Question:

I was just fine yesterday all day,later in the evening I was getting ready for a shower and noticed my left eye in the corner was showing a thumbnail size bruise?I didnt hit or hurt my eye and it is not a stye.What could possibly cause this? It is a dark purple color and red creeping on my eyelid as well..

Answer:

I am not clear whether this is the white part of the eye (in the corner) or actually the lid itself. If it is the white part of the eye, it is probably a sub conjunctival hemorrhage. These look bad, but are typically painless, and many times, it is not possible to determine the actual cause.

If it is the eyelid, is it painful? If so, it may be a lid infection. I would suggest visiting an eye care professional if this is the case. If it is truly a bruise, it probably will not be painful. You may have hit your head and if blood vessels were broken, it is possible that the blood settles near the eyelids, creating a bruise.

If it is not painful you are probably fine and it will probably subside in a week or so. If it is painful, again, I would recommend you visiting an eye care professional.

For more information:

Go to the Eye and Vision Care health topic.