A friend has developed a red ring around his iris, in the white of his eye over the last several days.(more)?

There was no injury to his eye of which he is aware. He has had a cold, and has been coughing quite hard. Can coughing burst a blood vessel in the eye, and how serious a symptom is that? I would greatly prefer the opinions of those with some actual medical, preferably ophthalmic education. Thanks.

A friend has developed a red ring around his iris, in the white of his eye over the last several days.(more)?
I agree with above. It sounds like a contact lens problem. Severe coughing can cause a small hemorrhage, but that wouldn't show up as a "ring around his iris", it would be a localize red spot-where the blood is pooling.



He should see the eye doc-it's hard to help diagnose/triage over the net.
Reply:Is he a contact lens wearer? If so, this may explain the ring around the iris. I have never heard of coughing causing a vessel to burst but this does not mean it can't happen. Chances are, he has some sort of virus that's causing the redness. If he's really concerned he should see an eye-care professional.



And if it is a burst vessel, it will go away on it's own in a few weeks, depending on the severity. It's like a bruise on the eyeball and takes time to clear up.