Hyphema Diagnosis and Treatment

An ophthalmologist will examine your eye completely to diagnose a hyphema. He or she will check:

• how well you can see
• the pressure in your eye
• the inside of your eye

In some cases, the ophthalmologist may order a CT scan. This scan checks the condition of the bones that form your eye sockets and other parts of your face.

An ophthalmologist examines the inside of your eye with a slit-lamp microscope.

How is hyphema treated?

Based on what the ophthalmologist finds when examining your hyphema, he or she may ask you to:

• wear a special shield over your eye to protect it
• cut back on physical activity, or to rest in bed
• raise the head of your bed to help your eye drain
• see your ophthalmologist often so he or she can check your healing and eye pressure. He or she may prescribe eye drops to decrease the swelling inside your eye and to ease the pain or discomfort.

Your ophthalmologist may tell you not to use aspirin because it can lead to more bleeding. In some cases, your ophthalmologist might tell you to go to the hospital so that your eye can be cared for and checked often. If the hyphema makes your eye pressure rise too high, it can lead to glaucoma or damage your cornea. If this happens, you may need surgery to remove the excess blood or eye drops for treatment.