A red, bleeding-looking spot on the white of the eye is often a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which is caused by a small blood vessel breaking beneath the clear surface of the eye. It can look alarming but is frequently harmless and often clears on its own over 1–3 weeks.
Whether he should go to the hospital depends on his symptoms and how it happened.
He should go to the emergency department or seek immediate medical care today if:
- He has eye pain, especially if it’s severe.
- He notices blurred vision, double vision, or any loss of vision.
- The redness followed a significant injury to the eye or head.
- There is blood inside the colored part of the eye (not just on the white).
- He has a severe headache, weakness, trouble speaking, or other neurological symptoms.
- There is a chemical exposure or something penetrated the eye.
If it’s just a painless, bright red patch on the white of the eye and his vision is normal, it’s usually reasonable to contact his primary care clinician or an eye doctor within the next day or two, especially because he’s 64. They may want to check his:
- Blood pressure (high blood pressure can be associated with these hemorrhages)
- Medications, particularly blood thinners such as Warfarin, Apixaban, Rivaroxaban, or even Aspirin
- Any history of diabetes or bleeding disorders
In the meantime:
- Avoid rubbing the eye.
- Artificial tears can help if it feels mildly irritated.
- He should continue prescribed medications unless a clinician tells him otherwise.
Could you tell me:
- Is the blood only on the white part of the eye, or is there blood over the colored iris or pupil?
- Is he having pain or changes in vision?
- Did he recently cough hard, vomit, strain, lift something heavy, or injure the eye?
- Does he take any blood-thinning medication or have high blood pressure?
