Once, looking in the mirror, you find an ugly and even frightening bruising in the eye. What to do - run to the doctor or dispense with pharmacy drops? The answer to this question depends primarily on the cause of the pathology. After all, the problem can lie in the development of serious pathologies, and in increased physical activity. However, be that as it may, it is advisable to visit an ophthalmologist nevertheless.
What is bruising
The occurrence of severe redness or hemorrhage in the eye is always associated with damage to small blood vessels. Doctors distinguish several types of pathology, depending on the location of the bruise itself:
- Hyphema. This is called the accumulation of blood in the anterior ophthalmic chamber - between the iris and the cornea. Most often, the hyphema is the result of a blunt injury. Pathology is characterized by blurred vision and intense pain. Such bruising in the eye requires immediate medical attention.
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage. With this pathology, the vessels of the mucous membrane of the visual organ are injured. Typically, such a bruising appears suddenly and for no apparent reason.
- Hemophthalmus. This is a bruising localized in the vitreous body inside the eye. In other words, hemophthalmus is an internal hemorrhage in the visual organ. With this pathology, patients complain of severe fog in front of the affected eye. With complete hemophthalmia, loss of visual function occurs. Hemophthalmus is considered a severe and very dangerous eye lesion. In the absence of appropriate therapy, complete loss of vision, which will be irreversible, is not ruled out.
- Bruising in the retina. It occurs against a background of bleeding from the vessels of the retina. In fact, this part of the eye is extremely thin and sensitive. So even minor bleeding can lead to severe visual impairment and the appearance of retinopathy.
Signs of pathology
The clinical picture of the abnormality depends on where exactly the hemorrhage occurred. Blood can even completely fill the entire eye. Concomitant symptoms also depend on the type of hemorrhage.
So, with hyphema, the entire front chamber of the visual organ is filled with blood. If at the same time a person lies, then the liquid will be distributed evenly, and if he is in an upright position, it will simply settle on the bottom. How much vision is affected depends entirely on the amount of blood.
With hemophthalmia, blood fills the entire vitreous. The bruising in the eye becomes burgundy and takes the form of a crystalline lens. If the vitreous body is completely blocked by blood, then visual function will be lost.
In an injured person, a flash of light may appear in front of the injured eye. Sometimes they will be replaced by dark spots.
It is noteworthy that, in addition to the bruising in the eye, there are no other signs of a problem. Only in some cases, with damage to large vessels, pain can occur. If the hemorrhage is extensive, the victim may experience a sensation of increased pressure in the visual organ.
Causes of eye hemorrhage
The treatment of pathology, of course, depends entirely on the causes of its appearance. First, a person must undergo an appropriate examination. And only after diagnosis will he be assigned the optimal treatment.
There can be only two reasons for bruising in the eye:
- injuries - mechanical damage to the eye or skull;
- vascular weakness - it may be associated with some kind of internal disease, such as cancer.
Hemorrhage due to injury
The severity of the damage affects the quality of vision in the eye: sometimes it does not suffer in any way, and sometimes it temporarily worsens or disappears altogether.
Doctors distinguish several degrees of concussion:
- First one. With such an injury, bruising in the eye is insignificant, the eyeball remains intact, and vision does not suffer. In this case, the hemorrhage disappears quite quickly and the person completely recovers.
- The second one. The bruising in the eye from the blow is clearly visible, but the tissues are not badly damaged, and the victim himself sees light and feels impaired vision. Proper treatment allows you to fully restore visual function.
- The third. With this degree, the death of the eyeball occurs. It is impossible to restore vision with such an injury, since the structure of the eye undergoes irreversible changes.
Any damage to the visual organ should be taken very seriously. After all, even a slight bruise can lead to dangerous consequences. In this case, delaying a visit to the doctor is not worth it.
Bruising as a result of pathologies
The eye is an organ that is richly saturated with blood, and therefore has a branched vascular network. Some diseases can affect the permeability and elasticity of the eye vessels. That is why hemorrhages in one or even both eyes are a frequent, and sometimes inevitable symptom of serious ailments.
What causes bruising in the eyes? There can be many reasons for this:
- hematological defects - anemia or acute leukemia;
- diabetes mellitus - during the development of retinopathy;
- atherosclerosis;
- coagulopathy - problems with blood coagulation;
- hypertension;
- myopia;
- collagenosis - lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, scleroderma;
- pathologies of the vessels themselves - iritis or uveitis;
- retinal disease;
- tumors inside the eye;
- mucosal inflammation;
- sudden increase in blood pressure;
- severe vomiting or coughing;
- the use of blood thinners;
- lack of vitamin K.
Frequent bruising, even with normal health, is an occasion to consult an ophthalmologist for an examination.
When hemorrhage is not dangerous
Depending on the nature of the pathology and the cause, treatment for hemorrhage in the eye may not be required.
Comfortable lenses, which often replace the usual glasses, can also cause bruising. At least if they are incorrectly selected. And all because mechanical eye irritation gradually leads to damage to small vessels. The result is minor bruising. But you should not be scared, because the hemorrhage will quickly disappear if you temporarily abandon the lenses and choose others.
During childbirth, a woman’s body tolerates unimaginable loads, which are often accompanied by bruising in the eyes. How to remove bloody stains? No need to do anything - gradually the hemorrhage will disappear on its own, without any treatment.
A variety of physical activities associated with work or sports can also lead to bruising in the eyes. In this case, it is enough to just lower their intensity, and the spots themselves will disappear.
A long flight in an airplane, during which pressure often changes, can also lead to trauma to small vessels and, consequently, hemorrhage. In this case, worry is also not worth it, because after a few days it will disappear on its own.
When it's time to see a doctor
Make an appointment with an ophthalmologist as soon as possible if:
- Bruising appeared simultaneously in two eyes.
