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We commonly see patients who come in saying that their eyes are bleeding.
The patient is usually referring to the white part of their eye, which has turned bright red. The conjunctiva is the outermost layer of the eye and contains very fine blood vessels. If one of these blood vessels breaks, then the blood spreads out underneath the conjunctiva. This is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage.
A subconjunctival hemorrhage doesn't cause any eye pain or affect your vision in any way. Most of the time, a subconjunctival hemorrhage is asymptomatic. It is only noticed when looking at the mirror or when someone else notices the redness of the eye. There should not be any discharge or crusting of your lashes. If any of these symptoms are present, then you might have another eye condition that could need treatment.
What causes a subconjunctival hemorrhage? The most common cause is a spontaneous rupture of a blood vessel. Sometimes vigorous coughing, sneezing, or bearing down can break a blood vessel. Eye trauma and eye surgery are other causes of subconjunctival hemorrhage. Aspirin and anticoagulant medication may make patients more susceptible to a subconjunctival hemorrhage but there is usually no need to stop these medications.
There is no treatment needed for subconjunctival hemorrhage. Sometimes there may be mild irritation and artificial tears can be used. The redness usually increases in size during the first 24 hours and then slowly decreases and fades. It often takes one to two
Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can affect the retina of people who have diabetes.
The retina is the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye, and it detects light that is then processed as an image by the brain. Chronically high blood sugar or large fluctuations in blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the retina. This can result in bleeding in the retina or leakage of fluid.
Diabetic retinopathy can be divided into non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy: In the early stage of the disease, there is weakening of the blood vessels in the retina that causes out-pouching called microaneurysms. These microaneurysms can leak fluid into the retina. There can also be yellow deposits called hard exudates present in the retina from leaky vessels.
Diabetic macula edema is when the fluid leaks into the region of the retina called the macula. The macula is important for sharp, central vision needed for reading and driving. The accumulation of fluid in the macula causes blurry vision.
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy: As diabetic retinopathy progresses, new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These blood vessels are fragile, which makes them likely to bleed into the vitreous, which is the clear gel that fills the middle of the eye. Bleeding inside the eye is seen as floaters or spots. Over time, scar tissue can then form on the surface of the retina and contract, leading to a retinal detachment. This is similar
