Why does the pterygium appear?
Is the cornea definitively treated?
2019-01-23
What are the symptoms of Thyroid Eye Disease?
2019-02-02
What Is the pterygium?
The main symptom of surfer’s eye, or pterygium (pronounced tur-IJ-ee-um), is a growth of pink, fleshy tissue on the conjunctiva, the clear tissue that lines your eyelids and covers your eyeball. The growth could show up in one eye or both. When it affects both, it’s known as a bilateral pterygium. It can look scary, but it isn’t cancer. The growth might spread slowly during your life or stop after a certain point. In extreme cases, it can cover your pupil and cause vision problems Though it isn’t usually a serious condition, it can cause annoying symptoms. You might feel like you have something in your eye. Or it may get red and irritated and require medical or surgical treatment. You might also feel self-conscious because people may ask you about your eye being red all the time.
What Are the Symptoms?
Sometimes, there are none — it just shows up. When there are symptoms, your eye might:
- Burn
- Feel gritty
- Itch
- Feel like you have something in it
- Look red
If the growth gets onto your cornea (the pupil area of your eye), it could change its shape and cause blurry vision or double vision.
What Are the Causes?
The things that make you most likely to get it include:
- Lots of exposure to ultraviolet light (like from the sun)
- Dry eyes
- Irritants like dust and wind
You’re most likely to get it if you live near the equator and you’re a man between 20 and 40. But it can affect anyone who lives in a sunny place. You get a pinguecula the same way — lots of time in the sun without eye protection such as sunglasses (wraparound sunglasses are the best protection). Your eye’s tears may not evenly cover a pinguecula which can cause your eyes to feel dry and gritty, so it might feel like you have something stuck in it. It may become red.
Pterygium Treatment
See an eye doctor if you have any symptoms. She can diagnose the condition by looking at the front part of your eye with a special microscope called a slit lamp. You probably won’t need treatment if your symptoms are mild. If the condition causes temporary redness or irritation, your doctor will treat it with:
- Over-the-counter eye ointments or wetting drops
- Eye drops that clear up redness and irritation
- Prescription steroid eye drops to ease redness, itching, swelling, and pain
Ways to prevent pterygium
- Wear sunglasses every day. That includes overcast days — clouds don’t stop ultraviolet (UV) light. Choose shades that block 99%-100% of both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.
- You can also apply a protective film to your side windows to help protect you when you’re driving.
- Experts say to choose a hat with a brim to protect your eyes from UV light.
- Use artificial tears to keep your eyes moist in dry climates.
