5 Things Parents Need To Know About Hyphema

Sports-related eye injuries are common, and are responsible for about 100,000 doctor's visits every year in the United States alone. One of these sports-related eye injuries is hyphema, which is bleeding in the front chamber of the eye. Here's what you need to know about it. 

What sports cause hyphema?

Hyphema is caused by blunt trauma to the eye or the surrounding area. While this can happen in any sport, the most dangerous sports involve a lot of rough contact with other athletes, such as boxing or wrestling. Sports that use objects like balls (baseball, football, golf) or sticks (hockey, lacrosse) are also very dangerous since children can get hit in the face with these. 

Sports that don't involve rough contact, balls, or sticks, such as gymnastics or cycling, are fairly safe for children's eyes, but can still cause hyphema. This can happen if your child falls and hits their face.

What are the signs of hyphema?

Hyphema causes bleeding in the front chamber of the eye. In mild cases, this might not be visible to the naked eye. In more serious cases, you may notice that the iris has a bit of a red tinge, or you may even see a pool of blood forming in the front of the eye. 

This injury is also associated with other symptoms such as cuts on the eyelids and blurred vision. 

What problems can hyphema cause?

Hyphema can cause a variety of complications. The pressure inside your child's eye can become elevated because of the bleeding, leading to glaucoma. Glaucoma can damage the structures inside the eye that weren't harmed by the original trauma, like the retina and the optic nerve. 

Hyphema can also cause corneal blood staining. The cornea is the clear lens in the front of the eye, and if it's exposed to blood for a prolonged period of time, it can take on a reddish-brown color. 

Can hyphema cause blindness?

If it's not treated, the complications of hyphema can cause blindness. Glaucoma in particular is a very dangerous complication, since it can damage the delicate structures inside the eye that are crucial for sight.

How do optometrists treat hyphema?

Optometrists can treat hyphema with an in-office surgical procedure. They numb the eye and then inject gas into the eye with one syringe while removing the blood with a second syringe. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia. 

Hyphema is a potentially serious eye injury that can occur during sports. If your children play high risk sports, make sure that they wear eye protection, and if their eyes get injured, take them to an optometrist right away. For more information, contact Dr. Diane Trevis or a similar medical professional.