Safe and Effective Ways to Heal a Popped Blood Vessel in Your Eye

Treatment

Apply artificial tears if your eyes are irritated. Use eyedrops on an as-needed basis if your eyes are feeling sore or irritated as you recover. Double-check the package for specific instructions on how many drops you can use, and how often you can use them. As a general rule of thumb, apply 1 drop into each eye before keeping your eyes closed for up to 3 minutes. If you experience eye pain a lot, talk to your doctor or ophthalmologist for specific recommendations.

Take acetaminophen instead of NSAIDs for the pain. If you experience any pain while your eye is healing, don’t take NSAIDs or aspirin, which can prevent your blood from clotting. Instead, some acetaminophen (Tylenol) for the pain. As a precaution, always double-check for the recommended dose on the package ahead of time.

Put a warm compress to your eye if it’s hurting. Soak a cloth or paper towel in warm water and hold it against your eye when it’s feeling sore. Use this compress on an as-needed basis until your eye starts feeling better.

Wait up to 2 weeks for the injury to heal. Popped blood vessels are harmless and almost always clear up on their own. Keep track of when the bleeding first started, so you can keep tabs on the healing process over several days. Although this injury isn’t very flattering, it’s easiest to let your eye heal at its own pace. There’s no treatment that will speed up or improve how your eye looks. If needed, you can use over-the-counter treatments if your eye feels irritated.

Get a more specific diagnosis if you’re in a lot of pain. Let your doctor know how often you’ve been experiencing pain. Popped blood vessels on their own shouldn’t be painful, so there’s a good chance that something else is making your eye hurt.

Prevention

Take extra care when rubbing your eyes to prevent any injury. There isn’t always a definite cause to a popped blood vessel, but it’s usually caused by excessive force, like sneezing or rubbing your eye too much. If your eye is really bothering you, use light motions to rub it and help clear up the discomfort. If your eyes are itchy or uncomfortable a lot, call a doctor or ophthalmologist for advice. If you think you have something in your eye, flush it out with artificial tears or saline solution. If you rub your eye, you could scratch the surface.

Clean your contacts regularly if you wear them. Dirty contacts may feel uncomfortable going into your eyes and may cause you to rub your eyes a lot more. Always keep your contacts sanitized and clean before inserting them. Use saline eye drops regularly to keep your eyes lubricated. Your eyelid rubs against your contact lens every time you blink, and it can cause irritation if your eyes are dry.

Protect yourself with eyewear during risky sports or activities. Some sports don’t pose a big risk to your eyes, while others involve a lot of flying objects. If you’re participating in a sport with a lot of potential projectiles, like baseball, tennis, hockey, or something similar, slip on some protective glasses or eye guards before the game starts.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17713-subconjunctival-hemorrhage/prevention Getting hit in the eye may cause a blood vessel to pop.

Talk to your doctor if you deal with popped blood vessels a lot. Keep track of how often you experience popped blood vessels in your eye. If you’re dealing with frequent bleeding, there may be a separate medical condition causing the issue. Talk with a doctor or ophthalmologist to get a better idea of what your situation is.