If someone says you have a surfer’s eye, that doesn’t mean you can spot killer waves at the beach at all. It’s a legitimate condition called pterygium (tur-IJ-ee-um), which means there’s a pink, fleshy growth on your conjunctiva—the clear tissue that lines your eyelids and covers your eyeball—is known as a pterygium, which is a growth that forms on the side closest to your nose and moves toward the pupil area.
It isn’t cancer, but it can spread slowly during your life or stop after a certain point. When it reaches the cornea or the clear window of an eye, it can cause vision problems.
The condition could appear in one eye or both, known as a bilateral pterygium. Although it isn’t usually serious, you might feel like you have something in your eye or that your vision is constantly irritated. It can be embarrassing when people keep asking you why your eye is red all the time.
Keep reading before visiting your ophthalmologist or buying the best eye supplements in the UK.
Spotting Surfer’s Eye
Fortunately, this condition has several apparent symptoms you can spot by taking a good look in a mirror. Your eye might feel any of the following:
If the growth reaches your cornea, you may also suffer from blurry or double vision.
As an early precaution, surfer’s eye may start as a pinguecula (pin-GWEK-yoo-la). This condition may be related to conjunctivitis and is a yellowish patch or bump on top of the conjunctiva that gets red if irritated.
Causing Surfer’s Eye
Prolonged exposure to sunlight, dry eyes, wind, and particles such as dust and dirt can cause a surfer’s eye to develop. Another common cause is location. Ideally, persons who inhabit areas close to the equator and are between the ages of 20 and 40 are at risk of developing this growth. However, anyone who lives in a sunny place can also suffer from it.
The most common way to contract this sickness is by staying under the sun without sufficient UV protection (wraparound sunglasses). In some cases, our tears do not evenly cover a pinguecula, creating a sensation of grit in our eyes. The pinguecula can cause our eyes to feel dry, which can look like there is something stuck in the eye. The pinguecula may become inflamed and take on a red tint if this happens.
Treating Surfer’s Eye
Never treat pterygium with DIY solutions such as the best eye supplements in the UK. When you notice any of the symptoms, immediately see an eye doctor. They can tell what’s wrong by looking at the front part of the eye through a microscope, also known as a slit lamp.
If your symptoms are mild, invasive treatments like surgery may not be necessary, but you may also find relief via:
● Eye drops that clear up redness and irritation
● Over-the-counter eye ointments or wetting drops
● Steroid eye drops to ease redness, itching, swelling, and pain
Ensure an eye doctor or similar expert prescribes the above solutions.
Preventing Surfer’s Eye
Always wear sunglasses, even on cloudy days. UV rays still get through clouds, and UVB is worse than UVA. You should be able to find a pair of sunglasses that blocks at least 99 percent of both UVA and UVB rays.
Double down on protection by also wearing a wide-brim hat.
Restore Your Surfer’s Eye to a Normal Eye
Pterygium is one of the most common causes of eye irritation because it grows over time, causing severe vision problems and blindness. If this condition continues to spread, your eye doctor or specialist might recommend surgery. A skilled surgeon can remove the pterygium and stop it from returning.
Notice any of the symptoms listed above on you or a loved one? Visit Vision Eyes today for an appointment! We’ve built up our expertise for over three decades, such as the best eye supplements in the UK! Visit our online store now!