Black Eye Symptoms

• Pain and swelling are the most common signs and symptoms of a black eye.
  
  
  • Initially, the swelling and discoloration may be mild. The eye often starts off slightly reddened, then progresses to a darker shade.
    
    
  • Ultimately, the skin around the eye becomes deep violet, yellow, green, or black in color.
    
    
  • Swelling increases as discoloration progresses.
    
    
  • Over the course of a few days, the area becomes lighter and the swelling decreases.

• Although some blurry vision or difficulty opening the eye may occur because of the swelling, more serious visual problems are less common.

• Headache may also be present, because the usual cause of a black eye is some sort of head injury.

• Signs of a more serious injury are:
  
  
  • Double vision
    
    
  • Loss of sight
    
    
  • Loss of consciousness
    
    
  • Inability to move the eye
    
    
  • Blood or clear fluid from the nose or the ears
    
    
  • Blood on the surface of the eye itself
    
    
  • Persistent headache