Subconjunctival haemorrhage — advice for you
A red patch on the white of the eye: why it happens and how to look after it.
You have a subconjunctival haemorrhage — a small blood vessel on the white of the eye has burst, leaving a bright red patch. It can look alarming, but it is harmless and painless. It clears on its own over 1–2 weeks, just like a bruise.
Your care details
To be completed by the team before you leave.
A painless red patch with normal vision is harmless. Pain or a change in vision means something else is going on.
- Pain inside the eye, not just an awareness of it
- Any change in your vision
- Light hurting the eye
- It followed an injury, especially with blurred vision
- Bleeding elsewhere too — gums, nose, or bruising much more easily
These do not need urgent assessment, but are worth reviewing.
- The red patch has not cleared after 2 to 3 weeks
- You keep getting them, or you have had them in both eyes
- You take a blood thinner, or have high blood pressure
- You have never had your blood pressure checked, or not for some time
The blood is on the surface of the eye, not inside it, so it does not affect vision and there is no treatment that clears it faster. It will look worse before it looks better, often spreading over the first day or two, and it changes colour like a bruise — red, then orange, then yellow — clearing over 2 to 3 weeks. Artificial tears help if the eye feels gritty. Avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory painkillers unless you have been told to take them. If these keep happening, if they affect both eyes, or if you bruise or bleed easily elsewhere, it is worth having your blood pressure and, if you take a blood thinner, your blood tests checked by your GP.
What to expect
As it heals, like a bruise, you may see:
No treatment is needed, and your vision is not affected.
Caring for it
- You do not need any treatment — it will clear on its own.
- Use lubricating (artificial tear) drops if the eye feels gritty.
- If you take blood-thinning medicine, keep taking it as normal.
- If you get these often, see your GP to check your blood pressure.