What does subconjunctival hemorrhage indicate?

Subconjunctival hemorrhage refers to the presence of blood under the conjunctiva, which is the transparent membrane that covers the white part of the eye (sclera) and the inner surface of the eyelids. When this occurs, it appears as a bright red patch on the white of the eye, which is why indicating that it is "blood in the white of the eyes" is accurate. This condition may result from various causes, such as trauma, high blood pressure, or even spontaneous rupture of small blood vessels, but it typically does not cause pain or affect vision, thus isolating it specifically to the presence of blood in that area.

Other options refer to conditions that describe different eye-related issues; painful swelling of the eyelids relates to conditions like allergic reactions or infections, clouding of the lens refers to cataracts, and changes in vision can denote a range of problems, none of which precisely describe a subconjunctival hemorrhage.