Symptoms, remedies, treatments and care for Black Eye

Black Eye

A black eye, periorbital hematoma, or shiner, is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face or the head rather than to the eye. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye. Blood and other fluids collect in the space around the eye, causing swelling and dark bruising in the tissue. When there is an injury to the face, the skin around the eye, which is very loose, is one of the first places to swell as fluid builds up.

Many black eyes heal on their own in a few days. However, a black eye can sometimes be a sign of a more serious injury. If there is also bleeding within the eye (hyphema) besides the black eye, the injury may affect your cornea and cause eye damage. If both eyes are black after a head injury, it could signify a skull fracture or other serious injury.