Subconjunctival Hemmorhage

[chace_nicole]

AKA broken blood vessel in the eye.

I had one this past weekend. Upon surfacing from my last dive of the day, my vision looked a little milky but that lasted no longer than 5 minutes. I chalked it up to my eyes adjusting to bright sunlight after diving where it was darker.

Later, my friend pointed out that my eye was looked like it was bleeding, I checked it out & had a small, bright red spot in the outer corner of my eye. No pain or problems with vision.

I checked out the DAN website & they said the most common cause is mask squeeze. I never felt mask squeeze, but I was clearing my mask SEVERAL times during the dive...it didn't fit me right, first time diving with it...anyone want to buy a mares opera? lol.

Anyone have any thoughs or experience with this? Maybe a combination of colder water and pressure from clearing my ears?

[rumblefish]

Try to find an opthamologist that's also a diver look at it. I think DAN may be able to help you out with locating one. It's your eye, you don't want to play around with it.

[diver 85]

As it says, it's a hemmorhage(broken blood vessel) in the area between the conjunctiva and the sclera hence the sub-conjuntival area......It's probably nothing to worry about...Also the vision should not be affected ie optically nothing happened to any of the medias of the eye ie the precorneal tear film, cornea, anterior chamber, lens, vitreous, or retina of the eye....This milky thingy you had was nothing medically speaking---caused by the sub-conj hem that is........It, the blood, should clear up and be reabsorbed in a week or so..............Any questions @ all though, contact your eye practictioner----which can be an optometrist(O.D.), we take care of these type of problems all the time......good diving and rethink your mask situation, it's a side effect from a squeeze(If it was from clearing your ears, you did one hell of a blow job into your head)..........

[diver 85]

Originally Posted by rumblefish

Try to find an opthamologist that's also a diver look at it. I think DAN may be able to help you out with locating one. It's your eye, you don't want to play around with it.

Would like to know your theory on why an ophthalmologist must be seen???..I guess their Travatan Z, Zymar, Zylet, or Tobradex is special compared to the (same) drugs I prescribe.........lol.........Give you a hint, one's a surgeon the other is not, we both treat the same diseases.........

[chace_nicole]

Thank you for the info in the your 1st post Diver and I think Rumblefish was just suggesting that I see an eye doctor. I myself didn't know the difference btwn a optometrist & opthamologist.

[severian]

The SCH is nothing to worry about, may have been mask squeeze or nose clearing. I agree with the optometrist you don't need to see an opthamologist. You really don't need to see anyone, unless it keeps happening. Large ones can last a few weeks, small ones a week. Just be careful equalizing gently and watch for mask squeeze.

[USF_Diver]

Is your mask strap really tight?

[cummings66]

It doesn't matter how tight it is. The pressure will not increase faster than normal rates by a tight strap. Of course a mask's strap should be loose because it's not there to keep the thing sealed but more to keep it from falling off accidentally. You can even do a dive without a mask strap.