A pterygium is a growth of tissue in the corner of the eye, which is often triangular in shape. If left untreated, the growth can extend across the pupil obscuring vision or distorting the surface of the eye causing blurred vision.

Can pterygium be treated without surgery?

Treating a pterygium can be done without surgical removal. Smaller growths are usually treated with artificial tears to lubricate the eyes or mild steroid eye drops that counteract redness and swelling.

How serious is pterygium?

How serious is it? A pterygium can lead to severe scarring on your cornea, but this is rare. Scarring on the cornea needs to be treated because it can cause vision loss. For minor cases, treatment usually involves eye drops or ointment to treat inflammation.

How long does it take for pterygium to develop?

It may grow over a period of months to years and then stop for a while. If it grows and covers your cornea, it is more likely to cause visual symptoms. Pterygia are most common in adults in their 20s to 40s, although people of all ages can get them.

Can pterygium disappear?

Often, a pterygium will gradually start to clear up by itself, without any treatment. If so, it may leave a tiny scar on the surface of your eye that’s generally not very noticeable. If it bothers your vision, you can have it removed by an ophthalmologist.

Can eye drops cure pterygium?

Eye drops. You can treat the irritation and redness caused by a pterygium or pinguecula with simple eye drops, such as Systane Plus or Blink lubricants. If you suffer from inflammation, a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drops (e.g. Acular, Voltaren Ophtha) may help.

What is the best medicine for pterygium?

Medical treatment of pterygium consists of over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tears/topical lubricating drops (eg, Refresh Tears, GenTeal drops) and/or bland, nonpreserved ointments (eg, Refresh P.M., Hypo Tears), as well as occasional short-term use of topical corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drops (eg, Pred Forte 1%) …

What is the best treatment for pterygium?

Surgery – is the only treatment that can remove a pterygium. Your optometrist or doctor may refer you to an eye surgeon. It is preferable to remove the pterygium before it grows across the cornea.

Can pterygium cause permanent damage?

Pterygia are benign (non-cancerous) growths, but they can permanently disfigure the eye. They also can cause discomfort and blurry vision.

Can pterygium cause double vision?

A pterygium usually grows very slowly, over many years. It is more common in people who have been exposed to a lot of sunlight during their lifetime. and can cause blurred vision or the scarring may restrict the movement of the eye, causing double vision.

Can pterygium cause blindness?

Background: Pterygium is a disfiguring disease that can potentially lead to blindness. It is more common in warm, windy and dry climates of tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa. Globally, the prevalence ranging from 0.07% to 53%.

Where is the Caruncle located?

The lacrimal caruncle is the small, pink, globular spot at the inner corner, or the medial canthus, of the eye. It contains both oil and sweat glands. The whitish material that sometimes accumulates in that region is from these glands.

Why does pterygium cause diplopia?

Postoperative diplopia in patients undergoing pterygium surgery may result from restricted ocular rotations, direct trauma to the extraocular muscle, and irregular astigmatism.

How do you shrink a pterygium?

If a pterygium becomes irritated or inflamed, it can be treated with topical medication such as a steroid drop for short periods of time. Artificial tears and topical medications will help with irritation, but they do not shrink the size of the pterygium. The only way to remove a pterygium is through surgery.

Can dry eyes cause pterygium?

Conclusion: Pterygium recurrence is associated with a greater severity of dry eye, possibly by perpetuating ocular surface inflammation in the postoperative period.

How do you stop surfers eyes?

Tips to avoid Surfer’s Eye.

1. Keep your eyes wet. After a day out in the sun and on the water, make sure you wet your eyes with over-the-counter eye drops to help clear irritants and restore balance.
2. Regularly visit your eye doctor. …
3. Always wear UV-blocking sunglasses.

Does pterygium hurt?

Pterygium surgery is usually performed by giving small local anesthesia injection to numb the tissues. Generally there is no pain during surgery. If you are very nervous, you will be given a Valium pill to help you relax. A light intravenous sedation may also be given.

How do you prevent pterygium recurrence?

Fonseca et al suggested that bare sclera excision + β therapy 25 Gy in single dose, bare sclera technique + mitomycin C 0.02%, and conjunctival autograft + cyclosporine 0.05% eye drops are the best strategies to prevent recurrence after pterygium surgery.

What are the little dots you see?

Eye floaters (known as floaters) are tiny specks that can be seen in your field of vision – especially when you look at a light-coloured area (such as a blue sky or white wall). They are created when tiny clumps form in the clear, jelly-like substance (the vitreous humour) inside the eyeball.

Can pterygium be caused by trauma?

Lichen planus of the nail is the most common cause of pterygium but trauma and some connective tissue disorders can result in pterygium.

Why do surfers have bloodshot eyes?

Surfing exposes eyes to the correct conditions for the conjunctiva to get repeatedly irritated and inflamed. This regular irritation and inflammation causes the conjunctiva to lose control of its ability to repair and it starts to develop an extra layer of tissue which is essentially scar tissue.

A pterygium is a growth of tissue in the corner of the eye, which is often triangular in shape. If left untreated, the growth can extend across the pupil obscuring vision or distorting the surface of the eye causing blurred vision.

