Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

This is when a small, fragile blood vessel breaks and bleeds just under the clear conjunctiva that covers the white layer of your eye (sclera). The blood gets trapped, creating a bright red patch. It looks alarming but is usually harmless and painless.

Disease

Symptoms

A sudden, bright red spot on the white layer of your eye. There is typically no pain, change in vision, or discharge. You might only notice it when looking in a mirror. It can be caused by a strong sneeze, cough, strain, vomiting, or eye rubbing. Sometimes it happens for no obvious reason. Risk factors include high blood pressure, blood-thinning medications, and some hematologic disorders.

Diagnosis

An eye doctor can diagnose it easily by its appearance during a routine exam. They may check your blood pressure and ask about medications to rule out an underlying cause if hemorrhages are frequent.

Treatments

No specific treatment is needed. Like a bruise, the blood will slowly clear on its own, usually within 1-2 weeks. Artificial tears can soothe any mild irritation. The key is to avoid rubbing the eye. If you experience recurrent hemorrhages, it's wise to see your doctor for a check-up.

More to read

Disease

Cataract

A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural, clear lens. Think of it as a clear window that slowly becomes frosted. This clouding scatters light, preventing a sharp image from reaching the retina. It is most commonly related to aging. However, some forms of congenital cataract are seen in children.

Disease

Refractive Error

Refractive error means that your eye does not focus light ideally onto the retina, resulting in a blurred image on the retina. This condition is not a disease, but a common problem with light focusing. Its main types include myopia (nearsightedness: nearby objects are clear while distant objects appear blurry), hyperopia (farsightedness: distance vision may be clearer than near vision), and astigmatism (vision is blurry at all distances due to an irregularly shaped cornea).

Disease

Night Blindness

Night blindness is a symptom, not a disease. It means your eyes have trouble adapting to low light. This is often due to a problem with the rod cells in your retina, which are responsible for night and peripheral vision.

Disease

Color Blindness

Most color blindness is not complete blindness to color, but a difficulty telling certain colors apart. It is usually an inherited condition (more common in males) present from birth. It happens when certain light-sensitive cone cells in your retina don't work properly. The most common type is trouble distinguishing reds from greens.

Disease

Retinopathy of Prematurity

ROP is a disease that affects premature infants. In the womb, the retinal blood vessels grow late in pregnancy. When a baby is born very early, this normal growth is interrupted. After birth, abnormal, fragile blood vessels may begin to grow in the retina. These vessels can leak and scar, potentially pulling the retina off (detachment).

Disease

Retinal Detachment

A retinal detachment is a medical emergency. It occurs when the retina peels away from the back wall of the eye, like wallpaper bubbling off a wall. When detached, the retina cannot function, leading to vision loss.