Health Topics A-Z

What Are the Symptoms?

Bruising and swelling of the eyelid and soft tissue appear around the injured eye, sometimes accompanied by broken blood vessels along the white of the eye (subconjunctival hemorrhage). The discoloration starts out deep purple or blue. As the bruise resolves, it may turn green or yellow before disappearing, usually in about a week.

Call Your Doctor If:

• There was loss of consciousness as a result of the injury.
• Black eyes spontaneously appear affecting both eyes; you should be examined by a doctor for possible skull fracture.

• Your eyeball hurts.
• You have an open cut around the eye.
• You have blurred vision, or see multiple images or floating spots.
• You see blood or other abnormalities involving the colored iris or round pupil.
• You experience unusual sensitivity to light or other vision changes.