Pterygium or Surfers Eye

What is Pterygium?

Pterygium is also known as Surfer’s eye. It is an extra growth that develops on the conjunctiva or the mucous membrane that covers the sclera (white part of the eye). It usually grows from the nasal side of the conjunctiva.

Symptoms of Pterygium

There are several symptoms of pterygium eye. Some of the many are mentioned below:

• Foreign body sensation
• Tearing from eyes
• Dryness of eyes
• Redness
• Blurred vision
• Eye irritation

Causes of Pterygium Eye

Below we have mentioned some of the many pterygium causes:

• Dryness in the eyes is one of the biggest causes of Pterygium.
• Pterygium causes include exposure to ultraviolet rays for a long time.
• It may be caused due to the dust.

Tests for Diagnosing Pterygium

• Slit lamp examination
• A visual Activity test- It involves reading letters on an eye chart.
• Corneal Topography –it is used to measure the curvature changes in your cornea.
• Photo Documentation- It involves taking pictures to track the growth rate of Pterygium.

Complications of Pterygium

The most common complication of Pterygium is recurrence.

In pterygium treatment, the post-operative complication of Pterygium surgery include:

• Chances of infection
• Corneal Scarring
• Reaction to suture material
• Retinal Detachment (Rarely)
• Conjunctival graft dehiscence
• Diplopia

Treatment for Pterygium Eye

Medical:

If the Pterygium is leading to symptoms like irritation or redness, the doctor will prescribe eye ointment to reduce the inflammation.

Surgical:

If the Pterygium symptoms are worsening and the ointment is not offering any relief. Your eye doctor will recommend surgery to remove the pterygium.