Pterygium
Pterygium Treatment At Burcham Eyecare Center
You might think that your eye irritation and blurred vision is the result of dry eye syndrome, only to look in the mirror and see an odd-looking growth on the white of your eye. This growth, called a pterygium, can cause you an understandable moment of panic. Thankfully, this condition is not an emergency and can be treated by our skilled ophthalmologist and optometrist. Here at Burcham Eyecare Center in Aurora, we can relieve the discomfort caused by a pterygium or even remove the growth altogether through state-of-the-art surgery.
What Is a Pterygium?
While no one likes to see a growth developing on their eyeball, you'll be relieved to know that a pterygium is not cancerous or immediately dangerous to the eye. Over time, however, these wedge-shaped bumps on the sclera of the eye can cause cosmetic changes that might make you feel self-conscious. Pterygia, which is the plural form of pterygium, can also cause some of the same symptoms as dry eye, from a "foreign body" sensation to redness. Vision problems may occur if a pterygium is close enough to the cornea to interfere with the transmission of light through this tissue. In rare cases, a large pterygium can eventually produce corneal scarring.
Where did your pterygium come from? The condition is often called "surfer's eye" because it affects people who spend lots of time in the sunny outdoors without proper UV-filtering eyewear. It usually strikes people between the ages of 30 and 50. Dry eye syndrome may also be a factor in its development. People with light-colored irises may be especially vulnerable to pterygia.
Treatment from Your Aurora Ophthalmologist and Optometrist
Either one of our ophthalmologist or optometrist at Burnham Eyecare Center can evaluate your eye to confirm the presence of a pterygium and help you cope with any symptoms associated with it. You may need nothing more than lubricating eye drops or specialized contact lenses to reduce irritation. We may also recommend the use if wraparound sunglasses that block both UV radiation and wind. If you also have dry eye syndrome, we will work on getting that contributing factor under control.
Sometimes a pterygium that blocks vision, causes severe discomfort or disfigures the eye, which may need to be surgically removed. This procedure can be performed by our ophthalmologist and under local anesthetic, usually in a matter of minutes. We may also reposition a patch of healthy eye tissue over the site of the pterygium to keep it from recurring in that spot.
Troubled by Pterygium? Call Burcham Eyecare Center Today
Our ophthalmology and optometry center in Aurora is ready to help you deal with your pterygium. Call 3033404600 today to schedule an evaluation so that we can decide on the proper treatment for you.
