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Pterygium
What is pterygium?
Pterygium is a growth of fleshy tissue originating from the conjunctiva, the clear tissue covering the white part of the eye. It can cover part of the cornea, a clear, dome-shaped window of the front of the eye, which focuses light into the eye.
What causes pterygium?
Pterygium is thought to develop due to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, wind, and dust.
Pterygium symptoms
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Eye redness and swelling of the conjunctiva
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Dry, itchy, burning eyes
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Foreign body sensation
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Blurry vision
How to avoid pterygium
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Wear sunglasses and a hat to reduce ultraviolet light exposure
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Protect your eye from dust by wearing protective glasses or goggles
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Use artificial tears when your eye is dry or irritated
How to treat pterygium
When the pterygium is small, no treatment may be necessary. Discomfort, redness or swelling can be treated with lubricating or steroid eye drops. If a pterygium causes frequent eye irritation or becomes large enough to affect vision, it can be removed through surgery.
Pterygium surgery
Pterygium surgery is typically performed as a day procedure under local anesthesia. The pterygium is removed, and a small graft of conjunctiva from beneath the upper eyelid is used to facilitate healing and reduce the likelihood of re-growth. The graft is attached using a biological glue.
Recovery
Once the local anaesthesia wears off, the eye may be painful for a day or two, and painkillers such as paracetamol can be used. Antibiotics and steroid eyedrops are prescribed to prevent infection and reduce inflammation, redness and discomfort. It may take a few weeks for the redness to resolve completely.
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