A black eye, also known as a periorbital hematoma or a shiner, refers to bruising of the tissue under the skin around the eye. In the majority of cases the injury was not to the eye itself, but rather to the face. The patient may have been struck on the face by a tennis ball, a fist, a door, etc. It is called a "black eye" because the bluish-dark color of the surrounding tissue's bruising, caused by capillaries (tiny blood vessels) under the skin that have burst and and leaked blood under the skin. There is also usually some swelling and pain in the area surrounding the eye. Sometimes the area puffs up a lot and vision may blur temporarily.To see more details visit www.medicalnewstoday.com