OT: Burst Vessel in Eye

I have a bad looking one that my wife noticed when I came home from the gym. I had been hitting the bench press and incline lever row hard.

I get this about once per year, usually when I have exerted myself hard.

Is that bloody eye a warning of some sort to me? I am 65.

Here is some reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subconjunctival_hemorrhage

Are you on blood thinners?

had a hematoma in one eye last week from coughing (bronchitis).. doc said not that uncommon & it cleared up in a few days. like you , i was concerned. 68 years here

squid13 wrote:Here is some reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subconjunctival_hemorrhage

Thanks Squid. From that article they seem the result of high exertion (bench press) in my case.

kteague wrote:Are you on blood thinners?

I take 81 mg aspirin daily. I believe this may cause me to bleed more freely once a vessel is cut or bursted, but I understand the aspirin does not make it more likely to burst a vessel. What do you think kteague?

deerslayer wrote:had a hematoma in one eye last week from coughing (bronchitis).. doc said not that uncommon & it cleared up in a few days. like you , i was concerned. 68 years here

Good to hear you got a medical opinion. I have had these infrequently over the decades and no known permanent damage. So I think it is an annoying appearance to others but nothing to worry about our own health.

Thanks for all the quick replies. I did read them right away but only was able to reply now.

I can't really comment on the "burst vessel".

But I can recommend that at "our age" you should consider having your eyes checked frequently.

A little over two years ago I went in for a routine update to my eyeglass prescription. I had not been in for about three years. I was 64 then. The Dr was an Optometrist. She asked if she could dilate my eyes just to be thorough and careful (not necessarily included in your regular eye exam). I knew when she asked another of the Optometrists in the office to come in that I was in trouble.

She found what they call a"Horseshoe tear" on my retina (back inside of eyeball) that had already started a hole. A large hole. You don't notice it in your own vision. It has to be a Dr looking in your eye while it is dilated. I had been checked for it three years before by this Dr's own father (Optometrist).

Now many people begin to have little tears or holes in their retina. But mine was still attached to the base retina and could tear down and become bigger. Or detach the retina which causes temporary blindness (assuming they can reaffix it - if not - game over). They recommended an immediate referral to an Opthamologist for laser surgery that same day. He saw me and did not think he could do the laser correction himself and picked up the phone and called a Retinal Specialist clinic in Wichita KS (about 90 miles away). He got the Retinal Specialist to see me the next morning Saturday as a favor.

To make a long story shorter, I got two surgeries in BOTH eyes due to active tears. They are now sealed. My Optometrists at the VA will check them each time I go in from now on. They make it part of the regular checkup.

I'm not trying to scare you - you probably don't have this problem.

But please don't bypass having your eyes checked to make sure that you do not have other problems going on.