Vitreous hemorrhage is bleeding in the inner chamber of your eye that contains a colorless gel called vitreous humor. It’s a complication of many eye conditions like retinal tears or eye injury.

Vitreous hemorrhage is also known as vitreous bleeding. An eye doctor might be able to see blood in your vitreous humor during an eye exam, or if bleeding is more severe, you might develop symptoms like floaters or hazy vision.

Blood from a vitreous hemorrhage sometimes gets reabsorbed by your body without specific treatment. However, serious causes might need eye surgery or other treatments like injections.

Some of the conditions that can cause a vitreous hemorrhage can be vision-threatening if not promptly treated, so it’s always best to see an eye doctor if you develop sudden changes to your vision.

Read on to learn more about vitreous hemorrhages, including the causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Symptoms of vitreous hemorrhage vary depending on the extent of bleeding. Minor cases might not cause any symptoms but might be detectable on a visual exam.

Potential symptoms include:

The most frequent cause of vitreous hemorrhage is posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) with or without:

PVD is when the vitreous humor pulls away from the back of your retina.

Other potential causes include:

  • proliferative vascular retinopathy (formation of new vessels on the inner surface of the retina)
  • age-related macular degeneration
  • idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (a disease that affects a thin layer of tissue in the middle layer of the wall of the eye)
  • intracranial bleeding
  • retinal arterial microaneurysm (a bulge in a blood vessel in the retina)
  • tumors
  • some blood disorders
  • surgical complications

Blood in your vitreous humor can end up in several anatomical spaces in your eye. Doctors sometimes subdivide it into:

  • Preretinal: Preretinal vitreous humor causes bleeding that settles in a boat shape at the back of your eye.
  • Intravitreal: Blood is dispersed in your vitreous humor and may settle down due to gravity. The color may range from red to yellow.

Many of the conditions associated with vitreous hemorrhage, such as PVD, become more common with age. Other people at risk include those who have a high risk of eye disease or injury, such as those:

  • playing contact sports, especially without proper eye protection
  • with diabetes
  • with eye tumors
  • with some genetic eye diseases

Some conditions that cause vitreous hemorrhage have a high risk of turning into vision-threatening conditions, such as retinal detachment and glaucoma.

Delayed surgery for people who need it might have an increased risk of complications like:

It’s important to get immediate medical attention any time you notice sudden changes to your vision. Sudden visual changes can be a sign of a serious medical condition.

Many of these conditions are treatable if identified and treated early.

Doctors will run tests to help identify the underlying cause of your bleeding. Some of the tests you might receive include:

Treatment for vitreous hemorrhage might involve conservative options, injections, laser treatment, or surgery.

Observation

A doctor may recommend observation alone if it’s expected that your condition will heal by itself. They may also recommend observation for a certain period if they can’t adequately visualize your retina.

Maintaining an elevated head posture and getting plenty of rest may help support your recovery.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections

Anti-VEGF injections are used to treat new blood vessel formation, which can impair your vision. These injections may be used to treat vitreous hemorrhage caused by some conditions like diabetic retinopathy.

Laser photocoagulation

Laser photocoagulation involves using a laser to seal leaking blood vessels. It may be used to treat proliferative retinopathies as soon as your retina is visible.

Vitreous hemorrhage surgery

If your doctor doesn’t think your blood will reabsorb by itself without causing complications, they may recommend a vitrectomy. This surgery involves removing vitreous humor from your eye and replacing it with a saline solution.

A vitrectomy might need to be performed urgently for some causes like a detached retina.

Your recovery largely depends on the underlying cause of vitreous hemorrhage. In mild cases, blood might be reabsorbed in 2 to 3 months.

If you receive a vitrectomy, you may have to wear an eye shield every night for 4 weeks to make sure you don’t accidentally rub your eye while you’re sleeping. You may also need a few weeks of rest from intensive activities.

Some of the causes of vitreous hemorrhage can be prevented. For example, you can take precautions to protect your eyes from blunt injuries or degenerative changes by:

  • wearing proper eye protection during sporting activities
  • wearing eye protection during other high risk activities
  • avoiding high risk activities
  • receiving regular checkups with an eye doctor

How urgent is a vitreous hemorrhage?

Vitreous hemorrhage requires immediate medical attention to identify the underlying cause. Some of the underlying causes can cause permanent vision loss if not treated promptly.

Can a vitreous hemorrhage cause permanent blindness?

Some conditions that cause vitreous hemorrhage, such as diabetic retinopathy or a detached retina, can cause permanent vision loss.

What is the difference between a vitreous hemorrhage and a retinal detachment?

Retinal detachment is when a layer of cells at the back of your eye that allows you to sense light becomes detached. It is a potential cause of vitreous hemorrhage.

Can vitreous hemorrhage cause glaucoma?

Blood inside your eye from vitreous hemorrhage can cause pressure inside your eye and glaucoma.

What’s the recovery time for a vitreous hemorrhage?

The recovery time for vitreous hemorrhage can depend on the underlying cause. In some cases, blood might reabsorb within 2 to 3 months.

Vitreous hemorrhage is bleeding inside the chamber of your eye that contains a supportive gel called the vitreous humor. Depending on the underlying cause, you might need eye surgery to treat it, or it might be manageable with conservative treatment alone.

It’s important to seek medical attention any time you notice sudden changes to your vision. Many conditions that can threaten your vision have a better outlook when caught early.