- Building up wear time too fast when lenses are new.
- Rubbing itchy eyes after removal, especially in allergy season.
Red spot or something else?
Not every red area is a broken vessel. These are different, and each is a reason to talk to your fitter:
| What you see | What it may point to |
|---|---|
| Flat, bright red patch, painless, vision normal | Often a broken blood vessel. Tell your doctor; ask before wearing the lens over it. |
| A ring of redness where the lens edge sat | Often a fit issue. See redness around the lens edge. |
| Redness in one sector, with pressure or an edge mark | The lens may be pressing in that area. See is my lens too tight? |
| Whole eye bloodshot | Many causes, from overwear to infection. See why are my eyes red? |
When it’s urgent
A red spot that hurts, affects your vision, or comes with discharge or light sensitivity doesn’t fit the pattern of a simple broken vessel. Call your eye doctor today, and go urgently if:
- There’s blood inside the lens or on the eye’s surface that moves, or blood came out at removal. Wearers who reported this were consistently told to get seen immediately.
- It followed a blow or injury to the eye. MedlinePlus advises getting help right away for a severe eye injury, severe pain, bleeding, or loss of vision.[2]
- You have bleeding or bruising elsewhere, or you take blood thinners and the spot keeps spreading. MedlinePlus notes that other bleeding or bruising may need further tests.[1]
- You also have new floaters, flashes or a shadow in your vision. See new flashes or floaters.
What wearers say
- It’s frightening but usually harmless. Many wearers have had a painless red patch after a hard removal or a sneeze that faded over a couple of weeks.
- A photo helps. Wearers often sent a photo to their fitter, taken in good light, to get a quick answer about whether to wear the lens.
- Repeat spots in one place deserve a fit check. Some wearers found their lens needed lifting in one area, and the spots stopped.
What to ask your fitter
- Is it OK to wear my lens over this, or should I wait until it clears?
- Is my lens pressing anywhere it shouldn’t?
- Can you watch me remove the lens and check my technique?
- Would a different removal method, or drops before removal, help?
Common questions
Can I keep wearing my lens with a broken blood vessel?
Ask your fitter or eye doctor before you put the lens back in, especially if the red patch is where the lens edge sits. Send a photo if they accept them. Some wearers were told it was fine to wear the lens; others were told to wait or to have the fit checked.
I keep getting red spots in the same place. Why?
Tell your fitter. Wearers with repeated spots in one place have sometimes found the lens was pressing in that area, or that their removal technique was putting pressure on the same spot. A fitter can adjust the lens edge or watch you remove it.
Is a red ring around my eye after removal the same thing?
No. A ring of redness where the lens edge sat is usually a sign about the fit, not a broken vessel. See our page on redness around the lens edge.
Should I worry about my blood pressure?
MedlinePlus lists high blood pressure and blood thinners among the causes, and recommends having your blood pressure checked. If you get these spots often, or have other unusual bleeding or bruising, mention it to your primary care doctor.