Hemorrhage, or bleeding, can occur in any part of the eye from the surface, or conjunctiva, to the clear vitreous fluid of the center of the eye globe or deep into the retina. Sometimes the exact cause of the bleeding isn't known. If the hemorrhage is due to trauma, it often clears up by itself. If the hemorrhage results from another medical condition, it could affect vision long-term.
Subconjunctival Hemorrhage
This type of hemorrhage, which can be seen just under the surface of the white part of the eye, usually occurs when a blood vessel breaks due to sudden increased pressure, such as when a person sneezes or coughs too hard, vomits, strains during a bowel movement or tries to lift something very heavy. People who have high blood pressure or take blood thinners also sometimes find red spots on their eyes from these hemorrhages, and newborns often get them, apparently as a result of pressure occurring during childbirth. Subconjunctival hemorrhages aren't usually painful and generally disappear on their own.
Hyphema
This type of hemorrhage, which occurs in an area of the eye between the cornea and the iris, can sometimes be seen in the white of the eye. Being hit in the eye can cause a hyphema, but it may also be the result of an underlying medical condition, such as cancer, or from blood vessels getting leaky after use of blood thinners. Because there is a space between the cornea and iris, bleeding around the eye from any of these causes might end up there.
Vitreous Hemorrhage
This type of hemorrhage, which occurs in the clear fluid contained in the center of the eye, can be due to damage to the retina, an aneurysm of a blood vessel in the eye or the result of another medical condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sickle cell anemia. According to the Eye Center, diabetics are particularly prone to vitreous hemorrhages, because the disease promotes the proliferation of new but very weak blood vessels in the eye.
Retinal Hemorrhage
This type of hemorrhage occurs in the retina, the part of the eye where images are converted to signals to the brain to interpret what is seen. Retinal hemorrhages may also be further subdivided into other types of hemorrhage, such as preretinal or subretinal, depending on their exact location in the retina. As with other types of hemorrhage affecting the internal parts of the eye, retinal hemorrhages are often associated with diabetes and high blood pressure. However, according to a January 2008 article in "Optometric Management", they may also result from other medical conditions, including various types of anemia, bleeding disorders, leukemia and infection.
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