- A heavy fog appeared in front of the eye.
- Suddenly, vision deteriorated.
- In addition to hemorrhage, severe pain appeared.
- Hemorrhage in the eye is associated with a stroke.
- You are taking blood thinners.
What can not be done
If a bruise is detected in the eye, it is not necessary:
- rubbing your eyes severely, this only exacerbates the situation and contributes to increased hemorrhage;
- use eye drops without a doctor’s prescription;
- wear contact lenses;
- independently refuse to take medications without prescribing an optometrist.
Keep in mind that only subconjunctival hemorrhage can pass without negative health effects. In all other cases, without appropriate treatment, the risk of complete irreversible loss of vision is extremely high. After all, the occurrence of such a symptom may indicate a serious pathology in the visual system or even in the whole body.
Treatment
Having revealed a bruising in the eye, you should not worry only in one case: if the organ does not hurt, and the eyesight is not affected. In all other situations, you should definitely visit a doctor who can determine the causes of the pathology and choose the optimal treatment tactics.
Subconjunctival hemorrhage most often does not require special therapy and disappears on its own.
If you feel pronounced discomfort or even pain, an ophthalmologist may prescribe anti-inflammatory or decongestant drops for you. If an eye infection is detected, appropriate antiviral or antibacterial drugs are prescribed. How much bruising does the eye take? Subconjunctival hemorrhage usually disappears within two weeks without any complications.
In other situations, the patient may even require inpatient treatment.
If blood filling of the eyeball has been detected, an examination should be performed before therapy to determine the causes of the pathology. This is an extremely important nuance, since knowledge of the problem will prevent the development of relapse, complications and complete loss of vision.
First aid for hemorrhage in the eye is the most rapid diagnosis and subsequent therapy. To completely eliminate the problem, the patient should observe complete rest, adhere to all the doctor's instructions and follow the recommended procedures. In addition, the injured eye must be isolated from the environment.
Cold compresses and dressings with antiseptic solutions should be applied to the damaged organ as often as possible. At the same time, drug therapy is used, which allows to achieve recovery to the maximum quickly.
If the eye has noticeably reddened or hemorrhage has appeared in it, but there is no pain or discomfort, pharmacy drops and folk remedies are most often used. Such therapy usually allows you to quickly eliminate pathological symptoms.
Drug treatment
Most often, ophthalmologists recommend a standard treatment regimen for patients:
- intramuscular administration or oral administration of vitamin complexes;
- intravenous administration of lidase and glucose - they contribute to the complete resorption of infiltrates and bruising;
- preparations for giving vessels elasticity and strength;
- hemostatic agents;
- intravenous administration of protease enzymes - is prescribed as desired.
At home, drops can be used for hemorrhage in the eye:
- Taufon;
- "Naphthyzine";
- Octilia
- "Okumet";
- "Vizin".
All these are vasoconstrictor drugs that prevent the flow of blood through the vascular walls. With bruising in the eye, drops help to quickly remove even severe redness.
In more severe cases, surgery may be performed. Doctors usually resort to this procedure for severe damage to the vitreous body and retina. During the operation, all blood clots are removed from the eye cavity.
How to quickly remove bruising in the eye? Medicines that would completely eliminate hemorrhage do not exist today. If surgery does not solve the problem, it is quite possible to dispense with rest for the eyes and taking vitamins.
Drugs can be prescribed not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of hemorrhage. To prevent the appearance of bruising, doctors recommend taking ordinary vitamin C. This element helps to soften the vascular walls, so that they become more elastic.
If during the diagnosis a hyphema was detected in a patient, special procedures can be dispensed with. As a rule, with this pathology, doctors prescribe special drops for hemorrhage, for example, "Potassium iodide 3%." You need to use them three times during the day.
The course of therapy should last 10 days. If the pathological symptoms do not disappear during this time, surgery is recommended.
Home treatment
The most effective for bruising in the eyes are cold compresses and herbal decoctions. Alternative medicine offers several effective recipes to solve this problem. By the way, all of them can be used for bruising in the eye in newborns.
- Compress with tea leaves. Make strong black tea, let it cool and moisten a cotton pad in it. Apply moist cotton wool to the damaged eye for 15-20 minutes.
- Compress with a camomile. Pour dry flowers with boiling water, let the product cool and insist. Then strain the resulting tea, soak a bandage or cotton wool in it and attach to the eye. Leave the compress for half an hour.
- Lotion with cottage cheese. Wrap the dairy product in a bandage and attach it to the injured eye. No less effective will be the same compress using serum.
- Lotion with cabbage. The cabbage leaf must be crushed to a puree state. The resulting slurry should be wrapped in a bandage and applied to the eye. Freshly squeezed cabbage juice can also be used in the same way. Such a compress should be done several times a day to get a quick effect.
All these remedies are well established in the treatment of bruising in the eye. In a child, hemorrhage can be eliminated using any of them. The main thing is to follow all the rules for using the selected tool.
Conclusion
Bruising in the eyes is a sure sign of excessive fragility of blood vessels. This indicates that the body suffers from a deficiency of vitamins P and C. To fill the shortage of these substances and prevent future hemorrhages by taking ordinary ascorbic acid, Ascorutin, or complex mineral and vitamin preparations containing missing vitamins.
In summer, the menu of people who are aware of their problems with vessels should have seasonal berries, vegetables and fruits, and in winter - citrus fruits and sauerkraut.
Keep in mind that bruising in the eyes is not just a cosmetic flaw, but a real cause for concern, especially if they occur often and for no apparent reason. In this case, hurry up with a visit to the ophthalmologist: it is possible that you have quite serious health problems, because it is precisely the state of our eyes that often indicates them.