Is pterygium surgery painful?

Pterygium surgery involves the removal of tissue from the most sensitive part of the body. Without pain relief pterygium surgery can be very painful. Dr McKellar has prescribed three different pain medications. You should use all three for the first few days.

Can a pterygium be removed?

Pterygium surgery involves removal of the abnormal tissue from the sclera and cornea of the eye. Today’s techniques offer a significantly higher success rate than conventional surgery. In traditional “bare sclera” pterygium removal, the underlying white of the eye is left exposed.

Can a pterygium be removed by laser?

These growths are not usually painful, but they cause irritation and may eventually obstruct your vision. Patients with pterygium can have them removed during a procedure performed at IQ Laser Vision .

How long does a pterygium last?

Healing time varies. Soreness is very common for the first week and redness may last up to 6 weeks after surgery. In general, smaller pterygiums tend to heal the fastest while larger pterygiums take longer to heal.

Are you awake during pterygium surgery?

A light intravenous sedation may also be given. Patients are awake during surgery. Patients do not hear or feel anything and are comfortable during surgery. Pterygium surgery is commonly done on an outpatient basis.

How do you get rid of pterygium without surgery?

Treating a pterygium can be done without surgical removal. Smaller growths are usually treated with artificial tears to lubricate the eyes or mild steroid eye drops that counteract redness and swelling.

How long does eye stay red after pterygium surgery?

Usually the redness will be gone within 4 weeks, although sometimes some blood or bruising on the white of the eye may persist for 6-8 weeks.

What is the best medicine for pterygium?

You can treat the irritation and redness caused by a pterygium or pinguecula with simple eye drops, such as Systane Plus or Blink lubricants. If you suffer from inflammation, a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drops (e.g. Acular, Voltaren Ophtha) may help.

Can pterygium heal itself?

Often, a pterygium will gradually start to clear up by itself, without any treatment. If so, it may leave a tiny scar on the surface of your eye that’s generally not very noticeable. If it bothers your vision, you can have it removed by an ophthalmologist.

What is the difference between pterygium and Pinguecula?

Pinguecula (left) is accumulation of conjunctival tissue at the nasal or temporal junction of the sclera and cornea. Pterygium (right) is conjunctival tissue that becomes vascularized, invades the cornea, and may decrease vision.

How do you stop pterygium from growing?

You can help prevent the development of a pterygium by wearing sunglasses or a hat to shield your eyes from sunlight, wind, and dust. Your sunglasses should also provide protection from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. If you already have a pterygium, limiting your exposure to the following can slow its growth: wind.

Can a pterygium make you blind?

Background: Pterygium is a disfiguring disease that can potentially lead to blindness. It is more common in warm, windy and dry climates of tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa. Globally, the prevalence ranging from 0.07% to 53%.

How much does pterygium surgery cost?

The cash pay price of the pterygium surgery is $1800/eye. That price includes preoperative testing, surgical suite, surgeon fee, and three months of post-operative visit.

What aggravates a pterygium?

What Causes a Pterygium? As mentioned, overexposure to the sun’s UV rays is the main cause of pterygia. However, this eye condition has also been linked to dry eye disease, which can be caused by excessive dust and wind. Typically, pterygium affects people over the age of 30 and are rarely found in children.

Can dry eyes cause pterygium?

Causes. Although ultraviolet radiation from the sun appears to be the primary cause for the development and growth of pterygia, dust and wind are sometimes implicated too, as is dry eye disease. Pterygia usually develop in 30- to 50-year-olds, and these bumps on the eyeball rarely are seen in children.

Why is pterygium called surfer’s eye?

It is believed that pterygium is caused by ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, as well as excessive exposure to wind and dirt. Since surfers are frequently exposed to these elements, pterygium developed the nickname “surfer’s eye.”

How long after pterygium surgery can I drive?

You CANNOT DRIVE HOME after the surgery, so ensure that you have a carer and transport arranged for the next 24 hours. Although the procedure itself takes about 30 minutes, you should expect to be at the Day Unit for approximately 6 hours.

How long does it take for a pterygium surgery to heal?

Full recovery can take several weeks to about a month. Patients are also instructed to use antibiotic and steroid drops for the first 1-2 months to prevent infection, reduce inflammation, and reduce the risk of occurrence.

Does insurance cover pterygium surgery?

Pterygium surgery is often covered by medical insurance but may be considered as a self-pay procedure for cosmetic reasons when the growth is smaller.

Can pterygium be cancerous?

Pterygium are benign (not malignant) tumors. Hence pterygium do not invade the eye, sinuses or brain. Pterygium do not spread to other parts of the body (metastasize).

What does pterygium look like?

A pterygium can usually be seen as a fleshy, pink growth on the white of the eye, and may occur in one eye or both. They occur between the eyelids, most often in the corner of the eye, close to the nose, and extend onto the cornea. Many people with a pterygium feel as if there is something in their eye.

How is pterygium surgery done?

Pterygium Excision

First, make an incision at the limbus where the pterygium begins to encroach over the cornea. Cut it free and peel it from the corneal surface using blunt dissection. Once the pterygium’s been removed, we often polish the cornea with a diamond burr.