Description:
Pinguecula
A Pinguecula is nothing but a yellow-colored benign bump or growth that usually occurs near the white tissue of Cornea. In most cases, it occurs on the side of your eye that is near to the nose. But that does not mean that it cannot happen on either side of the eye. As far as the occurrence of Pinguecula is concerned, it can occur in one or both eyes.
Pinguecula is the deposit of protein, calcium, or fat on the conjunctiva. It is usually caused by too much sun exposure, and thus it leads to chronic irritation to the eye.
Pterygium
Pterygium is nothing but the growth of pink fleshy tissue on the conjunctiva. Conjunctiva is that clear tissue that covers your eyeball and inner eyelids. Pterygium is also formed on the side that is closest to your nose. With time, it grows towards the pupil area. You may find it a little scary, but don’t worry, it is not cancer. In the most extreme cases, it can cause vision problems by covering the pupil completely.
Symptoms:
Pinguecula
Itchy or burning eyes, tearing eye can decreased ability to use cataract lenses; the sensation of the presence of foreign material in the eye, dry eye, and a yellow bump or spot on the white of the eye are some of the symptoms you may notice in case of a Pinguecula.
Pterygium
Your eye might itch, look red, feel gritty, and feel like you have something in your eye.
When the growth of Pterygium gets onto the pupil area of your eye, it could cause blurry vision and may also change the shape of the cornea.
Causes:
Pinguecula
Too much sun exposure is considered the most common cause of Pinguecula. Other causes may include other sources of irritation like wind exposure, eye trauma, increasing age, working outdoors for a long time, and exposure to dust or sand.
Pterygium
Dry eyes, irritants like dust and wind, and lots of exposure to ultraviolet light are some of the most common causes that make you most likely to get Pterygium.
Diagnosis of Pinguecula and Pterygium:
With the help of an eye examination, the doctor will diagnose whether you have Pinguecula or Pterygium. It is because both have similar symptoms. The doctor will carefully look into your eye with the help of a slit lamp.
Treatment of Pinguecula and Pterygium:
As far as Pinguecula is concerned, many times it does not even need treatment. You can reach out to a doctor for treatment if you find it too uncomfortable. Even in the case of Pterygium, you won’t need treatment if your symptoms are mild. The doctors only suggest the surgery if the look of Pterygium bothers you, your eyesight is at risk, or when the other treatments won’t work out.
Prognosis:
A Pinguecula, with time, can become larger and can even progress into a Pterygium. If you are not sure what is causing a yellowish bump in your eye, reach out to your eye doctor.
Conclusion:
Both Pinguecula and Pterygium can be annoying, but you may not even need the treatment in mild cases. If the symptoms are severe, make sure to reach out to your healthcare provider. You can also check out pterygiumhouston.com and schedule a free virtual consultation.