A top surgeon has weighed in after Emmanuel Macron appeared on stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos sporting a puffy and extremely bloodshot eye.
The French Premier, who has also been seen sporting mirrored aviator style sunglasses while meeting other world leaders, has previously admitted he is suffering an eye condition that is ‘completely harmless’.
Speaking at a New Year address to France’s armed forces on January 15, President Macron said: ‘Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye. It is, of course, something completely harmless.’
French officials confirmed overnight that the 48-year-old had burst a blood vessel in his eye.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Mfazo Hove consultant ophthalmologist and founder of Blue Fin Vision, Harley Street, confirmed that, in photos, it does appear the Mr Macron has what is known as a subconjunctival haemorrhage.
The condition, he explained, occurs when a tiny blood vessel breaks on the surface of the eye. Blood spreads out under the clear membrane (the conjunctiva), sitting on top of the white of the eye.
This can be caused by an injury, such as a slap or punch to the face, or it can simply happen spontaneously. Mr Hove added: ‘It looks dramatic because it’s bright red blood sitting on a stark white background, but medically it’s usually very minor.’
In May last year, French officials confirmed that Mr Macron’s wife Brigitte struck him during a row, after footage emerged showing the First Lady appearing to push his face away as their plane touched down in Vietnam.
Speaking at a New Year address to France’s armed forces on January 15, President Macron said: ‘Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye. It is something completely harmless’
Speaking to the Daily Mail, consultant ophthalmologist Mr Mfazo Hove confirmed that, in photos, it does appear the Mr Macron has what is known as a subconjunctival haemorrhage
The French Premier has also been seen sporting mirrored aviator style sunglasses while meeting other world leaders
There is no evidence that anything similar had occurred recently.
Mr Hove said: ‘In the vast majority of cases it happens spontaneously. People often wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and notice it, with no pain and no obvious cause.’
‘Yes, trauma can cause this – if someone is punched in the eye, for example – but in those cases you would usually also see bruising of the eyelid and surrounding skin.
‘An isolated bleed on the white of the eye without bruising makes injury much less likely.
‘When patients come in with this, we usually just check their blood pressure – as very high blood pressure can cause this issue. Most of the time it’s normal and we don’t need to do anything further.
‘Typically it clears on its own within seven to ten days, sometimes a little longer.
‘Sometimes, the redness can spread so that more of the eye looks red before it gets better. That can look alarming, but it’s still harmless.’
On more than one occasion, Queen Elizabeth II appeared in public with a similarly bloodshot eye.
On more than one occasion, Queen Elizabeth II appeared in public with a similarly bloodshot eye
At the time, Buckingham Palace spokesman simply said the Queen was ‘well’ and there was no cause for alarm
In September 2015, onlookers noticed the change in the monarch’s eye while she was attending the Longines FEI European Eventing Championship at Blair Castle, Perthshire.
She attended other events, including welcoming then-President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon, and his wife on a three-day state visit in November, with the symptom still clearly visible.
At the time, Buckingham Palace spokesman simply said the Queen was ‘well’ and there was no cause for alarm.
She had previously been seen suffering from the condition in 2006 and 2012.
In September 2019, Joe Biden – then a presidential candidate – was seen with what appeared to be a subconjunctival haemorrhage during a television appearance.
In some cases, medications can make the condition more likely.
These include medications for Parkinson’s disease, a neurological condition which many have speculated Mr Biden suffered from, due to his rambling speech and problems with coordination.
Blood thinners, common given to prevent strokes and heart attacks, also make bleeding under the skin, and in the eye, more likely.
In September 2019, former US president Joe Biden was also seen with what appeared to be a subconjunctival haemorrhage during a television appearance.
Biden was in the middle of speaking when his eye appeared to fill with blood, but he seemed not to notice.
Mr Hove said: ‘If someone is on blood-thinning medication like warfarin, we might check their levels to make sure they’re in range, but again that’s uncommon.’
He also ruled out contagious causes which can cause similar redness.
Public health agencies have in recent months been monitoring a rise in adenovirus, a common infection that causes cold-like symptoms, coughing and conjunctivitis, swelling and redness of the front part of the eye.
Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious, and standard medical advice is for a person to isolate as much as possible – and not go to work – for as long as symptoms persist.
My Hove, having reviewed available pictures of Mr Macron, said: ‘From what I can see, this is certainly not conjunctivitis.
‘Viral conjunctivitis is very different – it’s uncomfortable, watery, often affects both eyes, and is extremely contagious.
‘Bacterial conjunctivitis [which can be caused by bacterial infections, such as the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea] produces yellow, sticky discharge. None of that fits here.’
Viral conjunctivitis is characterised by pain, irritation and constant watering.
It often affects both eyes, though one can be worse than the other, and it can be extremely uncomfortable.
‘The problem with viral conjunctivitis, particularly adenovirus, is that it can last four to six weeks and takes a long time to clear,’ said Mr Hove.
‘Adenovirus can also cause keratitis, which is inflammation of the front layers of the eye, which can leave vision blurry for a long time.
‘Steroid drops can help with this symptom, but recovery can drag on.’
He warns: ‘Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious. We tell people not to go into work because an entire office can end up infected.
Whole families can catch it – one person brings it home and everyone gets it.
‘You often see entire work teams off sick because someone came in when they shouldn’t have. It’s bad enough having it, but worse knowing you caught it from someone who ignored the advice.’
‘But I’m confident that isn’t what’s going on here.’
