A red spot on eye white can show up as a result of broken blood vessels in the eye. The blood-red spot formed may appear as a red dot or patch. These conditions tend to occur more in babies. Explore facts, pictures, causes, signs, and symptoms of a red spot on eye. Furthermore, learn how to get rid of them with medical treatments and home remedies.
Signs and Symptoms of a Red Spot in Eye
A red spot or patch that may appear on the white part of your eye is medically known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage. Basically, this is a red blood spot that may show up on the skin of the eye due to internal eye bleeding.
Usually, subconjunctival bleeding can occur suddenly and spontaneously resulting in the formation of red dot in your eye. The tiny blood capillaries in eye conjunctiva can burst if a slight pressure is applied to your eyeball.
Generally, red eye spots are usually harmless and the might not block your vision. However, they can disappoint you by making the white part of your eye to look worrisome and less attractive. Fortunately, these spots can clear away within a period of one week.
A strange red mark can appear on white eye part (sclera), cornea and even inside your eyelids. This spots can range in size from pinpoint dot to large visible red patch. Although normal white parts of your eyes have tinny red blood vessels that you should not confuse it with abnormal red spots on eye white.
The common signs and symptoms of red spot on eye white include:
- Tiny dot or large red patch on eye white
- Single or numerous red spots in white part of eyes
- Itchy or burning sensation in eyes
- Redness on the eye white
- Red, tender and inflamed eyelids
- Watery eyes or flowing tear from the eyes
- Blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Temporally or permanent loss of vision
- Floaters and bind spots in vision
- Double vision or seeing two images
Other symptoms that might accompany red spot on your eye white are:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Headaches and others
Causes of a Red Spot on Eye
The white parts of your eyes can develop red spots due to various causes. These causes are categorized into spontaneous, non-spontaneous events and medical conditions that are associated with subconjunctival hemorrhage.
Spontaneous events that can cause red spots on eye
The white parts of your eyes can develop red spots or patches as a consequence of spontaneous even on your body. Usually, these events can exert excess pressure on your eyeball. This can lead to bursting of blood vessels hence bleeding can occur under the conjunctiva layer of your eye.
The common spontaneous causes include:
- Sneezing: you can develop subconjunctival bleeding during the process of sneezing strongly and continuously.
- Vomiting: this is a sudden body event that may result in the formation of force and pressure on your eyeballs that might lead to subconjunctival hemorrhage.
- Coughing: having a powerful cough can exert pressure on your eyeball that might lead to red blood spots in your eye white.
- Straining: if your eye white develops red spots after involving in a tough physical activity like lifting a heavy load, it could be an effect of muscle straining.
- High blood pressure: your eye whites can develop red blood spots due to a disorder of high blood pressure that usually occur suddenly.
- Eye injuries: this include sudden hit, blow or punch on the eyeball that can damage the blood vessels in the eyes and lead to bleeding.
- Sudden eye rubbing: this is common causes of red spot on eye whites of babies, toddlers or children. Adult can also develop a red spot on eye white if they rub hard on your eyes.
- The sudden change of hormones: your eyes can develop red spots due to emotions, anxiety, and stress that are associated with a rapid change of body hormones.
Nonspontaneous causes
These are causes of red marks in eye white without any sudden event that lead to pressure on your eyeballs. They include:
- Eye infection: that includes bacteria, viral and fungal infection of the eyes. Eye infection can lead to a pink or red spot on eye white.
- Allergic reaction: the exposure of your eyes to irritating fumes, smoke and chemical might have a consequence of subconjunctival hemorrhage.
- Eye surgery: your eye white can develop red blood spots or patches after a surgical procedure on either eyeball or eyelid.
- Eye trauma: you can develop eye trauma when the foreign object has entered your eyes. Dust particles and small insect are common causes of eye trauma and red spot on eye whites.
- Contact eye lenses: your eye white can develop red spots due to the effect of wearing lenses of your eyes.
- Certain medication: the use of some drugs such as aspirin might have a side effect of subconjunctival bleeding.
- Blood clotting disorder: if you have a disorder that is related to platelet count, this could lead to blood spots in your eye whites.
- Other underlying infections: diabetes and autoimmune disorders are some of the underlying conditions that can make your eye white to develop red marks
Red Spot on Eye Baby
Red spot or patch on eye whites in a baby is a common problem. This can occur when the baby scratches or rubs her eyes with fingers. If your baby has red scratches on her eye white that are not accompanied by other strange symptoms, this could be harmless and you should not worry about it.
However, it is advisable to seek the help of the doctor if you notice that your baby, toddler or child has blood red spots on eyes. Especially, if it associated with other strange symptoms such as inflammation of the eyes, vomiting, and sneezing.
