A broken blood vessel in the eye, which doctors often refer to as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, causes a bright red area. This may appear on any location around the white of the eye and should not cause pain or vision changes. People who take high blood pressure medications or medications to thin the blood may have an increased risk for a subconjunctival hemorrhage. Understanding the causes for a burst vessel may help prevent some hemorrhages.
Vessel Pressure
For some people, a vessel will burst after intense coughing, sneezing or vomiting. The hemorrhage results from a sudden increase in pressure inside the vessel, says MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health. Other activities that may cause strain, such as heavy lifting, may also increase the pressure inside the vessel, causing the vessel to break. At birth, some newborns have subconjunctival hemorrhages due to the body-wide pressure changes from natural child birth. As well, rubbing the eye too hard may also cause changes in blood pressure in the vessels, leading to a broken vessel.
Injury
An eye injury may also cause a subconjunctival hemorrhage, says the Student Health Service at Columbia University Medical Center. Possible injuries may include a hit to the eye or a puncture wound. Foreign bodies in the eye may also cause a vessel to rupture.
Unknown Causes
Some people with a broken blood vessel may not know what caused the hemorrhage. A person may simply wake in the morning, look in the mirror and notice the red area on the eye. This should not create alarm or concern unless frequent bleeds appear. In such cases, a doctor should be consulted about the frequent subconjunctival hemorrhages since this may indicate high blood pressure or other medical conditions.
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