How dangerous is a burst vessel in the macula?

Could be bad: This wouldn't be good for vision. Vessels don't often burst in the macula, but if they did the blood could damage the delicate photoreceptors and can vision loss. We most often see bleeding in the retina in diabetes or uncontrolled hypertension and in people with very poor blood flow to the eye from carotid stenosis. You can also see it in trauma, including crush trauma to the torso.

Usually is: The blood vessels in this area supply a critical, fine detailed part of vision. Bleeding can block this and can also disturb the vision by getting in the way of the light receptors. A burst vessel might also be a clue to the existence of other conditions such as diabetes, macular degeneration, leukemia, anemia and others. It should always be investigated by your ophthalmologist.