How to Get Rid of Red Spots on Eye
You can get rid of red spots on your eye white by using various type of treatment method depending on the condition of the eye. You can use either natural home remedies or medical treatment method by visiting your doctor.
Treatment
In case the white parts of your eyes have red blood spots that are likely to advance into health complication, you can go for medical treatment by visiting the eye doctor. Your doctor will use the accurate diagnosis method to determine the main causes of your eye problem before giving you the appropriate medical treatment.
Some of the treatment methods that your doctor might use to fix your eye problem include:
- Prescription of eye drops that can help to remove blood from your eye white
- Prescription of oral drugs that can help to cure the underlying condition that may cause red spot on your eye white
- Surgical procedure that can help to remove chronic red spot on eye whites
Home Remedies
For tiny mild red dot in your eye white, you can use home remedies. These treatment methods are effective for harmless red spots on your eye that are caused by minor causes such as straining, vomiting, coughing, sneezing and mild injuries.
You can try the following treatments that include:
1. Warm compress
Warm compressing your eyeball with warm water can help to increase the blood circulation in the affected area to remove blood clots. Also, the warm temperature can stimulate the glands in the eye to produce more lubrication that can soothe the itchy eye.
How to use:
- Get warm water in a basin
- Soak a washcloth in the basin water for few second
- Warm compress the affected eye several times
- Repeat this treatment twice in a day until red spot on eye white go away
2. Cold compress
Instead of using a warm compress, you can also cold compress your eyes with a cold ice water. Low temperature can help to relieve itchy and inflamed eye with red blood spots.
How to use:
- Soak a towel in a basin of ice cold water
- Use the soaked towel to cold compress the affected eye
- Repeat to cold compress it two times in a day until the red spot in your eye white disappears completely
3. Milk
Milk is an excellent home remedy you can use as a remedy for a red spot in your eye whites. Also, milk can help to soothe the itchy and inflamed eye.
How to use:
- Get 1 teaspoon of fresh milk
- Put few drops of the milk into your eye
- Allow it to stay in your eye without rinsing it off
- Repeat this treatment two times daily until red spots on your eye white clear up
4. Raw honey
A raw honey is effective home remedies that can help in removing red spots form your eye whites. It can also help to relieve itchy eyes.
How to use:
- Get one spoon of the raw honey
- Place 2 drop to the affected eye that has red mark
- Allow it to stay in your eyes for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off with water
- Repeat this step three times daily until the red dot on your eye white go away
5. Cucumber
Cucumber has anticoagulant properties that can help to remove blood clots from white parts of your eye.
How to use:
- Get a medium-sized cucumber and slice it into pieces
- Place one slice of the cucumber over the eyelid of the affected eye
- Allow it to stay on your eye for about 20 minutes before removing it
- Repeat this treatment twice daily until the red mark on white part of your eye go away
6. Change of lifestyles
You can make a little adjustment to your lifestyle as a remedy that can help to remove the red mark from white parts of your eye. These lifestyles changes include:
- Avoid smoking and any other fumes that can irritate your eyes
- Avoid straining your eyes or avoid prolonged look on screen of computers and TV
- Ensure you practice eye exercise by moving eyeballs up, down and sideways for few seconds
- Take a balanced diet that has little garlic,
- Go for a regular eye checkup by visiting the eye doctor
When to See a Doctor
It is advisable to see you doctor over a red spot on eye white if you notice the following conditions that include:
- When red mark in your eye white has persisted for more than three weeks without clearing away
- If red spot in your eye white result in blurred vision
- If you feel severe pain or burning sensation in your eyes
- If your eyes develop double vision
- When your eyes become inflamed, red and bulge
- When floaters and black spot appear in your vision
- If your baby develops red spot in her eye white that looks
Sources and References
[showhide type=”links” more_text=”Show Sources and References” less_text=”Hide Sources and References”]
- Red spot on the eye white:https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/subconjunctival-hemorrhage-eye-red-spot-causes
- Signs and symptoms of red spot on white eye parts: https://www.emedicinehealth.com/subconjunctival_hemorrhage_bleeding_in_eye/article_em.htm#what_causes_subconjunctival_hemorrhage
- Causes of red spot on the eye white: https://healdove.com/eye-care/Causes-of-a-Red-Spot-on-Eye
- Red spot on the baby eye: https://community.babycenter.com/post/a25276603/red_spot_in_white_of_los_eye
- How to get rid of red spots on eye white: https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/how-to-get-rid-of-red-eyes
- Home remedies for red blood spot on eye white: https://www.belmarrahealth.com/blood-clot-eye-get-rid/ [/showhide]
