what causes blood vessels to burst in eye

A broken blood vessel in the eye, also known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, occurs when a tiny blood vessel breaks just underneath the clear surface of the eye (conjunctiva) . This can happen due to a variety of reasons, including violent coughing, powerful sneezing, straining, vomiting, rubbing your eye roughly, trauma, lifting something heavy, or even just a strong sneeze or cough. The conjunctiva cant absorb blood very quickly, so the blood gets trapped, causing the white part of the eye to turn bright red. While a broken blood vessel in the eye may look alarming, its usually harmless and disappears within two weeks or so without any treatment. However, if you have recurrent subconjunctival hemorrhages or other bleeding, its best to talk to your doctor.