In the early stages, pterygium may cause mild eye irritation, burning, or itching. However, if the pterygium grows larger or thicker to cover the cornea, it may affect vision or cause a sensation of a foreign body in the eye, making it impossible to wear contact lenses. If you suspect symptoms or experience severe eye irritation, excessive tearing, or severe eye pain, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Causes and Risk Factors of Pterygium
Although the exact cause of pterygium is not clearly known, several risk factors may be involved, especially those exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun for prolonged periods, people with dry eyes, and those whose eyes are irritated by wind, dust, smoke, pollution, or sand, such as outdoor workers, farmers, fishermen, and people living near the equator. Pterygium commonly occurs in males aged 20-40 years, and people with fair skin or light-colored eyes are at higher risk of developing pterygium.
Diagnosis of Pterygium
Doctors diagnose pterygium by examining the eyes and eyelids, either with the naked eye or using a basic eye examination tool called a Slit Lamp, which has a light and magnification to help see abnormalities inside the eye. They will also ask about the patient’s symptoms, the duration of exposure to sunlight and pollution without wearing glasses or eye protection. Additionally, ophthalmologists may perform other diagnostic methods such as vision testing, where patients read black letters or numbers on a white background of the Snellen Chart, a standardized and widely used method today.
Treatment of Pterygium
Pterygium may not require treatment if it does not cause severe discomfort or obstruct vision. Generally, protecting the eyes from sunlight by wearing sunglasses is sufficient. If the patient experiences eye irritation, redness, or swelling, the ophthalmologist may recommend using ointments or artificial tears to moisturize the eyes, including steroid eye drops that may help reduce eye inflammation and swelling. However, if symptoms do not improve with these treatments and the pterygium affects vision or causes discomfort, the ophthalmologist may recommend surgical treatment.
Complications of Pterygium
Pterygium may cause scarring on the cornea, which is rare but if left untreated, can lead to vision loss. Additionally, complications may arise from surgical treatment, such as the risk of pterygium recurrence, which may be more severe, or affect vision, causing blurred vision due to uneven corneal curvature, known as astigmatism. During surgery, ophthalmologists may transplant a thin tissue to the area where the pterygium was removed to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Prevention of Pterygium
Pterygium can be prevented by avoiding factors that may trigger the condition by following these methods:
- Wear sunglasses with ultraviolet filtering lenses or glasses that protect the eyes from wind, dust, pollution, and other reflected light.
- When outdoors, consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat to protect the eyes from sunlight.
- Avoid places with intense sunlight, dust, smoke, wind, or high pollution levels.
- Use artificial tears to lubricate and moisturize the eyes.
